FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1971
1971 - 0043.PDF
40 WORLD NEWS . . . at the time of the original decision to buy RB.211s, and is the first external financing ever arranged by the national airline. Lazard Brothers have acted on be half of the banking consortium of Barclays, Lloyds, Midland, National Westminster, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Williams and Glyn's Bank. Air Canada will repay the loan in 20 equal half-yearly instalments at an interest rate of 5*2 per cent per annum. The funds were established under provisions established by the British Export Credit Guarantee Department of the DTI and the loan is to be guaranteed by the Canadian Govern ment, says Air Canada. RB.211 Shut-down The centre engine of the first proto type TriStar was shut down in flight on December 23 during the 14th and last flight before a scheduled ground ing for routine systems checks and adjustments to the aircraft. A first- stage h-p turbine blade had been damaged and caused vibration, but an uneventful landing took place. The RB.211, which had an early type of turbine, is being stripped and examined and a later standard of turbine module is being substituted. Total TriStar flight time to date is 37hr 4min. BAC and the Three-Eleven "The biggest setback since TSR.2 was cancelled" is how Sir Reginald Verdon-Smith, chairman of British Establishment visits by the Minister of Aviation Supply, Mr Frederick Cor field, seen (left) with the director of RAE Farnborough, Sir Morien Morgan, and (right) at the National Gas Turbine Establishment, Pye- stock. On his left at NGTE is Mr W. G. £. Lewis, head of the Engine Research Dept (gesturing), and on his right is Air Marshal Sir Peter Fletcher, Controller of Aircraft, MAS Aircraft Corporation (Holdings), des cribed the Government decision not to proceed with the Three-Eleven in his New Year message to employees. "Its disappearance," he said, "has taken from us one project which we all regarded as very important—to the industry and to the nation. ... Its market prospects were acknowledged and the benefits it would bring to the United Kingdom balance of payments were undeniable. In due course people will see how big an opportunity has been lost to Britain. In the meantime, we have to face the biggest setback since TSR.2 was cancelled. . . ." Reviewing 1970, Sir Reginald said that BAC had scored a number of notable successes: Concorde flight development by BAC and Aerospatiale had been watched all over the world with growing admiration; the One- Eleven 475 Series was opening up new markets; Rapier had been brought to the production stage; Jaguar flight development had made good progress; MRCA had progressed from feasibility study to development stage; and BAC had made a bid to participate in the US space shuttle project. Jet for Dan-Air Dan-Air took delivery of a Boeing 707-321 from Pan American last week. It will be refurbished by Boeing at Wichita and should be ready to enter service on April 1. Dan-Air decided against buying a DC-8 at the last moment, apparently because of the attractiveness of Pan American's offer; the fact that the DC-8 has never received British airworthiness certi fication was a subsidiary factor. British Missile Exports A total of more than £12 million in guided missile exports is expected to be achieved by the British aircraft industry in 1970—nearly double the figure achieved in 1969. The Society of British Aerospace Companies says that "monthly returns on GW exports throughout 1970 have been consistently high and in November—according to the latest Department of Trade and Industry figures—climbed to £1,317,000 against £549,000 in the same month in 1969. FLIGHT International, 14 January 1971 This took the total for the first 11 months of the year to £11,828,000. This compares with a total of £6,771,000 for the whole of 1969 and exceeds by a comfortable margin the previous record of £10,986,000 established in a full year in 1964." Icao Traffic Figures The number of passenger-km flown in 1970 by airlines of Icao member countries, including the USSR, which joined the organisation on November 14 last, was 465,000 million, according to preliminary figures. Without the USSR the figure was 386,000 million, an increase of 11 per cent on 1969. Total tonne-km amounted to 56,810 million with the USSR and 47,630 million without, the latter figure repre senting a 10 per cent increase. Figures for the USSR were obtained from official publications, suggesting that since joining Icao she has as yet made no statistical returns. Rolls-Royce Financial Posts Two new appointments, "made with the object of further strengthening financial control in the company," have been announced by Rolls-Royce. Mr H. E. Trevan-Hawke, FCA, a director, has been made company financial direc tor; and Mr J. K. Steward, CA, who is to join Rolls-Royce from ICI on January 1 next year, will become com pany financial controller. French Helicopter Exports Aerospatiale announced on January 5 that France had exported a record number of helicopters—271—during 1970, in sales totalling about £33 million. Concorde Pilot Honoured Mr Brian Trubshaw, director of flight test (commercial aircraft) and chief test pilot of BAC's Commercial Aircraft Group, is to receive the Air League Founder's Medal for 1971 "in recognition of his outstanding work as test pilot in the flight development of Concorde." This medal is awarded annually for the most meritorious achievement in British aviation during, or reaching its culmination in, the preceding calendar year. Guyana Islander Order The Guyana Defence Force has ordered two standard Britten-Norman Islanders for use in police duties and communications. The aircraft, due for delivery at the end of next month, bring the number of Islanders operating in that country to five, in cluding three already in third-level civil use. Senate to Investigate A US Senate sub-committee is to hold hearings next month on the "deteriorating financial situation" of several major carriers, including Pan American, United and TWA. Proceed ings are due to begin on February 2.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events