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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 3793.PDF
TECHNICAL: GENERAL AVIATION Uprated Fieldmaster makes first flight Brooklands Aerospace has developed the Firemaster 65 fire-fighting aircraft for Croplease, which owns the rights to the Fieldmaster agricultural aircraft following Norman Aero plane's liquidation. The new air craft, flown for the first time by Neville Duke late last month, is based on the Fieldmaster but is powered by a larger l,230shp P&WAC PT6A-65AG engine. The -65 permits the aircraft to fly at maximum all-up weight from restricted airfields in hot- and-high conditions. It has been offset by 2° to the right and 2° nosedown to reduce the effects of torque. A five-bladed Hartzell propeller is said substantially to reduce noise. Croplease managing director Andrew KacKinnon says that there is a growing market for partly loaded firepatrol aircraft which can fly immediately to developing fires while calling up fully loaded aircraft from the ground. Depending upon water load, the aircraft can patrol for up to 8h, he claims. Firemaster has ben demonstrated in France and is soen to be shown in Portugal. The five existing Fieldmasters are to be re-engined with -65s and four of the five aircraft being built will have the larger powerplant. MacKinnon expects to build a further 20 aircraft for lease to firefighting operators for the 1992 season. • PZL unveils new utility aircraft PZL, the Polish state-owned aircraft factory has rolled out a new six-seat piston-single— which it hopes ultimately to fit with a Western engine and avionics—in preparation for a first flight within weeks. Ground tests and taxi trials will start this month. The mainly metal PZL-105 Flamingo, rolled out on 7 November from the large light- aircraft factory at Warsaw's Okecie International Airport, Flamingo prepares to fly west weighs 1,800kg fully loaded and is intended forcommuter, cargo and agricultural work. The prototype was formerly designated the Wilga 88 arid is a derivative of the Wilga series of light aircraft, which have been exported widely. It is fitted with a Soviet-built Vedeneyev M-14 radial engine, similar to the units in the Sukhoi Su-26M sport air craft and Mil Mi-34 helicopter. It is understood to share some air frame parts with the Wilga. • N1GHTSIGN GIVES SKYSHIP NIGHT VISION Visible just below the lettering on this Airship International Sfeyship 600-N is one of its two 36m X 8.8m NightSign computerised electronic display boards. The display consists of the total of 8,500 blue, green, red andyellow lamps co-ordinated by computer to depict graphically logos, messages and cartoons visible up to 1.6km in the night shy. The electronic display uses 155.2km of wiring FAI launches design competition Sport aviation's ruling body, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), has launched a design competition in search of a cheap glider to be used in single-design com petitions at world level, where the use of one type would elimi nate the advantage of sophis ticated but expensive gliders used by some pilots. The competition is open to all manufacturers and homebuilders and the winner would have to obtain a type certificate of the "world class" glider under JAR- 22 Category U (including cloud flying) within one year and sell production licences to other firms wishing to build it. The FAI is prohibiting retract able undercarriages, flaps, water ballast and large wingsails, and is demanding simple construction. It wants a stall speed of less than 65km/h, a glide ratio of better than 30:1 and a minimum sink speed of less than 0.75/s. The glider must last for 9,000h or 20 years. • Material change delays AAC flight Advanced Airship Corporation /\(AAC) has delayed the first flight of its prototype advanced ncfn-rigid (ANR) airship until June or July 1990, following the decision to use a new fabric for the envelope. The airship was scheduled to fly this year. The company says that sub contractors aim to deliver the envelope, made from Aramid fibre, in the first quarter of 1990 after which ANR should be assembled. Inflation arid rigging is scheduled to begin around April, followed two or'-three months later by the first flight. The Aramid-based envelope will replace the standard nylon- polyester material which was to be used and promises extra strength and weight-saving with better helium retention. Although the company is not taking orders for the ANR until certification is completed, AAC says: "Interest has been ex pressed in 54 airships." The all- weather ANR is offered in various roles ranging from passengr services to surveillance and anti-submarine warfare. A 13.6m-long gondola incor porates a 7.93m-long cargo space which can accommodate up to 30 seats or more than 3,000kg of available load. Designs are being offered to include a radar scanner mounted above the gondol and housed within the envelope. Two Allison 250-817C turbo- props be mounted on a vectoring stub wing will give a dash speed of 148km/h. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 6-12 December 1989 21
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