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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 2771.PDF
DEFENCE USN/USMC team pinpoints F-18 lading leaf' rescue manoeuvre ACOMBINED US NAVY and Marine Corps test team has identified the warning signs which will help pilots of Boeing F/A-18s avoid the danger of losing the air craft during a "falling-leaf" depar ture from controlled flight. The team estimates that at least eight F/A-18s have crashed be cause of this and other out-of-con- trol events. It believes that many could have been avoided if pilots had identified the situation earlier. In some cases, the team says, pilots misinterpreted the out-of- control mode and activated the automatic spin recovery mode (ASRM) which actually "...delays recovery from the falling leaf. The falling-leaf mode is similar to a spin with a high yaw rate, cyclic angle of attack, large side force, roll and yaw in phase and reversals in roll, yaw and pitch. During a series of test flights in which an F/A-18 was deliberately made to depart from controlled flight, die team identified out-of- control modes ranging from the falling leaf to a post-departure gyration and an oscillating spin. In nearly every case, die biggest cue was a "...high side force felt simultaneously with low accelera tion. It left the pilot feeling light in the seat and pressed up against the canopy". The situation, which was "extremely noticeable in the cock pit", occurred with high sideslip and low angle-of-attack but pro duced a unique pattern for each departure mode. For the falling leaf, the pilot's biggest cue was side forces from both sides, and recovery was ac complished by putting the stick fully forward. With an oscillating spin, several side force cues were felt on both sides before the aircraft departed from controlled flight. In this case, the aircraft was recovered by putting the stick in the direction of the command arrow produced on the head-up display by die ASRM. The on ly cue for a post-stall gyration was "maybe one" side-force event, but recovery was made by simply releasing die controls. The team originally planned to ".. .do a video and put it out to die fleet", but discovered that "...it contains a lot of diings that are for bidden in the manuals". As a result, it will now visit units as a team to explain its findings. Further work, under the code name Project Screamer, is also planned which may eliminate low angle-of-attack departures from controlled flight and falling leaf events altogether. This is expected to be accomplished by incorporat ing sideslip feedback into the F/A-18C/D flight control laws. ZS New Zealand air force delays CT4 upgrade plans NEW ZEALAND has delayed plans to up grade die Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) CT4B primary-trainer fleet by replacing its 17 155kW (2 l()hp) trainers with the later 225kW CT4E variant. The RNZAF has instead named the CT4's manufac turer, Hamilton-based Pa cific Aerospace (PACL), as preferred tenderer for all lev els of maintenance and engi neering support on the existing fleet at the RNZAF's Ohakea base. Subject to negotiation, the mainte nance work will be handed over to PACL in early 1998. The RNZAF says that, although the CT4E acquisi tion has been "overtaken" by the maintenance deal, it may be re-addressed "at a future time". The RNZAF has eval uated the CT4E and is understood to have recom mended it as a replacement. RNZAF trainer plans arc turned upside down The RNZAF has also issued requests for proposals (RFPs) which could effec tively see its its four Hawker Siddeley Andovers sold to the private sector and then leased back. "We've gone out to industry for as many innova tive proposals as they can come up with, on the basis that whatever type is select ed, we would only lease it, not own it," says the force. The RFP does not specify a number of aircraft, but invites industry proposals based on line availability to service specified training commitments. The number of aircraft is likely also to be affected by some limited VIP transport requirement, which is yet to be defined by the govern ment. The RNZAF also plans to put its heavy main tenance site at Wood burn onto a commercial basis. J Italian defence budget favours procurement T he Italian defence ministry has attempted to ring-fence key procurements in its planned 1998 budget, with personnel cuts and shorter tour lengths preferred to cutting acquisition projects. Funding for the Eurofighter EF2000 is set at LI. 169 billion (S678 million), out of a total defence budget of L31,000 billion. Panavia Tornado, Alenia/Embraer AMX, Lockheed Martin C- 130H/C-130J upgrade and acqui sition projects are also included in die funding profile. Parliament has yet to formally approve the production invest ment phase of the EF2000 pro gramme, although in the past Italy has effectively followed Germany's approvals process.The German cabinet approved its funding requirement for the Eurofighter production investment phase ear lier this month (Flight International, 15-21 October). [t also remains to be determined whether the Italian government's resignation will affect either the approval of, or the size of, proposed defence expenditure lor 1998. In attempting to contain costs the defence ministry has reduced the number of its draft intake, while the period of conscription is being cut from 12 to 10 months. It has also cut out any funding in 1998 for either the Alenia G222 upgrade or the Aermacchi MB- 339CD procurement. The ministry has a target of allo cating 30 % of its budget for pro curement and research and development. The 1998 figures show that 25% of its funding will be used in these areas, a 2% increase over this year. Alongside aircraft procurement, air force funding includes the acqui sition of the Texas Instruments AGM-88 High speed .Anti-Rad iation Missile as well as Paveway and Elbit Opher guided bombs. Rotary-wing projects included in the budget cover the armv/navy Nil Industries NTI90 and the naval EH Industries EII-101, as well as funding for the second batch of Agusta A-129 Mangusta light attack helicopters. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 22 - 28 October 1997 31
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