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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 3940.PDF
.^, USAF to select primary trainer early next year SELECTION of the US Air Force Next Generation Trainer (NGT) is expected in the spring, reports Bill Sweetman from California. Five com panies have submitted final technical proposals for a primary jet trainer to replace the Cessna T-37. Cost pro posals were due in by December 14. The USAF requires 600 NGTs from the late 1980s. Of the five companies sponsored through contract definition, Vought and General Dynamics have declined to respond to the final request for proposals. This eliminates the Vought/ VFW Eaglet, a Fantrainer derivative and the only "offshore" element in the competition. Surviving contract definition are Cessna, Fairchild, and Rockwell. Cessna, having started out with a pro posal to re-engine and update existing T-37s, is now offering what amounts to a new aircraft. Retaining the basic T-37 mid-wing layout, Cessna's NGT sub-scale has new engines, redesigned cabin with pressurisation and ejection seats, a larger wing, and a T-tail. Fairchild's approach to the competi tion includes a piloted prototype used to substantiate technical data. The total cost of $500,000 is com parable with the expenditure required to gather the same data through windtunnel testing, says Fairchild. The prototype is a 1,5001b, 0-62- scale model, built in foam-cored giassfibre by Burt Rutan's organisa tion at Mohave, California. The exact scale was determined by the output of the most readily available FAA- certificated engines, two Microturbo TRS-18s of 2201b thrust each. In 18 flights, totalling 20-8hr, the prototype explored deep stall, aggra vated stall, and post-stall flight re gimes; confirmed windtunnel predic tions of stability and damping in all axes; and demonstrated that the twin tail layout is spin-resistant. No spins were performed, but the aircraft was observed at sideslip angles of 30° using asymmetric thrust. Rockwell's Near-term Optimum Value (Nova) trainer was unveiled in mockup form some time ago. Proposed when the company's North American Division was short of work following the cancellation of the B-l, Nova's prospects may be harmed by President Reagan's decision to build 100 B-lBs. Gulfstream American, not one of the original five contenders, is pro posing the Peregrine. The sole pro totype has passed the 50hr mark in flight-tests at Bethany and Savannah "with no major problems". A few changes have been made, including adding anhedral to the wing. Gulf- stream American will offer the Pere grine for export irrespective of the outcome of NGT. Smallest of the five airframe bid ders is Ensi"" Aircraft, based near Long Beach, California. Previously en gaged in subcontract design, manufac ture, and engineering, including assistance with some certification programmes, Ensign began private- venture work on NGT designs in February 1980. Ensign's EA-12 NGT design is en tirely conventional, but makes the greatest use possible of advanced automated manufacturing processes in its production. This, Ensign believes, would cut production overheads and make it more economical for the USAF to slow or suspend production without increasing unit costs or in curring high restart expenses. Ensign considers that this approach favours the new contractor, especially since the aircraft itself presents few tech nical challenges. Transall handover as AEW version is studied with Marconi AEROSPATIALE has delivered the first two Transall C.160 tactical trans ports to the French Air Force. Pro duction of the Transall has been re started to meet a French require ment for 25 aircraft to replace Nord Noratias transports. Now Aero spatiale and Marconi Avionics are studying an airborne early warning derivative using a version of the Nirn- rod AEW.3 mission avionics system. AEW Transall is currently just a company study, aimed at diverting the French Air Force from the purchase of Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes, or if Boeing has its way, E-3A Sentrys. Aerospatiale approached Marconi Avionics after Thomson-CSF aban doned studies of an airborne radar system. The company is not overly confident that the French Air Force will be dissuaded from buying Hawk- eyes. Aerospatiale has sold three re launched Transalls to Indonesia for transmigration airlift, and has started development of a C.160S mari time surveillance version. Basically similar to the original Transall, 169 of which were built, the "new genera tion" C.160 has modern avionics, in flight refuelling capability (both the give and receive), and a 2,000gal capa city wing centre-section tank giving a 4,600 n.m. maximum range. • According to Aerospatiale, 20 coun tries have requested evaluation nights in the Epsilon basic trainer. The com pany is modifying the second proto type for customer evaluation flights beginning next year. Aerospatiale will deliver the first of 30 French Air Force Epsilons in September 1983. Production rate will be 4-6 aircraft a month initially. 1818 FLIGHT International, 19 December 1981
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