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Aviation History
1987
1987 - 2267.PDF
DEFENCE BAe might recover Harrier DUNSFOLD British Aerospace and the UK Ministry of Defence might attempt to recover the wreck age of the Harrier GR.5 which crashed on October 22 after BAe test pilot Taylor Scott was killed when, it appears, he was accidentally extracted from the cockpit. The inquiry into the acci dent is sub judice, and British Aerospace is therefore unable to comment on the investi gation. Flight understands that several particular avenues of investigation are being pursued, but the most important question to arise might only be fully answered by examination of the wreck age, in particular the Martin- Baker Mk.12 ejection seat and the accident data recorder. The USAF C-5 Galaxy which shadowed and video taped the Harrier was able to give an accurate position for the aircraft's crash, but the site is off the Continental Shelf. This part of the Atlan tic is more than 3,000ft deep, and location and recovery would be extremely difficult, costly, and time consuming. The weather factor must also be taken into account. Flight understands that the test flight on which the acci dent occurred was the final BAe flight to check that several small faults had been rectified satisfactorily. It is believed that one of the checks scheduled was to ensure the correct illu mination of the oxygen master warning light, used to indicate failure of the on board oxygen generating system (Obogs). Taylor Scott's body was found some 24hr after the accident. It is known that he was wearing his parachute, but Flight understands that it was badly damaged. The cockpit canopy frame remained on the aircraft, but it is not yet clear if the canopy transparency itself was shat tered by its explosive minia ture detonating cord or had been broken accidentally. The Martin-Baker Mk.12 seat's First Tornado fighter squadron formed The first Panavia Tornado F.3 fighter squadron was declared operational on November 1 at RAF Coningsby. The unit, 29(F) Sqn, previously operated McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms. It will be followed by six more Tornado F.3 squadrons to replace the current Lightning and Phantom units, although two squadrons of Phantoms will be run-on until the mid-1990s until replaced by EFA. The Royal Air Force has ordered 165 Tornado F.3s to date, and the squadrons will be based at Coningsby, Leeming in Yorkshire, and Leuchars in Scotland. headbox, which contains the main parachute and drogue parachutes, has a positive lock and opens when the parachute drogue rocket (PDR) is fired as the seat exits the aircraft. Flight does not know if the PDR has been found or if it had been fired. Operating the manual override handle would fire the secondary PDR cart ridge, but this handle cannot be operated unless the main firing handle has been pulled. lAI's F-16 participation threatened TEL AVIV ~ The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has let it be known that it favours the direct procure ment of additional General Dynamics F-16C/Ds, rather than letting Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) participate in the fighter's production. The IAF wants the earliest pos sible delivery of the additional aircraft, and Air Force officers say that only an off-the-shelf procurement would meet their operational deadline. The IAF stand contradicts the Israeli Government's deci sion of August 30 to cancel the Lavi project but to call for an immediate effort to increase IAI's participation in F-16 production. The Air Force wants 75 additional F-16C/Ds, with deliveries beginning in 1990. Such a timescale would not enable IAI to participate, even with a limited number of systems. "At this stage no-one is even trying to implement the Government's decision concerning our part in any future procurement of American-made fighters. I'm personally not surprised," an IAI official tells Flight. According to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, however, the Defence Minister, realis ing the urgent needs of the Air Force, has instructed that all possible efforts be made to enable Israeli industry to subcontract in any future procurement of US aircraft. The Israeli Air . Force is currently completing its procurement plans for the additional F-16s. Meanwhile, Pratt >& Whit ney, the US aero-engine manufacturer, is considering taking the Israeli Government to court over the Lavi cancel lation. The claim maj? be based on the estimated termi nation cost of $300 million for the PW1120 engine that P&W was developing for the Lavi. However, P&W may be willing to substitute part of its claim in return for future business with Israel. Alto gether, 11 PW1120 turbofan engines were delivered before cancellation. The fear in Israel is that other aerospace companies may sue the Israeli Govern ment over the cancellation. Grumman, for instance, was responsible for the wings and tail section, Martin Baker for the ejection seat, and Lear Siegler contributed to the aircraft's avionics systems. Before the cancellation deci sion was taken the Reagan Administration is believed to have given informal assur ances that it would meet most, if not all, termination costs. Belgium resumes Ethiopia flights BRUSSELS ~ The Belgian Air Force has resumed relief flights to and in Ethiopia. The Inter national Red Cross has char tered two of its Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports. The first aircraft left Melsbroek AB on October 30, and will return to Belgium on November 23. The Red Cross aircraft will carry 2,500 tons of flour. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 7 November 1987 9
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