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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 0115.PDF
RAAF asked to speed P-3 order THE United States Navy is unofficially suggesting that the Royal Australian Air Force brings forward its order for Lockheed P-3C Orions, to string out Lockheed's production line for another year. The US Navy is pre pared to order three Orions in 1983 if the RAAF can order six of the ten P-3Cs it needs. Together with the Royal Netherlands Navy's present order for three aircraft, this would allow Lockheed to maintain its usual production rate of 12 aircraft a year. Australia is unlikely to comply, however. The Defence Ministry's plans call for the ten-aircraft order to be spread over three years, from 1984 to 1986 inclusive. An accelerated order would mean the Australians making unbudgeted payments almost immediately. The US Navy will not place its order for three aircraft unless a full year's production run is available to keep unit costs down. The RAAF is also saying that it will not buy the P-3Cs unless the line is kept open, again because of costs. One way out of this vicious circle would be a new order. Both France and West Germany have shown mild interest in the P-3, but any orders would be small in number and a long way in the future. The RAAF says it could revert to its original plan of up dating its squadron of P-3B Orions to C-model standard. The first Lockheed P-3C Orion for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force leaves California for japan. Lockheed has built the first three Japanese Orions, which were delivered over Christmas. Kawasaki are to licence-build another 42 mlii. « %i= • ibml*mmk?iU tmldf-; J • ftfJl?w31sfflfflBffiiiffi W : •• i:;'". • • rlwj tit iMP ffiWSfifr'f ii; i! ' i:-'i ;'.:;:• '•• Ilp Iri'fft*rfif# JJraM m %k M. jjfftfhiii ^81 -n ni^h\h !>*j*i- "•Ht^. Crewman found after week in dinghy A UNITED States Air Force Weapon Systems Operator who ejected from an F-4E has been found alive after a week in the Atlantic. Lt Thomas Tiller was picked up by a fishing boat 45 n.m. off the North Carolina coast on Christmas Day. He ejected on December 18; he and his pilot were listed as missing after a two-day search. His pilot, Lt Mike Mattson is still missing. Tiller is in good spirits but is being treated for exhaustion, exposure, and a rash over much of his body. He existed on the emergency rations in his one-man raft. Tracer... The Indian Navy plans to purchase a seccTid aircraft carrier to operate alonj :ide the recently refitted INS Vikrn.t. British, Italian, and Spanish ship resigns are under consideration. The Nf"v requires additional British Aerospace Sea Harriers, eight of which are on order, and new anti submarine helicopters. Aerospatiale's SA.342 Gazelle order- book is now over the 1,000 mark. Gazelle has been sold to 135 custo mers in 36 countries and is produced under licence in Jugoslavia. Tracer... Kawasaki hopes to use carbon com posites in the M-TX, the new sub sonic trainer under development for the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force. Use of composites may be limited to the fin and control surfaces. Cubic has gained a $6 million US Navy contract to supply Sonobuoy Reference Systems for Lockheed P-3C Orions. The Royal Air Force has retired its Westland Whirlwinds from active search and rescue service. Hose-reel systems for KG-135 MODIFICATION of a United States Air Force KC-135A with a hose-reel fuel transfer system has started. The Aeronautical Systems Division's 4950th Test Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, will start flighMests of the first of two competing systems in April. The hose-reel retrofit is part of the Improved Aerial Refuelling Sys tem to improve the tanker fleet's capabilities through the year 2000. Both hose-reel systems, the first by Sargent Fletcher, the second by Flight Refuelling Inc, will be attached to the KC-135A's keel bay area, for ward of the main landing gear. This is similar to the position from which EC-135s deploy a trailing aerial. After a month of flight-tests from Edwards AFB, California, using USAF receiver aircraft, the KC-135 will go to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, to include US Navy receivers in the test schedule. After the Navy tests, the tanker will return to Wright-Patter son for installation of Flight Refuel- ling's system. The tests will then be repeated, starting in early autumn. Money for full-scale engineering development has been requested from 1984 funds. Fleet retrofit of the win ning system could start in 1986. Based on a schedule of 14 aircraft per month, the KC-135 fleet retrofit could be completed by 1990. The modifica tion will be carried out by the Okla homa City Air Logistics Centre at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. New A-10 school UNITED States Air Force Reserve (AFRes) and Air National Guard (ANG) now have their own Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II training school at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. The school is needed because active-duty training schools are at full capacity. There will be a maximum of nine pilots converting to the A-10 at any one time. In training at present is the 926th Tactical Fighter Group, an AFRes unit based at New Orleans, Louisiana. The 926th will receive 18 Thunderbolts. Tracer... Tracor, with RCA, has been selected to develop an active countermeasures decoy for the US Air Force. The decoy will be in service from 1985 to 1995, and Tracor estimates a market potential of more than $100 million. General Dynamics, Pomona, has pro duced the 1,000th Stinger man-port able surface-to-air missile. Production for the US Army began in December 1979, and missiles have been de livered both to the Army and to the US Marine Corps. Stinger is now de ployed with the US Army in Europe. FLIGHT International, 16 January 1982 109
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