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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0056.PDF
50 FLIGHT International, 10 January 1981 VtMd news New Year first flight for Lear Fan The Lear Fan 2100 flew for the first time at Reno, Nevada, on January 1, piloted by Hank Beaird. No problems were apparent on the 17-minute flight and observers report very low noise levels. The manufacturer has orders and deposits for 180 aircraft and de liveries should begin in mid-1982. Certification of the twin-engine, single-propeller aircraft may present special problems. Formal approval as a twin is vital. US and European authorities have no experience with an aircraft incorporating such a large amount of carbonfibre in its construc tion. A preliminary technical report from Reno appears on pages 89-90. Cranked-arrow wing for delta F-16 GENERAL DYNAMICS is studying a delta-winged F-16 derivative which offers reduced supersonic drag and increased fuel and weapons loads with minimum change to the air frame. The F-16XL has a 650ft2 "cranked-arrow" wing in place of the present 300ft? surface and the fuse lage is stretched by 56in to match the greater chord. Internal fuel capacity is increased by more than 80 per cent, supersonic drag is re duced by 17 per cent but the airframe and avionics remain more than 90 per cent common with the F-16A. The company is seeking US Air Force support for the aircraft and sees a $40 million development and test programme involving modifica- R3140 heralds new Robin series THE first of Avions Robin's new 3000 series light aircraft is flying from Dijon Darois in France. T-tailed and powered by a 143 h.p. Lycoming, the four-seat R3140 prototype has logged more than six hours in the hands of Michel Brandt; good hand ling is reported. Type certification and series produc tion are scheduled for 1982, and the whole range, which is expected even tually to replace most of Robin's present metal designs, has many com mon parts. The R3100 will be a 100 h.p. two-seater; next in line is the 115 h.p. four-seat R3120 with a similar air frame to the R3140 and for which a five-hour endurance has been quoted. A 160 h.p. engine will power the R3170, of which a glider-towing ver sion is planned, while the R3180 will have 180 h.p. and retractable gear. MacCready's Solar Challenger takes off for an early test flight. Pilot Janice Brown attempted to fly Solar Challenger between Tucson and Phoenix in December, but poor weather forced her to turn back just before the halfway point (see story on page 60) tion of two F-16 airframes. The first F-16XL could fly within 15 months; of go-ahead—mid-1982 at the earliest. Production aircraft could be available in the late 1980s/early 1990s as an interim follow-on to the F-16. The de sign offers more than double the air- to-air and air-to-ground mission radius, improved manoeuvrability and lower take-off and landing speeds. A major design feature is the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds on the standard Pratt & Whitney F100 powerplant. A maximum cruise speed of Mach 2-2 is claimed and sea-level penetration speeds are in creased with a beneficial effect on survivability. The Nasa-developed cranked-arrow wing has 70° leading- edge sweep on the inboard sections and 50° sweepback on the wingtip panels. A variable geometry inlet and all-moving fin are fitted. • Thei General Electric FlOl-powered F-16 test bed made its first flight in a fivermonth test programme on Decem ber 19. The aircraft is powered by a single F101 Derivative Fighter Engine producing 26,000-28,0001b thrust. UK certification for A300 THE UK Civil Aviation Authority has awarded a British type certificate to the Airbus A300. More specifically the certificate applies to the A300B4-200— the version ordered by Laker Airways, whose first example (of ten) enters service this week. The CAA says that certification has been a "straight forward exercise" and modifications comprise a list of ten "small items". Bigger Paris show MORE THAN 150 of the 648 exhibi tors already booked for the 34th Paris Show (Le Bourget—June 4-14) are newcomers. Some 23 countries are represented by companies who have booked a total of 34,129m2 exhibition space. According to French industry group Gifas, space bookings are up almost 60 per cent compared with the same time two years ago. Temporary buildings offering an additional 7,000m2 covered area are to be set up, increasing roofed-in accommodation by some 15 per cent. The static display area is to be ex tended to increase exhibition space by a fifth. The show organisers are introducing a pedestrian underpass beneath the double row of chalets to link the static display with the flight- demonstration area.
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