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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 3146.PDF
HEADLINES Douglas Skyhawk designer dies E d Heinemann, designer of the Douglas Dauntless divebomber, A-l Skyraider and A-4 Skyhawk, died of on 26 November, aged 83. Heinemann began designing aircraft in the 1930s and, by the mid-1950s, at time of the Korean War, 80% of US Navy carrier-based aircraft were of his design. He was presented with the prestigious Collier Trophy in 1953 for his role in developing the Douglas Skyrocket — the first aircraft to exceed Mach 2. Heinemann was presented with the USA's highest scien tific honour, the National Medal of Science, in 1983. • Cruise-missile project proposed to UK MoD BY SIMON ELLIOTT British Aerospace Military-Aircraft is developing the UK's first cruise missile — an air-launched weapon with a range of at least 250km (135nm), known as the Man-in- the-loop Target Interdiction Sys tem (MANTIS). The missile is aimed initially at the UK Ministry of Defence's Saudi Arabia withdraws F-15 request Saudi Arabia says it does not intend to press its request for 72 McDonnell Douglas F-15s from the USA for the time being. News of the withdrawal came in a message from the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar, to US senator Howard Metzenbaum who had led congressional opposition to the deal. Metzenbaum had rounded up nearly 70 senators to urge President Bush not to approve the $4 billion package. By temporarily backing down, Bandar has helped Congressmen to appease the strong Israeli lobby — a move which may later ease the Saudis' path. For manufacturer McDonnell Douglas (MDC), the move means that F-15 production, which supports some 7,000 jobs, is to close in late 1993 unless new orders are received. President Bush still has not acted on an earlier Saudi request for 24 F-15Fs. Saudi Arabia, Israel and Japan are the prime candidates for new sales, ironically giving Israel a financial interest in a Saudi order to keep the line going. Earlier attempts by MDC to stretch production (Flight Inter national, 25 June - 2 July) have succeeded only partly. Congress approved a Desert Storm supple mental Bill which replaces three F-15Es. It also agreed to use some of the funds raised by selling 24 ex-US Air Force (USAF) F-15Cs to the Saudis to purchase a further six F-15Es. MDC had wanted the USAF to buy 12 more F-15Es. A further request to slow F-15E produc tion from three to two aircraft a month has not yet yielded results." • Saudis in tactical withdrawal on F-15 request (MoD) Staff Requirement (Air) 1236 requirement for a long- range conventionally armed stand-off weapon (CASOW) cap able of destroying hardened air craft shelters and other high- value hardened targets. Launch aircraft would include the Tor nado, Harrier and European Fighter Aircraft. Although BAe declines to comment, a variant of the weapon could also appear to meet a requirement, outlined by defence minister Tom King re cently, for a cheaper solution tothe nuclear tactical air-to- surface missile. The UK is talk ing to France and the USA about developing replace the WE 177 free-fall nuclear bomb. King sees such a weapon as a deterrence against emerging nu clear nations. BAe is forming an industrial consortium to develop the weapon, which includes its sub sidiaries, Royal Ordnance and BAe Systems and Equipment, as well as GEC Avionics and Smiths Industries. The engine will be supplied by the French company Microturbo. The MANTIS is the result partly of Gulf War experience, where the stand-off capability of weapons like the McDonnell Douglas AGM-84E SLAM im pressed the MoD. The MoD issued a request for information for a CASOW ear lier this year, with an October deadline for response. A request for proposals is expected next year, the selected weapon enter ing service in the mid-1990s. The MANTIS is being devel oped from the BAe UK/Defence Research Agency research vehi cle for inflight iubmunition ejec tion (REVISE), which is due to begin captive flight trials on an RAF Tornado GR.l towards the end of the year. The MANTIS, which has a combined infra-red/television seeker, will rely on advanced navigational devices to reach it target area • See Defence P 12. CESSNA TALKS Dassault Aviation is considering the purchase of Cessna from General Dynamics (GD). The Citation business jet and Cara van turoprop producer was put on the market in October when GD declared it wanted to con centrate on its core businesses. The French company's vice- president international affairs Charles Edelstenne confirmed that Cessna is "worth looking into". Despite its current prob lem in the military aircraft mar-, ket, Dassault has Fr4 billion ($740 million) in cash available and could raise a further Fr3 billion on the capital markets. Earlier this year, Dassault said it wished to expand its Falcon business jet activities to com pensate for falling revenues from its Mirage combat aircraft NEWS IN BRIEF sales. The French producer al ready has a foothold in the US via its Falconjet subsidiary REDIFFUSION CASH GM Hughes Electronics took a $40 million charge against third-quarter earnings to re structure subsidiary Rediffusion Simulation after a slump in orders for commercial flight simulators. Hughes now expects the loss-making UK manufac turer to be marginally profitable in 1992. CONTINENTAL STALLS Continental Airlines, which was required to present its finanicial restructuring plan to the bank ruptcy court on 28 November, FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 4 - 10 December, 1991
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