FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1982
1982 - 2566.PDF
DEFENCE India's Ajeet trainer on flight-test B: • • Hindustan Aeronautics flew its Ajeet two-seat trainer prototype for the first time on October 11. So far the Indian Air Force has ordered 12, with the Indian Navy expected to follow suit. The aircraft makes an interesting contrast with the Folland Gnat T. 1 trainer Hercules ditched successfully 6A Colombian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules floated for two days after ditching in the Atlantic on October 16. Enroute from Tel Aviv to Colombia, the Hercu les was carrying engines and spares for Kfirs, and Col ombian Army members of the Sinai peacekeeping force re turning home on leave. Trouble started on the Azores-Bermuda leg when navigation and commu nications systems became un serviceable. The crew man aged brief contact with an Ecuadorean aircraft, an Eastern Airlines flight, and a US Navy aircraft. The Col ombian crew were unable to get a position fix and after 150min, with fuel running low, Hercules captain Brig Gen Alfredo Caicedo, CAF's Director of Operations, or dered the cargo to be dumped. The Hercules was ditched within sight of a merchant ship 180 n.m. east of Cape May, New Jersey. Eight of the 13 on board, including Gen Caicedo, were picked up; the other five were lost. Condi tions were bad at the time of ditching, with 55kt winds and 45ft waves. It is thought that the Hercules floated so long because of the buoyancy of its empty fuel tanks. Norwegian F-5s grounded by intake cracks Up to 60 per cent of the Royal Norwegian Air Force's 80 Northrop F-5As and F-5Bs have been grounded by cracks in the intake ducting. The cracks, in secondary structure of the forward, flat part of the duct, are up to 12in long. A US Air Force directive states that repair of the cracks will take 900 manhours per aircraft, but the RNoAF con siders this estimate to be "extremely conservative" The Norwegians are phas ing out the F-5s, but the in coming F-16 force has a mod ifications backlog of 15,000 manhours generated by oper ational test and evaluation, and this takes priority over the F-5 fix, says the RNoAF. The Service will then give priority to two-seat F-5Bs which are to be run-on in the training role. Most of the F-5s were supplied to Norway un der the US Military Assis tance Programme, and belong to the US Air Force. The Nor wegians are therefore nego tiating with the USAF as to who repairs the single-seat F- 5As. Flight understands that the USAF is reluctant to ac cept the F-5s with cracks, while Norway is equally reluc tant to expend maintenance manhours on aircraft which will only operate for a short period before returning to the USA for disposal. Northrop says that the Norwegians have not yet con tacted the company. The problem of intake duct cracks on early-model F-5s "has been known for several years, and is no problem if attended to in time." According to the company, the Norwegians have been fly ing their F-5s "very hard indeed". Buoyed by its empty wing tanks, this Colombian Air Force Hercules remained afloat for two days after ditching 1428 FLIGHT International, 13 November 1982
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
