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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 0053.PDF
New model F-15s for RDF <•...,. -"-*- indite, ^ - •„-.m ms? Rotor testbed joins IMasa SIKORSKY'S S-72 Rotor Systems Re search Aircraft (RSRA) based at Nasa's Ames Research Centre, Mof- fett Field, California, are to be used for advanced helicopter research, having completed a Nasa/US Army flight-test programme. The RSRA is equipped with auxiliary wings and turbofan propulsion engines to pro vide extra lift when testing rotor sys tems too small to support the air craft. In helicopter configuration, the RSRA initially has the basic S-61 dynamic system, with 62ft-diameter main rotor, lift-diameter tail rotor, 13ft-span T-tail stabiliser, and two T58 turboshafts. In compound configura tion the RSRA has a 45ft-span wing with ailerons and flaps, a revised tail with 22-5ft soan stabilator and a rud der, and two 9,2751b-thrust TF34s. Sikorsky built two S-72s under a Nasa/US Army contract; both are based at Nasa Ames for basic rotor systems research, aimed at increasing rotorcraft speed, performance, re liability, and safety, as well as re ducing noise, vibration, and mainten ance requirements. First Nato-standard Awacs delivered BOEING has delivered the first E-3A Sentry Awacs with overwater cap ability to the USAF. The enhanced E-3, known as the USAF/Nato Stan dard Version, incorporates improve ments funded jointly by the USAF and Nato, including: • Radar and computer software modi fications that allow the E-3 to track shipping (US funded). • The main computer has increased speed and capacity, enabling the E-3 to track a greater number of targets and enhancing the communications processing ability (Nato funded). • More radios and provision for the Joint Tactical Information Distribu tion System. The aircraft is the 25th of 34 on order for the USAF; the first of 18 Nato aircraft will be delivered this spring. Casualties... • A Canadian Armed Forces CF-104 Star-fighter crashed 14 n.m. north of its base at Cold Lake, Alberta, on December 12. The pilot ejected safely. • A US Navy SH-2 Seasprite crashed into the sea while attempting to land on the frigate VSS Donald B. Bear on December 16. The two pilots were saved, but a crewman is missing, pre sumed dead. The accident occurred 750 n.m. south-west of the Azores. THE United States Air Force 1st Tac tical Fighter Wing, part of the Rapid Deployment Force, is changing its early-model McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles for C and D models. The Wing, based at Langley AFB, Virginia, will be fully equipped with 68 F-15Cs and four two-seat F-15Ds by the summer of 1983. The F-15C and D can carry more fuel than the earlier versions, allow ing non-stop unrefuelled transits of JAPAN'S Government has proposed a 7-7 per cent increase in defence spending for 1982, a real increase of 3 per cent allowing for inflation. The proposal, if accepted in the Diet later this month, allocates Yen 2,536,000 million (£6,000 million). Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki has been pressurised by the United States to increase defence spending. Last Tracer... Gabon has bought four Beech T-34C-1 Turbo-Mentors for use by the Presi dential Guard. The pilots will be trained by Beech at Wichita, Kansas. Australia's Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, has delayed a decision on buy ing the Royal Navy's carrier HMS Invincible until later this year. The Royal Australian Navy fears that a delay could lose them the ship. Egypt has ordered ten de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffaloes. Boeing has received a $237 million contract covering navigation/bombing equipment for 61 B-52G/H bombers, and cruise-missile integration kits for 40 B-52Gs. Magnavox Electronic Systems has re ceived a $14 million US Army con- 3,000 n.m. The newer Eagles carry 12,0001b of fuel internally, an in crease of 2,0001b over earlier versions. The drop tanks provide another 12,0001b, again a 2,0001b increase over the A and B models. The conformal tanks hold another 9,7501b. The Cs and Ds have beefed-up landing gear to increase the maximum gross take off weight to 68,0001b from the 56,0001b of the A and B Eagles. May he promised that Japanese sea and air cover of shipping lanes to south-east Asia and to the Philippines would be improved. The Japanese Parliamentary opposition attacked the defence budget proposal immedi ately, citing the large increase com pared with appropriations for social services and education. Tracer.., tract to produce proximity fuzes for the twin-40mm Divad radar-directed self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Australia is buying $34 million worth of spares for its F-lllCs, C-130s and C-7s, West Germany is to buy $32 million of spares for its fleet of F-4F and RF- 4E Phantoms. The French Navy is buying 93 Gould Mk46 homing torpedoes for $12 million. Shorts reports four unannounced firm customers for Blowpipe, and claims orders worth £50 million for the anti aircraft missile in 1981. The company declines to reveal the identities of the new customers, but says: "This time last year we had four foreign cus tomers, now we have eight." Japan proposes defence spending increase FLIGHT International, 9 January 1982 51
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