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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0014.PDF
DEFENCE Israel decides to wait for US JPATS trainer choice BY ARIE EGOZI IN TEL AVIV The Israeli air force has de cided to delay the selection of a new trainer and wait until the US Air Force and US Navy decide on their joint primary aircraft training system (JPATS). In recent years the Israeli air force has evaluated several basic trainers to replace the service's upgraded Fouga CM. 170 Magis- ters, mainly because of the high operating costs of the 1950s- designed aircraft. During this evaluation, Israeli air force pilots tested the Argentinian FAMA IA.63 Pampa, Brazilian Embraer EMB.312 Tucano, Bel gian Promavia Jet Squalus, Swiss Pilatus PC-9 and the Polish PZL.130 Orlik. A senior air force source says that the flight evaluation has proved the capability of turbo prop aircraft to match the per formance of jet trainers. "Lack of power was a problem with the turboprop aircraft flown by us, but this is a problem that can be solved," he says, adding that the service, after evaluating the available aircraft, has reconsid ered the whole issue and de cided to delay the selection. "We can live with our current train ers for a few more years. We'll wait for the selection of the JPATS for our decision." The trainer purchase will be much simplified if the aircraft selected for JPATS fits the Israeli requirements. If it does, the trainer will be purchased with US foreign military sales funds granted to Israel annually. The source reveals that the aim is to select a trainer combining the basic training qualities of the Fouga and the A-4 Skyhawk used as advanced trainer. • An MMW seeker is a Longhorn Maverick option New seeker mooted for Longhorn AUS Air Force General Dy namics F-16 scored a direct hit on a target with a new version of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile, which is guided by a millimetre-wave (MMW) radar seeker. The new MMW seeker is being proposed as an alternative target sensor for the new air- breathing Longhorn version of Maverick, which, at 3.35m long, 91mm longer than the standard Maverick, and with triple the range, is able to engage targets at a range of 25km (40nm). The MMW test launch, against an air-defence vehicle target at Eglin AFB, Florida, was the first of four which will test the MMW seeker against a vari ety of targets and validate the missile to detect and discrimi nate between moving and sta tionary ones. The W-band-pulsed MMW radar seeker is being developed under a USAF contract funded by the Defense Department's Bal anced Technology Initiative. • GE ready for full thrust BY GUY NORRIS IN LOS ANGELES First tests of the fully articu lated, axisymmetric engine nozzles fitted to a General Elec tric (GE) F110 and a Pratt & Whitney (P&W) F100-IPE-94 engine will begin at Edwards AFB, California, within the next few weeks. The GE unit, the axisymmet ric vectoring engine nozzle (AVEN), will be compatible with the flight control system of a General Dynamics (GD) F-16, the first aircraft likely to fly with the AVEN-equipped engine. GD has been developing an interface system for the tests, which could become "potential flight test activity" later in 1992, says GE. Ground tests of a static nozzle were completed in Octo ber 1990. The GE nozzle is designed to fit on any F110, including the 156kN-plus (35,0001b)-thrust F110X now under development. GE says flight tests with the F-16 will follow if AVEN is ground-tested successfully with the integrated flight controls. In this case, the engine and flight control systems must combine to allow the nozzle to deflect thrust by up to 20° through a full 360° in response to com mands from the flight control system, while at the same time varying exhaust area in response to throttle demands. P&W says that nozzle hard ware is at the Edwards test site, and is being assembled for a run this month on the IPE-94. The same engine has run at "over 156kN-thrust" during 67h of tests, and is aiming for more than 160kN later this month. The company is confident that the engine can reach almost 166kN maximum thrust. P&W's nozzle, which has completed off-engine ground tests, will bolt on to any of its F100 engines. The company de scribes the unit as a "pitch-yaw balanced-beam axisymmetric nozzle". This is because, like a balanced rudder, it uses thrust to provide some of the force required for vectoring. Although the Israeli air force is known to be considering fit ting AVEN to its F-16s, and is working with GE and GD to demonstrate the technology USS Lexington retires from training USS Forrestal, the second oldest aircraft carrier in the US Navy, replaced the USS Lex ington as the service's aviation training carrier on 1 January. Lexington was decommis sioned on 8 November last year after an in-service inspection re vealed that costly repairs would be necessary to keep the vessel operational. Forrestal, launched on 11 De cember, 1954, was selected as the replacement because its powerplant is simpler and less expensive to maintain than those of the other three For- restal-class carriers. The transition to the Forrestal will increase the USN's training capabilities greatly, especially with regard to fleet carrier quali fications and night carrier land ing practice. Night landings are practised only in fleet aircraft, such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat or the McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hor net, which the Lexington could not accommodate. Forrestal will spend January undergoing basic modifications before being moved to its new home port of Pensacola, Florida, on 4 February. The carrier's munitions and excess radars will be removed and the ship's quarters modified to accommodate female crew members, who are allowed on a training ship. Forrestal will depart on its first carrier-qualification detach ment on 17 March. It will con tinue operations until Sep tember, when it is scheduled to begin a 13-month, $150 million overhaul and modification pro gramme. While the ship is out of service, carrier qualifications and training will be conducted on fleet carriers. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8 - 14 January, 1992
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