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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 1332.PDF
Oman postpones Tornado, buys Hawk by Mike Gaines Oman has again postponed its planned purchase of eight Pana- via Tornado interceptors, but has announced its intention to buy an unspecified number of British Aerospace Hawks and Shorts Javelin man-portable surface-to-air missiles. Oman says: "The Omani Government is taking the opportunity to replace the ageing Hunter fleet with the Hawk fighter and equip the Oman Army with Javelin missiles, for which there is a pressing operational need. During recent talks with the British Government, the Sultanate of Oman has expressed its wish to postpone for the present the purchase of Tornado aircraft, and this matter is being reviewed by both Governments. Declining oil prices prompted the Omani Government to opt for prudent financial management in order that a reasonable economic balance be maintained." The UK Government says: "We confirm that, after exten sive consultations with us about their defence needs and financial position, the Govern ment of Oman has decided to alter its air-defence procure ment plan for the 1990s. This will involve the suspension of the Tornado purchase. Dis cussions will begin shortly for the early purchase of Hawk aircraft to replace Oman's Hunter fleet, together with Javelin missiles." Oman signed a Memo randum of Understanding with the UK to purchase eight Tornadoes, with an option on a further four, in 1985. The deal was then estimated to be worth £200 million. In 1987 the Air Force requested that delivery be postponed to 1992, and this was agreed. Oman has not yet indicated the number or mix of Hawk variants it requires, and detailed negotiations will begin after observance of Ramadan is completed. Flight understands that the deal will include Hawk 60 trainers, a launch order for the Hawk 100 two-seat attack variant, and single-seat Hawk 200s equipped with West- inghouse APG-66H radars. The Air Force's 6 Sqn operates 14 Sidewinder-armed Hawker Hunter Mk. 73s and four two- seat Hunter T.67s in the air- defence role at Thumrait Air Base. Oman is also to negotiate with Shorts to buy the Javelin development of the Blowpipe man-portable surface-to-air missile. Shorts says it is "delighted that Oman is inter ested in its products," but as yet has no information on the coun try's requirements in detail. Hawks take precedence over Tornadoes in Oman's defence plans P&W Canada prepares the PW30S turbofan for last week's first flight BAe plans long- by Julian Moxon British Aerospace expects to launch a stretched derivative of the BAe 800 business jet, powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305 turbofan, later this year, Flight understands. Neither BAe nor P&WC will confirm existence of the project, which would result in a corporate aircraft having US coast-to-coast range at airliner speeds, and costing between $7 million and $ 11 million. P&WC commercial market ing director Bill Anderson says only that there is a deal, signed late last year, with a "major manufacturer". It is "definite ... it is just a question of timing". He says that the programme might be announced at the Paris Air Show, but more probably at the National Business Aircraft Association show later this year. When asked, Anderson would not confirm BAe's launch- customer status. The first two prototype PW305s were delivered to BAe last week, according to industry sources. The engine would be flight-tested on another BAe aircraft, probably a standard BAe 800. P&WC also claims to have a "commitment" from another customer for Falcon 20 retrofit orders. Taken together, the two orders amount to about two years of engine production, says Anderson. A further potential customer for the PW305 is Magellan en route to map Venus by Tim Furniss Magellan, the USA's first inter planetary spacecraft to be launched for 11 years, was successfully propelled towards the planet Venus on May 4, after its deployment from the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Magellan will make three mid-course corrections en route to Venus, which it will reach on August 10 next year, after flying one and half times around the Sun, a manoeuvre requiring lower launch energy and a lower Venus approach speed. The spacecraft will map 90 per cent of the planet's surface with a resolution of 800ft, ten times more accurate than that of any previous spacecraft. Lennard Fisk, NASA's associ ate administrator for space science, says: "Magellan will return more data than all previous planetary missions combined". The STS30 launch from Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, already delayed from April 28, came within five minutes of another aborted launch. High winds, which at times exceeded the 12kt limits by 6kt, and cloud cover at the KSC runway caused concern as these would have made a return to launch site abort landing dangerous. The April 28 launch attempt was halted seconds before lift off, when a main-engine hydro gen recirculation pump short- circuited. The pump, which circulates liquid hydrogen to chill the low- and high-pressure turbopumps and main pro- pellant valves, was thought to have been contaminated by small metal chippings. 2 FLIGHT INTERNA TIONAL, 13 May 1989
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