Spotter Magazine Issue 24

ATITECH NAPLES— 1435 FLIGHT— THE NCA CARIBOUS B-2S IN FAIRFORD— SABRE DOWN UNDER— NORWEIGAN STARFIGHTER BUCCANEERS ON THE MOVE—TAIWAN’S C-130S— BRITISH AIRWAYS’ FIRST 747S—MODELLING THE F-16D

Officially licensed by the UK Ministry of Defence, this striking mini model commemorates the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows. Made using aluminium reclaimed from the airframe of a Hawk T1 that formerly flew as part of the famous squad, every piece of this mini model has been crafted in the UK. Mounted on a serialised laser-etched stand in the red, white and blue of the team ad supplied with a certificate of authenticity, this is the ultimate high-flying desk accessory.

welcome

The upheaval in the world of aviation continues. Airlines going under, others grounding entire fleets, types being retired prematurely. Eventually, even air forces will feel the pinch, as shrinking economies will limit the amount of public spending, and defence always seems to bear the brunt of the cuts.

Despite all the heartbreak, and the reduced opportunities, we have still managed to achieve a very interesting issue of Spotter Magazine for you, one which reflects the international dimension that this publication has achieved. For this, I need to thank my team of volunteer contributors without whose enthusiasm and goodwill, these pages would be pretty bland.

As a magazine, we rely on your support. Please join our mailing list, and forward a link for this issue to all your spotter friends. I guess everyone needs some cheering up!

MARK ZERAFA EDITOR

EDITORIAL EDITOR:

MARK ZERAFA

DESIGN ASSISTANT:

MASSIMILIANO ZAMMIT

ADVERTISING AND COMMERCIAL: EMAIL:

SPOTTERMAGMALTA@GMAIL.COM

EDITORIAL ADDRESS: 238, ‘MORNING STAR’, MANUEL DIMECH STR., SLIEMA, MALTA SLM1052 MALTA , EUROPE

Cover:

Tucking in close under the camera-ship is the unmistakable shape of the MiG-17. (Kedar Kermarkar)

contents Marketplace

6

Atitech

12

1435 Flight

24

The NCA Caribous

32

B-2s in Fairford

48

Sabre Down Under

56

The Norweigan Starfighter

64

USS Ronald Raegan

72

Hellenic Army Apaches

88

Buccaneers On The Move

98

Darling Delfin, Magnificent MiG

106

Taiwan’s Hercules

116

Angel Matthews

122

British Airways’ First 747s

128

London Heathrow Today

134

Building Italeri’s 1:48 F-16D

144

Israeli Two Seat Vipers

150

credits ARTWORKS: RICHARD J. CARUANA — GABRIEL MORA ALDAMA CONTRIBUTORS: MARCO MACCA—SALVATORE MICHELINI—BEM ELTON— JOHN VISANICH - MICHAEL LINTOTT DANKS—PHIL BUCKLEY DION MAKOWSKI—IOANNIS LEKKAS—MICHAEL OVERS KEDAR KARMARKAR— CHENG HAO CAI—YOLANDIE JAGER

ANGEL MATTHEWS—CLIVE GRANT - ROBERT LAUTIER

copyright notice

IOANNIS LEKKAS

All photos and articles remain the intellectual and artistic property of the respective credited persons.

All unauthorised reproduction, by any means, both printed and digital, is considered an infringement of this copyright and all remedies available by law will be taken against any infringements of such copyright.

MARKETPLACE

RF-4R & F-4E Phantom II Phantom Under The Skin Phantoms…. We can never have enough of the warplane that has fascinated generations of schoolboys, some of whom are now pensioners. And with the type approaching the twilight of its career, it’s good to have have books like this one, by Ioannis Lekkas and Ilias Ghanis, to take us really, but really close to the beast.

Although intended mainly for modelers, this book gives a great insight for the Phantom fan who has everything. External details, walk-around, cockpits, photo equipment, -120 radars, engines, access panels and all the weapons are thoroughly described to the last detail.

Eagle Aviation is currently offering a free 80cm x 40cm poster with highly detailed profiles of all the paint schemes worn by Phantoms in HAF service.

ISBN 978-618-844 18-0-4 Author:

Ioannis Lekkas, Ilias Gkanis

Pages:

124

Price:

€ 21.00

Available from: www.eagleaviation.gr

The End of The Film The History of 348 Mira

At the farewell ceremony of 348 Mira, Europe’s last RF-4E operator, this book was selling like hot cakes. So much so, that it was sold out.

Researched and put together by Ioannis Lekkas and Paschalis Palavouzis, this book gives an account of the history of the squadron, from its early days flying the F-84, till its last days flying the mighty Phantom.

Similar in format to other books by Eagle Aviation, it contains a good mix of colour profiles, historical footage and more recent shots from the final years of the squadron’s operations.

In fact, the book was so much in demand that it is now available as an E-book in 9H Publishing’s bookstore, at half the price of the print version.

Prospective purchasers are allowed to view the first few pages for the book before they make their purchase using Paypal, which immediately unlocks the whole publication, which can then be viewed online or downloaded as a pdf.

ISBN:

978-618-81376-8-4

Authors:

Ioannis Lekkas, Paschalis Palavouzis

Price:

€ 15.00

Available from: https://fliphtml5.com/bookcase/iccso

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Replica Phantom Control Stick Eagle Aviation The Phantom phlavour continues in this month’s marketplace with this exquisite replica of the F-4’s control stick. Cast in resin, and mounted on a wooden plinth, each example is signed for authenticity by its creator, Ioannis Lekkas, on the base.

Additionally, the plaque mounted on the base may be customised with particular unit insignia, to truly reflect your favourite F-4 operator.

And if Phantoms are not your thing, Eagle Aviation also produces beautiful replicas of Tornado and F-16 sticks.

A must for every aviation mancave.

Manufacturer:

Eagle Aviation

Price:

€ 99.50

Available from: www.eagleaviation.gr

Tornado Miniature Icarus Originals

As the RAF retired its last Tornados, the aviation world lost an icon. A proud warrior and an outstanding technical feat. Unfortunately, you cannot save them all, and many of these magnificent aircraft ended up for scrap.

Particularly poignant was the demise of ZG750, which for a number of years was used as a display aircraft, and later was a popular part of the airshow circuit, repainted in desert pink with a sharkmouth for the anniversary of Operation Desert Storm.

Icarus Originals have managed to recover some of the panels and upcycled the original metal to produce these wonderful miniature models.

Manufacturers:

Icarus Originals

Price:

ÂŁ 49.99

Available from:

www.icarusoriginals.com

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Germania Airbus A319-100 Tag Airskinz The upcycling fever for aircraft components has been phenomenal in the recent years, and tags made from aircraft fuselage skin form a very attractive entry level to owning your very own piece of an aircraft.

Airskinz is an enthusiast-driven operation producing aviation memorabilia from retired aircraft, ranging from windows to skin cuts, to their very own range of aircraft tags. These tags are carefully cut from aircraft fuselages, usually from more interesting parts, such as where the livery colours or titles meet, and are then transformed into tags, retaining the original aircraft’s paintwork on one side, and the anti-corrosion coating on the other side. Both sides are then laser-etched to record the aircraft from which the metal emanated.

Airskinz’s latest offering is its range of tags taken from a Germania Airbus A -319-100, formerly registered D-ASTF, with the cuts made from the fuselage area where the airline titles were placed. Given the finite nature of the material in hand, these tags are a limited run of 2,200 examples, and judging by previous tags, such as the 727 ones, are expected to sell out in a short period of time.

Manufacturer:

Airskinz

Price:

£ 15.95– 26.95

Available from:

www.airskinz.com

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AIRLINERS

Text: Photos:

Mark Zerafa Marco Macca

Atitech s.p.a. was formed in 1989 as a spin-off of the former Technical Division of ATI 0 Aero Trasporti Italiani. Based in Naples, it specialises in the maintenance and painting of both narrow-body and wide-body airliners.

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Originally a maintenance base for Alitalia and subsidiary ATI’s fleet of MD-80s when launched in 1989, the company was subject to a series of mergers and acquisitions, which saw the drastic reduction in Alitalia’s shareholding and the participation of Finmeccanica, nowadays Leonardo. Thus nowadays, besides being a site for aircraft maintenance and repainting, the company also has a subsidiary, Atitech Manufacturing, which provides maintenance and modifications to ATR-42s and 72s.

The company is currently authorised to conduct maintenance on

The ramp as seen from one of the vantage points in Naples.

Luke Air and Hong Kong Airlines A330s, and an Alba Star 737

MD-80 series aircraft, 737 Classic and NG, 767, A320-family aircraft, A330, ERJ-175 and 190, and ATR-42 and 72.

Operations are conducted in five hangars, for a total floor space of 43,737m2 across eight bays., employing over 700 people.

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Besides providing a much-needed boost to employment in the area, Atitech’s presence in Naples has provided a boom for spotters based close to Capodichino airport, adding considerable variety to the aircraft visiting. This is especially true of repaints, where a single aircraft can re-emerge with a completely different colour scheme.

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Blue Panorama is being rebranded as Luke Air, with this A330 being the first to get repainted at Atitech.

Evelop Airbus A330

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Atlas Global A330 17

Sata’s Airbus A330 after receiving a new coat of paint.

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Alitalia remains one of the main customers at Atitech, with maintenance and painting of its aircraft done in Naples on a regular basis.

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SALVATORE MICHELINI Moonflower Boeing 767-300

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Exclusive Hand-Crafted Leather Jackets At a Price You Can Afford Our hand-crafted jackets are fine reproductions of vintage flight jackets as worn by both Army and Navy. By handling our sales directly, with no middle-men, we can offer our quality garments at a price every enthusiast can afford.

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Pure Aviation Metal At Airskinz we search for the best that retired aircraft have to offer, turning what could have ended up as drink cans into something unique for you to treasure and keep for years to come.

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MILITARY

Text: Mark Zerafa Photos: Ben Elton Colour Profile: Richard J. Caruana

1435 Flight is deeply entrenched in RAF History, owing its origins to a small flight of fighters charged with defending the Maltese islands in the early days of World War II. Nowadays, the flight’s four Typhoons are tasked with defending the Falkland Islands against any aerial threat.

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After the Falklands War, it was felt that a permanent air defence element should be based in the Falklands. With Stanley Airfield still badly damaged, 1435 Flight was reformed in late 1983 flying the Harrier GR.3 until it was disbanded in May 1985. Its duties were taken over by 23 Squadron, flying Phantoms.

No. 23 Squadron was scheduled to convert to the Panavia Tornado, so on October 31st 1988, the air defence of the Falklands was once again taken over by 1435 Flight, with four Phantom FGR.2s transferred to the unit.

The Phantoms remained in service until July 1992, when they were replaced by four Tornado F.3s. In turn, these were replaced by Typhoon FGR.4s in September 2009.

Three aircraft are on 24-hour alert, with one aircraft as a reserve. The tail codes ‘F’ ‘H’ ‘C’ and ‘D’ are a nod to the myth that the original Gloster Gladiators defending Malta at the Flight’s inception

Were named ‘Faith’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Charity’, with a fourth named ‘Desparation’.

Based at RAF Mount Pleasant, fighter launches are usually accompanied by a tanker as the rapid weather changes in the South Atlantic may require a diversion to an alternative airfield.

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Inside the QRA sheds, most maintenance tasks, including engine changes, can be performed. This is an important capability as there is no support anywhere close to the Falkland Islands, hence self-sufficiency is an important aspect of 1435 Flight’s operations.

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NOSTALGIA

Text: John Visanich Photos: John Visanich

For a number of years, NewCal Aviation in Safi, Malta was a hive of activity receiving worn-out DHC-4 Caribous which it would then refurbish and prepare for a new lease of life in civilian hands.

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Parked next to Air Malta’s B737s, former Spanish Air Force Caribou N57NC (ex-T.9-22) is seen at Luqa on 10 April 1994 after its delivery flight from Spain.

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The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou was designed primarily to meet a US Army requirement for a tactical transport able to operate from small, unprepared strips close to the front line, carrying troops and supplies to the front and evacuating casualties on return flights. For this reason the US Secretary of Defence waived a restriction which limited the US Army to fixed-wing aircraft with an empty weight not exceeding 5,000lb. The decision to build the DHC-4 was taken in 1956, with the aim to produce an aircraft combining the well-proven capabilities of the Douglas DC-3 with the STOL performance of the company’s earlier DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter single-engined utility aircraft.

The prototype (CF-KTK-X) made its maiden flight on 30 July 1958 and was initially used for company flight testing. Following this, de Havilland Canada built five aircraft for evaluation by the US Army with the designation YAC-1 and one for the Royal Canadian Air Force as CC-108. These were delivered in 1959. Noteworthy characteristics of the Caribou airframe were the marked anhedral of the wing centre-section and the high, up-swept tail accommodating a loading ramp stressed to take items weighing up to 6,720lb (3,048kg). Piston engines still being the order of the day, the well-proven Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasp radial was chosen for the Caribou. Apart from a cockpit crew of two, it could carry 32 troops or 26 paratroopers. Alternative arrangements could be made for 22 casualty stretchers plus eight seats. In the freighting role, two fully equipped jeeps or three tons of cargo could be carried. The DHC-4A model differed from the DHC-4 in having an in-

creased maximum take-off weight, from 26,000lb (11,79 to 28,500lb (12,927kg).

The sixth Caribou off the line carried out a 50,000 mile dem stration programme in 1959 during which 479 flight dem strations were given from Europe to Australia. Consider overseas interest resulted in worldwide sales, the large ma ty for military use. Service deliveries began in 1959 and tinued through to 1973, by which time a total of 307 had b built. As mentioned previously, the principal customer was US Army which, as a result of the evaluation of the first aircraft, placed an order for a further 159 AC-1s. In 1 these were redesignated CV-2As and CV-2Bs. US Type proval was obtained on 23 December 1960 for the CV-2A on 11 July 1961 for the CV-2B. On 1 January 1967 the Caribou still in service with the US Army were transferre the USAF as C-7As and C-7Bs. The type saw extensive during the Vietnam War where many were lost or eventu fell into the hands of the North Vietnamese. The last Car in service with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve u were retired in the early 1980s, with the last example, an craft in service with the US Army’s Golden Knights parac demonstration team, retiring in 1985.

The Caribou served with the RCAF (later Canadian Ar Forces) as the CC-108. Eight more aircraft were delivere this service and were used until the advent of its turbop successor, the DHC-5 Buffalo in the late sixties.

93kg)

monmonrable ajoriconbeen s the five 1962 e Apand 134 ed to use ually ribou units n airchute

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Many of the CAF aircraft saw extensive international service whilst on loan to the United Nations in the Middle East. Other military users have included the Abu Dhabi Army Air, Ghana Air Force, Indian Air Force, Kenya Air Force, Kuwait Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Spanish Air Force, Oman Air Force, Tanzanian Air Force and Zambian Air Force. The last Royal Australian Air Force aircraft were retired in November 2009.

when the CIA bought out Civil Air Transport (CAT) and continued to operate under this name until 1959 when it changed its name to Air America.

Several Caribou found their way into Air America’s fleet, as the type was ideally suited to such operations. The first aircraft arrived as early as 1962 and the last of them was returned to the USAF in 1974.

While some Caribou were owned by Air America, many were “bailed” (on loan) from the US Army and, A few found their way to commercial operators, An- after their transfer, from the USAF. sett-MAL of Papua New Guinea and Civil Air Transport (CAT) of Taiwan being two of the earliest recipients.

One notable “civil” operator of the Caribou was Air America, the famous passenger and cargo airline covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1950 to 1976. It supplied and supported covert operations in SE Asia during the Vietnam War. Its origins can be traced to 1950

rmed ed to prop

N600NC, former Kenyan Air Force 201, landing at Luqa after a test-flight on 25.03.87.

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The Caribou’s association with Malta can be very well described in two phases: the new aircraft phase and the return phase.

The former phase is that period of time up to the end of 1972 when some factory-fresh aircraft staged through Luqa during their delivery flights to military buyers, while the latter is the period from 1980 to the mid1990s when quite a few Caribou, now past their military lives and looking decidedly worn-out, flew back to Malta, the majority for overhaul and, hopefully, a new lease of life.

The first Caribou to make it back to Malta for civilianisation was a former Tanzanian Air Force example (5H-AAA) that arrived in December 1980, and by October 1984 the number rotated or stored at Safi had grown to eight aircraft. These comprised three exTanzanian AF examples (5H-AAA, 5H-AAB & 5H-AAC) purchased by John Woods Inc. of Dallas, Texas, three ex-Abu Dhabi Army Air (N84893, N84897 & N84899) and two ex-Zambian AF machines (9J-NAA & 9JNAB) purchased by NewCal Aviation Inc. of Little Ferry, New Jersey, both companies intending to overhaul the aircraft at Safi, Malta, for onward sale.

At the time Safi (a part of Luqa Airport, then connected to the main field by a taxiway crossing a public road) was home to the Malta International Aviation Company (MIACO), which was carrying out maintenance and overhauls on a wide variety of piston- and turbine-engined aircraft, from single-engined lightplanes to DC-3s, F-27s, NAMC YS-11s and others of similar size. It was therefore by MIACO that the first Caribou, mentioned above, were serviced at Safi in the early 1980s.

Established in 1957 NewCal Aviation evolved into a true specialist in the aviation industry, with its mission being to provide the largest selection of de Havilland Canada spare parts, including those for the Beaver, Otter, Caribou, Twin Otter and right up to the Dash 8. The company prides itself on stocking vast quantities of airframe, rotables and consumables for all these aircraft, from a complete wing to just some nuts and bolts, and is still active today at Little Ferry, New Jersey.

With many former military examples of the Caribou becoming available, it was no surprise that NewCal Aviation got involved in

the acquisition and refurbishment of complete airframes, eventually setting up its own comprehensive maintenance and overhaul facility at Safi in 1986/87, on the former MIACO facilities.

Retired military Caribou continued arriving at Safi on a regular basis, and the 1986 – 1990 period saw several former Kenyan Air Force and Spanish Air Force examples arrive at the base for overhaul. Work flourished and Safi became a hive of activity, with several Caribou in various stages of work in the hangar or parked outside awaiting their turn. Three airframes well past their prime (5H-AAB, 5H-AAC and N84897) were cannibalised for spares and their fuselages disposed of, ending their days at the International Fire Training Safety School (later International Safety Training Centre) at the former Hal Far airfield. One of these (ex-N84897) was eventually moved to the Extreme Paintball park at Ta’ Qali where it still lies today.

The last piston-engined Caribou to visit Luqa were two examples on delivery to Trigana Air Service of Indonesia, namely PKYRJ in April 2004 and PK-YRO in June 2005. Years earlier these two aircraft were both overhauled at Safi as N666NC and N90NC respectively before flying to the US. By the late 1980s it was undeniable that the age of large piston engines had long ended.

With many radial-engined Caribou at its disposal, the next logical step for NewCal Aviation was to convert the aircraft to turbine power, as was done years earlier by de Havilland Canada when it developed the aircraft into the larger and heavier DHC-5 Buffalo. By April 1988 NewCal Aviation was already carrying out some exploratory work on the conversion using an old airframe (ex-5H-AAB) at its Safi facility.

The conversion entailed the use of the wellproven and widely-used Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine driving Harzell five-bladed propellers, the small size of this engine being easily accommodated in the original R-2000 nacelles. One aircraft, N400NC (a former Kenyan Air Force example) was refurbished at Safi, test-flown with piston engines on 27 January 1989 and departed Luqa on 24 March 1989, eventually converted to PT6A67T power at Gimli, Manitoba, to become the first Turbo Caribou.

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A new arrived N888NC, ex-Spanish Air Force T.9-28, is carefully towed into Safi on 07.04.88

N90NC, former Spanish Air Force T.9-24, newly refurbished, returns to Safi after a test-flight on 28.08.87.

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N999NC, formerly Zambian Air Force AF304/9J-NAC, in NewCal’s Safi hangar on 16.04.88.

Resplendent in its new colours, N400NC (ex-5Y-BER) at NewCal’s Safi facility on 22.02.89. Converted to turbine power in Canada, this aircraft was destroyed in a crash at Gimli Airport, Manitoba, on 27.08.92.

Mock-up PT6 installation on 5H-AAB. The engine intake on the converted Caribou is, however, located below the nacelle.

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The prototype conversion made its first flight in November 1991. During 1992 N400NC was being flight-tested by NewCal Aviation with the aim of obtaining Canadian certification by the end of the year. Overall performance was significantly improved as basic weight was reduced to 16,500lb due to the lighter engines. The turbine powerplant offered improved short-takeoff and landing performance, much lower longterm costs of ownership and turbine reliability. At this point NewCal Aviation held six options of sale for converted aircraft.

Fate, however, had other plans. On 27 August 1992 N400NC crashed at Gimli Airport immediately after take-off, killing the three persons on board. A video of the event shows the aircraft climbing steeply, rolling to the right and crashing in a nose-down, rightwing-low attitude. According to Aviation Safety Network “Reportedly, the elevator gust lock re-engaged after take-off due to a design flaw.” Needless to say, this was a serious set-back to NewCal’s plans to give the Caribou a new lease of life.

the Island more than once in its new guise.

PEN Turbo converted its first Caribou, N600NC, in 2000, followed by a second, N238PT, in 2010.

A third example, N303PT, made its maiden flight with turbine power on 17 September 2014 with the late James E. Hart and John Early at the controls. A fourth airframe, N302PT, has been converted and was due to be flighttested at the time of writing.

In 2011 the US Army in eastern Afghanistan needed an aircraft to re-supply its troops in remote places like Marzak, where the military’s own aircraft couldn’t easily go.

So the Army hired Flightworks of Kennesaw, Georgia, which sent its single Turbo Caribou, N238PT, to Bagram airfield in October 2011. By early 2012 the aircraft had delivered a million pounds of cargo to Marzak and other remote outposts, a mission it was perfectly suited for. In 2014 the aircraft was apparently still flying from Bagram. It should be noted that N238PT nightstopped at Luqa, Malta on 26/27 April 2017 bound for Africa on a short-term lease to an unknown company, returning on 13/14 August of the same year westbound.

After the setback suffered by the crash of the first prototype (N400NC), the task of making the Turbo Caribou a reality was taken up by PEN Turbo, a small aviation The third Turbo Caribou conversion, firm working out of a World War II hangar N303PT, was sold to Puncak Regency Adat Cape May, New Jersey. ministration of Indonesia as PK-SWW and PEN Turbo was founded by Goby Gobalian left Cape May on 3 May 2016 to Biak, Inand pilot Jim Hart, naming their company donesia, arriving on 9 May. Regrettably it after Perry E. Niforos, who died in the 1992 was soon destroyed in a crash near Ilaga crash of NewCal’s N400NC. At the time an Airport, Papua, Indonesia, less than six engine swap on a single Caribou cost months later on 31 October. That leaves around $4 million. “The genesis of the Tur- just two Turbo Caribou flying: N600NC opbo Caribou started in northern (British Co- erated by Rampart Aviation and N238PT lumbia) and the Yukon in the early 1980s,” operated by Flightworks. At the time of Gobalian says. “Bob Ambrose, probably writing a fourth aircraft by PEN Turbo one of the finest bush pilots around, oper- (N302PT) was already converted to turated a Caribou that I used to suffer keeping bines and due to start testing. That brings flying, that’s where I got the idea and start- the total number of aircraft converted since ed working to make the Turbo Caribou a 1992 to five. reality.”

One cannot deny that the market for such a Although PEN Turbo has no direct link to specialised – albeit tough, simple and highMalta, it is interesting to look in some detail ly capable – airlifter must be very limited, at its operation for two reasons: 1) it now considering that airframes are already decholds the largest stock of parts and Cari- ades old and have to to be converted. This bou airframes in the world, many of the air- does not make the Turbo Caribou’s future frames having passed through Safi; 2) the very promising, and the three that remain four Caribou converted to turbines to date in existence could well be the final chapter. (five if N400NC is included) are all ex-Malta aircraft, one of which, N238PT, has visited 39

Nose close-up of 9J-NAC, very evidently ex-Zambian Air Force, at Safi on 29.07.86. “Never say never again� scrawled on the nose says it all!

N84893, post overhaul, being towed out of Safi to Luqa Airport on 15.07.86.

Starboard Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radial engine on 5Y-BEU receiving attention shortly after arrival at Safi, 17.07.86.

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Seen at Safi on 29.11.83, 9J-NAA is the former Zambian Air Force AF303. Later becoming N5488R, it ditched in the Atlantic Ocean on 23.10.84 after running out of fuel on ferry to the USA.

Pictured at Safi on 10.04.90, 5Y-BET is the former Kenyan Air Force 206. It later became N300NC, Turbo Caribou N303PT and finally PK-SWW, ending its days when it crashed into a mountainside near Ilaga, Papua, Indonesia on 31.10.16.

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Formerly 9J-NAA, this Caribou, seen at Safi on 15.10.84 after overhaul, was wrongly painted as N5388R instead of N5488R. The mistake was corrected soon after. The aircraft ditched in the Atlantic Ocean on 23.10.84 after running out of fuel whilst on delivery to the USA.

5H-AAB, photographed at Safi on 12.03.81, is also a former Tanzanian Air Force aircraft. It never flew again and, like 5H-AAC, ended its days at the Fire and Safety Training School at Hal Far.

N51NC, still bearing the Spanish Air Force serial T.9-4 on its fin, at Safi on 04.10.93.

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The first Caribou to return to Malta for civilianisation was 5H-AAA, a former Tanzanian Air Force example, here seen at Safi on 25.01.81. It departed Luqa on 21.03.81 as HC-BHZ but regrettably crashed in the Andes Mts near Valladolid, S.Ecuador, on 01.09.82 with the heaviest loss of life of any Caribou accident (all 44 on board).

5H-AAC, a former Tanzanian Air Force aircraft, at Safi on 10.03.81, few days after its arrival. It never flew again and ended its days at the Fire and Safety Training School at Hal Far.

Former Kenyan Air Force example 5Y-BEV, pictured at Safi on 22 February 1989, became N96NC after overhaul. It is now flying as Turbo Caribou N238PT.

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Flightworks Turbo Caribou N238PT arriving at Luqa on 13 August 2017 on return from a short-term lease to an unknown company in Africa.

N400NC, the first Caribou to be converted to turbine power, taxies slowly into Safi on 27.01.89. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed immediately after getting airborne for a test-flight from Gimli Airport, Manitoba, on 27.08.92.

Another former Spanish Air Force example, white finish at Safi on 11 February 1996. Th were the last two Caribou to leave Malta fro on 14.07.96.

, N666NC is seen in allhis aircraft and N888NC om NewCal’s Safi base

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PK-YRJ, seen at Luqa on 03.04.04 whilst on ferry to Trigana Air Service, is the former N666NC. It was the penultimate piston Caribou to be seen in Malta and was still active till at least 2010.

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UK TOUR VISITING THE

12-19 JULY 2021

FULL AIRSHOW EXPERIENCE—WRECKS AND RELICS—CIVIL SPOTTING MUSEUMS (TIME PERMITTING) - CIVIL SPOTTING (TIME PERMITTING)

MILITARY EXERCISE

Text: Michael Lintott-Danks Photos: Michael Lintott-Danks The skies above Gloucestershire were filled with the unmistakable shape of the stealthy flying wing again in March 2020 as three Northrop B-2A Spirits arrived at RAF Fairford for a short Bomber Task Force deployment. The B-2As were from the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings based at Whiteman AB, Missouri. The aircraft arrived at RAF Fairford from Lajes Field, The Azores, and performed bombing runs over the Garvi Island before all touching down at the Gloucestershire base.

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The U.S Air Force EUCOM press release stated “The aircraft will operate out of various military installations in the U.S. European Command’s area of responsibility. Strategic bomber deployments to Europe provide theatre familiarization for aircrew members and demonstrate U.S. commitment to allies and partners,” when they arrived at Lajes Field.

The press release also stated that, “Integrating with our NATO Allies and theatre partner nations, as well as other U.S. Air Force and joint units, contributes to our ready and postured forces and enables us to build enduring and strategic relationships necessary to confront a broad range of global challenges.”, and “Strategic bomber deployments to Europe provide theater familiarization for aircrew members and demonstrate US commitment to allies and partners."

Lt. Gen Steven Basham, Deputy Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, said: 'Operating bombers from forward locations enables collective defence capabilities and provides the U.S. and NATO the strategic and operational capacity needed to deter adversaries while assuring our allies and partners'.

The B-2A Spirits were supported during their deployment to RAF Fairford

by KC-135Rs from the 100th Air Refuelling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall and by KC-10A Extenders from 305th Air Mobility Wing based at Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst on their initial flight to Lajes Field.

During this deployment, the B-2A Spirits completed an overflight of Iceland, this comes after their first ever visit to the country in August 2019 where a single aircraft touched down at Keflavik Airport and was hot fuelled before heading back to RAF Fairford. There has been increased activity from the US and NATO partners in the region with additional deployments of NATO fighter aircraft including F-35As from the Royal Norwegian Air Force and Aeronautica Militare.

"The world expects that NATO and the US continue to execute our mission with decisiveness, regardless of any external challenge," said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, head of US Air Forces in Europe and Africa. "Missions like these provide us an opportunity to assure our allies while sending a clear message to any adversary that no matter the challenge, we are ready."

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The B-2’s engine air intakes are carefully concealed from ground radar by being placed over and inboard of the wing leading edge.

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As it comes to land, B-2 ‘Spirit of Washington’ coming into land. This aircraft had been damaged by fire while on the ground, and after 18 months of repair work, returned into service in December 2013.

USAF Black Jets. Three B-2s share the ramp with a U-2

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‘Spirit of Ohio’ comes in to land on Fairford’s long runway.

Note the auxiliary air intakes in open position.

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WARBIRDS

Text: Photos: Colour Profiles:

Phil Buckley Phil Buckley Richard J. Caruana

Tucked away in Western Australia is a growing list of prestigious and famous types of warbirds and these nowadays include jets. One fortunate jet to have survived is a Sabre jet which has travelled around the world a long way before arriving "down under". The aircraft is a Canadair CL13B/F86E c/n 1492 and was taken on charge by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as 3702. So how does a South African Air Force (SAAF) Sabre jet end up "down under" some may ask?

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The rear fuselage, as delivered, still bearing the springbok insignia of the South African Air Force.

The same rear fuselage section after paint stripping and cleaning.

The restored ejector seat.

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In the early 1950s South Africa operated P-51 Mustangs with 2 SQN in South Korea as fighter bombers. They were worn out and the type was becoming obsolete in the jet age. The SAAF had these Mustangs replaced by USAF loaned F-86 Sabre jets and these new jets performed very well. At the end of the war, these Sabre were handed back to the USAF. The brief period of use in Korea using the Sabre gave the SAAF a keen interest in operating such high performance MiG-killing fighters.

In 1955 the South African Air Force purchased from Canada a small fleet of 34 Mk 6 to equip 2 squadrons. They were assigned RCAF serials 23669/23702, with the first arriving in South Africa in 1956. Once in South Africa, these Sabre were assigned SAAF serials 350 to 383. Intriguingly being a bilingual country, half the Sabres were assigned to 1 SQN with Afrikaans markings and the other half assigned to No. 2 Squadron had English markings.

SAAF colours to replace the Sabres jets at 1 SQN. The 2 SQN Sabre jets interestingly last way longer and not being withdrawn until 1976. They were replaced by more French built Mirage F.1Az fighter ground attack aircraft.

These were then replaced in turn by more advanced aircraft.

It then spent time at the Kempton Park Technical Collage, before being purchased by a private owner in Lanseria, South Africa. The aircraft moved again at some point and made it to Ardmore, New Zealand, where it was observed in March 2008 dismantled. The same year it was then exported again and arrived in Australia. It was imported into Australia sometime after March 2008 by Bill Whyllie and was stored at Panama Jacks Aircraft Restoration, Jandakot Airport (WA) It was part of his collection until the early 2010s. Sadly in 2013 Bill died and this Sabre then had a sad turn of events.

The F-86 Sabre jet life in SAAF was a mixed one with new generations jets fighters - French built Mirage IIICZ fighters appearing in 1964 in The wings still awaiting their turn for some much needed TLC.

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WAYNE HENDERSON

F-86 Sabre ‘Beauteous Butch II’ was the mount of ace Joseph C. McConnell, with 16 confirmed victories plus five damaged, making him America’s first triple jet ace.

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The RAAFA Bull Creek Museum found the Sabre at a local scrap yard dealer after the previous owner had died. With a short timeframe prior to scrapping the museum acquired the Sabre for $2,000 in 2013. This is a very good price for a legendary aircraft some may say!. Once delivered, it became an intriguing "misfit" as it didn't fit their collection needs. It was placed outside under some tarpaulins. At the time various parts were also needed to finish off the aircraft. DUAN saw the Sabre in 2016 on display at the museum.

While at RAAF Bull Creek, it was stored dismantled between the two museum hangars and the museum staff indicated that it was perhaps too difficult to restore this aircraft. Enthusiast Wayne has been restoring military vehicles and artillery guns for over 30 years and he always wanted an aircraft to own and restore. In 2019 a friend told Wayne that there was a Sabre jet languishing in pieces out the side of the local RAAFA museum.

Wayne paid the museum a visit in 2019 and entered into discussions with a plan to hopefully acquire the unwanted Sabre jet. After several meetings, the aircraft was transferred to Wayne and he had it delivered to his workshop. The aircraft arrived at his workshop in 2019.

A very interesting point to make known is that this is the only known surviving Sabre airframe in Australia that is a North American Aviation F-86 Sabre variant, as all others here are the vastly different local CAC designed Avon Sabre.

By May 2020, Wayne had stripped the fuselage of paint and was working to do the sheet metal repairs to the rear section. The wings are stored separately waiting to be worked on.

Wayne says "this Sabre jet aircraft is quite complete for display purposes but is missing several panels. There is a fair bit of damage to the rear fuselage section and one wing requires some work. The rear section is on a rotisserie and panel work is progressing".

Wayne further points out that "most of the missing panels are not interchangeable, except the tail feathers. I have a lot of work to do in the cockpit with Instrument panel frame, throttle grip, joystick grip needing to be acquired to finalise this area".

Looking around the airframe Wayne states "I am looking for more parts which include the tail feathers, both gun bay doors, both gun muzzle doors, radio compartment door and wing tip assemblies". Wayne is keen to get hold of NAA Sabre blueprints so he can make his own panels. The forward fuselage area, cockpit and T-4E-1 ejection seat are still needing to be restored.

Once the airframe is fully restored, Wayne is examining to keep the Sabre in bare unpolished metal and have the USAF 51st FIW “Checker tail� markings. Wayne is keen to hear from anyone who can help him in locating these above parts would be much appreciated.

Wayne can be contacted at highlandhendos @ westnet.com.au.

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Text: Photos:

Mark Zerafa Mark Zerafa

The F-104 is one of the world’s most iconic Cold War fighters, and ever since the Italians retired their F-104S, there were no flying Starfighters in Europe. But then, a group of Norweigan volunteers decided to return an F-104 to the sky.

637 taxies in slowly after its display at the Danish Air Show 2018, parachute still streaming in the J-79’s jetwash.

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Ask any aviation authority whether they will allow you to restore and fly a 1959s, supersonic fighter, and you’re likely to get puzzled looks and shaking heads. However, some people are more determined than others.

For former RNoAF F-104 and F-5 pilot Helge Andreassen, this was a challenge to relish. After assisting a number of private F-104 owners in the US with the procurement of parts, he wondered whether he could get a flying F-104 in Norway. So, in 2003, he formed the Friends of the Norweigan Starfighter (FSV).

The aircraft in question was CF-104D, serial 637, which entered service with the Canadian Armed Forces in May 1962, mainly at Cold Lake, Alberta. With the retirement of the Starfighter from Canadian service, it was transferred to the Royal Norweigan Air Force, arriving in Norway on June 14th, 1973. It would fly with 334 Skv at Bodo Air Base until its retirement on April 1st, 1983.

The restoration was based in Bodo airbase, which is also home to Norway’s fighter fleet. This meant that a pool of technicians, who had prior experience with the Starfighter before Norway transitioned to the F-16, would be close at hand. The project was enthusiastically supported by the Royal Norweigan Air Force. The airframe chosen was ‘637’, and after two years of negotiations involving the RNoAF, the Depratment of Defence, the Norweigan Embassy in Washington and the US State Department, the airframe was handed over to FSV. 637 had been well taken care of throughout her operational career, and thus was a good basis for the restoration to flight. However, a vital issue was the replacement of the Lockheed C2 seats for a pair of ‘zero-zero’ MartinBaker Mk.7s, which were not only safer to use in case of extreme necessity, but were far easier to maintain. To this effect, the Italian Air Force, as the last operator of the type, and the Royal Danish Air Force have been very supportive.

An exceptional aircraft required an equally exceptional pilot. Eskil Amdal, former RNoAF F-16 display pilot and F35 test pilot took up the challenge. With his passion for classic aircraft as well as the most cutting-edge fighter technology, Eskil was unfazed by the F-104’s reputation. In fact, he is a firm believer in knowing one’s aircraft and respecting it, and no harm will come to both man and machine.

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The Starfighter is obviously an aircraft from another era, another technology and another philosophy. 637’s cockpit remains very much stock, except for a Garmin GPM-750. With weapon systems and radar removed, the instrumentation is all related to the aircraft’s flight systems.

Eskil knew that to master the aircraft, it would take more than just climbing into the cockpit after studying the manual. He became part of the engineering team in order to fully understand the aircraft, and rehearsed cockpit procedures until he could likterally do them blindfolded.

work, came the big day. With a RNoAF F-16B flying chase, the F104 took to the air on its first post-restoration flight. The whole aviation world was watching, with the even streamed live and Norweigan television also covering the event. Flying away from Bodo into a military training area, Eskil flew the Starfighter to 20,000ft before performing two low approaches before landing.

There were a few snags on the flight, including a faulty landing gear indication (the chase plane confirmed full and correct landing gear retraction) and an inability for the cockpit to pressurise, caused by hardened rubber seals. However, with the oxygen system working satisfactorily, Eskil proceeded with the flight on Then, on September 28th, 2016, after thirteen years’ restoration 100% oxygen.

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With these faults fixed, another flight was required to attain Unfortunately, for the time being, Starfighter 637 will be unable airworthiness certification, obtained in November 2011. The to fly again, as the rocket packs powering the ejector seats are aircraft was placed on the Norweigan civil register as LN-STF. time-expired. However, while these are being sourced, the aircraft is maintained in full functioning condition, with regular anti This was followed by appearances in the 2018 Sola Airshow on -det runs, and operation of all systems, including undercarriage June 9th and the 2018 Danish Airshow the next day, which to retractions. date, remains the CF-104’s sole major airshow appearance to date. The aircraft then appeared at Leeuwarden to commemo- We sincerely hope that the distinctive zipper shape of the F-104 rate the 75th anniversary of 322 Squadron. After a few days will soon be back gracing European skies. tucked in a hardened aircraft shelter at Leeuwarden, the aircraft returned to Bodo.

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Eskil Amdal’s display of the F-104 during a rainstorm at Aalborg. The focus of the display is to be gentle on the airframe, whilst displaying the F-104’s particular characteristics.

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MILITARY EXERCISE

Text: Photos:

Dion Makowski Dion Makowski

We were recently invited aboard the 97,000 ton, twenty-story-high, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). Forwarddeployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, she is the flagship of the Ronald Reagan Strike Group, which operates as part of Commander, Task Force 70 (CTF-70), "Battle Force - Seventh Fleet".

Whilst taking part in exercise Talisman Sabre 2019, the USS Ronald Reagan cruises due east of Brisbane, off the Queensland coast, Australia.

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The large training area hosts naval, air and amphibious assets from various participating countries, Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand, amongst others. Also participating for the first time, is Japan.

It is a fact of life that the average age of a crewman in the team of 5,000 aboard the USS Ronald Reagan is 22 years old, predominantly high school leavers. Some would work with the approximately 600 personnel in the reactor department, providing the steam required to power this immense vessel.

Which is exactly why the U.S. Navy invited us aboard, a compliment of (mostly) ageing media types, to demonstrate what has taken the Navy a century to master - how to deploy an increasingly youthful crew to project air power, resolve and sustain a formidable pace of operations to produce clear, positive outcomes in an increasingly dangerous world.

Our flight to meet the carrier was conducted from RAAF Amberley by the professional crew of US Navy Fleet Logistics Support Squadron VRC-30 "the Providers", detachment 5 from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan.

To arrive aboard a carrier at sea at any time over the last half-century, you would embark in one of the following ways- by tender (boat transfer) or from another warship ( UNREP - Underway Replenishment), or Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) either by helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft.

For us, it is the latter with the venerable Grumman C-2A(R) (Reprocured or late production) Greyhound. C-2A provides transport of high-priority and missioncritical cargoes to carrier from shore bases. For TS.19, two aircraft of Fleet logistics Support Squadron-30 (VRC-30), Detachment 5, deployed to Amberley RAAF Base for the duration. Prior to boarding C2A BuAer 162154, MODEX NF-30; callsign "Password 30", Cranials went on, straps and oral protectors tight. Visor down. Ear plugs, a necessary evil.

Along with COMCTF-70, Rear-Admiral Thomas (we shall speak with him later), we flew transit around 45 minutes but had to hold off as they weren't ready to take us because of planes preparing for launch and had to circle for awhile, resulting in a one hour flight. The arrested landing or "trap" on arrival, decelerated the C-2A from 169 to 0 (kph) within two seconds, pushing us into our seats.

On deck, there was constant activity as aircraft pre-flight and sortie, conducting carrier landings (observed "by many eyes", as the Rear Admiral later notes) and missions as part of the exercise.

The Ronald Reagan Strike Group, as stated earlier, is part of Carrier Task Force 70, currently deploying the Ticonderoga-class, Guided-Missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer, USS McCampbell (DDG 85), joined by destroyer escorts and other, somewhat guarded assets.

The air assets launched from the carrier operate either "blue air" (friendly) or "red air" missions with or against land-based air forces and maritime forces as well as theatre support relating to amphibious operations such as those conducted in northern Queensland during the exercise.

The main purpose of the media visit was to visually record operations off the flight deck, with many launches and recoveries observed, providing a sense of the tempo of air ops. This tempo may increase dramatically and be maintained indefinitely if Ronald Reagan's Strike Group were stoodto for active operations. So much occurs in such a limited space (approx. 18,000 sq.

Metres) and of course, being embedded within the environment is exciting and requires all of your attention!

It is sobering to view the air-deployed munitions prepared, both above and below decks. The presence of "jugs", tactical fuel tanks positioned everywhere it seemed, as we walk past on our deck-walk, indicates some targets may take the

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The EF-18E Growler provides electronic warfare capability to the carrier stricke package, with the added advantage that it can also defend itself and has similar performance to the attacking aircraft.

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ship as a whole). Some come in pairs, tailhooks down. There's the COD, returning from RAAF Amberley or from up the coast from Rockhampton, perhaps doing the "milk run". We are very impressed with the smooth launch of the E-2D Hawkeye. Helicopters "SARBIRDS", cruise never too far from the ship, just in case. Again, sobering. A Sea Hawk of HSC-12 (Helicopter Transport Squadron-12) runs up on the flight deck for another VIP mission.

The Squadrons embarked are of Carrier Strike Wing Five (CVW-5) and many had previously been sighted by this correspondent, aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) in Brisbane in 2007, including the following Squadrons now embarked: VFA-27 "Royal Maces", VFA102 "Diamondbacks" and VFA-195 "Dambusters", all now flying versions of the Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas F/A18 Super Hornet in strike and tactical support (aerial refuelling) roles. Other units fly EA-18G Growlers in the Electronic attack role (VAQ-141), Airborne Early Warning E-2D Hawkeye (VAW125), Helicopter combat MH-60R MH60S (HSC-12, HSM-77), Fleet Logistics support (VRC-30 as mentioned) and Strike Fighter 115 (VFA-115) F/A-18E Super Hornet. CVW-5 was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Gulf War, Operation Southern Watch, the War in Afghanistan, and the War in Iraq.

An interview was held with Commander of Battle Force, 7th Fleet (CTF-70), Rear Admiral Karl O. Thomas, at his seat in "the island". Questions were to be kept to the subject of TS.19.

Rear Adm. Thomas focussed on the true value of interoperability with allied nations and their respective militaries. A range of strategic scenarios were being rehearsed, covering many

types of local and regional actions, in- them and then track them and target cluding all levels of threat during com- them and then engage them and asbined operations. sess how well we did during the strike...we're doing it together and we "It's really about maintaining security have not only an attack coming off the in this region. It's an important part of carrier, we have maritime aircraft like P the world and we recognize that as the -8s out here, air-to-air refuelling, big United States puts in a lot of effort to wing tanking which our aircrews are ensure the security of maritime sea getting a chance to do, it covers the lanes, to ensure that people operate gamut". Aviation Report enquired how within the international laws that exist. the exercise is set up - whether there On interoperability, the keyword for was any simulation of near-peer agthe times, he continues: "The good gressors "we don't set the exercise up thing is that their (Australian) aviators against any one country, its more just are very skilled, they fly the same type to practice the tactics that we would aircraft that we fly at the same tech- employ in any scenario". nical capability, the same tactical capaAs it is about maximising the training bility. And so for us it's great training opportunities the Carrier Strike Group because they are at the same level that would not range too far out so they we're operating to.. communication operate at a comfortable distance to channels, common data links, ensuring reach targets located in from the coast. that we can see each other's pictures...

It can be the tactics that we operate in, We later met the "Handlers', whose (whether) it sits in the air, that's on the task is to move aircraft about the deck surface or that's underneath the sur- and amidships. They utilise the "ouija face too, so that interoperability to be board" system, a bit like a Monopoly able to fight as one force just doesn't board with pegs in different shapes happen you have to (practice) too and and colours symbolising aircraft priorithat's why we're down here. The carri- tisation by preparation for launch, by er is currently generating 80 to 100 tasking, for refuelling/defuelling, for sorties per day, not overly tasking, just bombing-up/armaments, maintenance comfortable" or just parked up. They also represent readiness for launches. Some adjustAn example of the type of missions ments may be made in actual conflown: "When you're flying in the air-to flict....

-air mission and you're going to have several of our F-18s next to the F-18s Our departure was by catapult-assisted from the Australian Air Force and we'll (CAT) launch, reaching 205-kph in have some jamming capabilities from three seconds. As advertised, it was the Growlers which we both fly, there quite a ride and an experience not to might be a blue side and a red side and be forgotten! they'll come together in the air and they'll have certain tactics that (we) employ so that's an air-to-air kind of training then we go out and we do maritime strike when we have to define shifts and we employ air-tosurface tactics; doing land attack missions where we go out to find targets on land, you have to find them and fix 77

A C-2 Greyhound about to catch the wire to land on deck. Ungainly as it may be, the Greyhound provides an important lifeline of supplies and personnel for the carrier. It is slated to be replaced by a specialised derivative of the V-22 Osprey.

SH-60 Seahawks provide anti-submarine cover and SAR cover.

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E-2 Hawkeye provides AWACS capability to the carrier strike group.

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The Mission Having saved XV582 ‘Black Mike’ and restored the award-wining cockpit of XV490, the British Phantom Aviation Group are currently in the process of saving more ex-RAF Phantoms .

You don’t need to be a Phantom Phixer to help. Anyone can play a part by visiting our webstore and choosing one of our custom range of Phantom items, from t-shirts to coins to patches.

All profits go to support BPAG activities and help keep the history of the F-4 Phantom alive.

www.british-phantom-aviation-group.myshopwired.com For your Phantom shopping fix!

MILITARY

Text: Photos:

Ioannis Lekkas Ioannis Lekkas

Ioannis Lekkas sat on the front cockpit of an AH-64A+ and experienced the thrill of flight with the most deadly helicopter in the world participating in a joined exercise of the Hellenic Armed Forces involving Close Combat Attack, tank-hunting and air-air engagements!

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For the non-frequent flyer the eye-catching feature is the crew protection shields around the seats. Apache was designed to avoid hit, and if hit survive, still retaining the capability for the crew to safely escape an emergency crash landing after being hit.

The CPG station is designed for the highest possible view to the outside world and direct access on the sighting and targeting suite while providing fast egress. Starting procedure is relatively fast with the APU giving air to the engines driving the main and tail rotors. Although the downwash is amazingly strong the noise output is very low thanks to the noise suppression design features embedded on to the rotors and engines. The beast takes off vertically pointing down the head, gaining ground speed radically and there the feel is nothing like flying in any other helicopter in the world! The DASE (Digital Automatic Stabilization Equipment) takes over and provides hover and flight stability to the pilot reducing the workload while providing a stable weapons release platform. The MMI (Man Machine Interface) suite in the legacy AH-64A+ is still satisfactory and reliable with its main feature the IHADSS (Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System) providing all the flight and combat information to both crew members. The unique capabilities of the system allow the pilot to engage threats while the gunner locks on point weapon system (Hellfire) or area weapon system (rockets) to the assigned targets. As very well demonstrated to us, our pilot depressing the weapons activation switch engaged an aerial threat, in our case another Apache, while the author has locked on an armored vehicle for a Hellfire release. The FCC (Fire Control Computer) provides the pilot ballistic solutions via the IHADSS, keeping the helicopter’s battle position unchanged, essential for the Hellfire engagement; the adversary was acquired and locked on for a guns kill. In the case where the threat survives the gun fire the Apache’s powerful engines enable it to maneuver into the preferable position for the kill. The author witnessed the superb nose authority of the Apache by first hand when he sensed the feel of the controls. The helicopter is very responsive to the cyclic and collective movements and in most of the cases it will perform excellent to the pilot’s input. Our pilot, Lt. Col. T. Kapetanios depressing either of the pedals the tail was instantaneously moving respectively right or left, quickly revealing targets to the CPG that are then acquired using the TADS. The last feature is of high importance and remains one of the main disadvantages of other helicopters. The need of excess power is evident in NOE flights where the risk of coalition to the ground is minimized by the instant response of the flight control system. The photographs accompanying this feature give a very good indication of the terrain conditions that the Apache is called to fight in.

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MILITARY

Text: Michael Overs Photos: Mark Zerafa

Earlier this year, aircraft enthusiasts worldwide were shocked to hear that through a change of ownership at Bruntingthorpe Airfield, the future of a number of aircraft housed there were in danger. The Buccaneer Aviation Group, owners and custodians of two restored Blackburn Buccaneer S.2Bs, both of which in excellent ground-running condition, had no choice but to plan a move to pastures new, to the former site of RAF Kemble.

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Although not airworthy, TBAG’s two Buccaneers have all their hydraulic systems operational, allowing them to demonstrate wing folding, bomb bay rotation and airbrake deployment in the course of an engine run.

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Cotswold Airport, formerly known as RAF Kemble, has seen its fair share of Buccaneers in the past, as a number were stored there after the type was retired from the RAF in 1994. Although not one of these, the group’s Bucaneer XX894 spent some time at Kemble undergoing some restoration work prior to its move to Bruntingthorpe.

With both XX894 and XW544s reassembled after the move from Bruntingthorpe, there will undoubtedly be more Rolls Royce Spey noise at Kemble for one and all to enjoy!

The group needs to vacate Bruntingthorpe by September 30th. In this respect, its volunteers have been busy preparing the aircraft and other equipment for the move.

Once settled in Kemble, the group intends to hold taxi days and other events which not only keep the Buccaneers alive, but also generate funds to help with the upkeep. In addition, the group has agreed to provide active care for the Canberra PR-9s, Hunter T-7 and Gnat already in residence at Kemble.

Unfortunately, like all other things, this unexpected move has had a negative financial impact on the group, and it can only contribute to 25% of the move costs from its current funds. Hence the Group is appealing to all enthusiasts, far and wide, to help crowd-fund this effort.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE 101

XX894 never served with the Royal Navy. Delivered new to 16 Sqn at RAF Laarbruch in December 1975 before being transferred to 15 Sqn. I in the 1980 Red Flag Exercise before being transferred to A&AEE at Boscombe Down in 1981. Back in RAF service with 12 Squadron, she w ferred to 208 Sqn, 237 OCU and 12 Squadron. Having flown several missions in the Gulf War, the Buccaneer then moved to 208 Squadron 1994, as part of the retirement celebrations of the Buccaneer fleet, she was painted in Fleet Air Arm markings, colours which she retains to th

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It participated as then transn. In February his day.

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MUSEUMS

Text: Kedar Karmarkar Photos: Kedar Karmarkar

Think about a red and black jet whizzing past from right to left and going upwards in the sky, trailing a plume of fire from the tail, and creating a streak of white smoke from the wingtips as it soars into the blue yonder.

Then you spot a conspicuous red star on it Yeah you are on the money – you saw it right!! That is indeed the MiG-17 - and not any MiG-17 - it is the MiG that was flown by Bill Reesman that was sponsored by the Red Bull company. Although there are no pictures of bulls on it today but that very jet is alive and kicking thanks much to Jason Somes buying it and keeping the legacy of Bill Reesman and his lovely MiG-17 alive today.

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The origin of the MiG-17 NATO codename 'Fresco' is derived from the MiG-15 which was a fighter in the Korean War era, produced in the 1950s. The MiG-15 proved an effective design in air combat which stood its own against the more advanced F-86 Sabre fielded by the Western countries. The MiG-15 lacked speed and was subsonic, and the MiG-17 improved upon that by accommodating an engine with an afterburner - the first in the Russian inventory. The afterburner provides greater thrust achieved by dumping fuel in the hot exhaust area of the basic engine resulting in the afterburner plume shooting from the tailpipe. The afterburner almost doubled the rate of climb and hence improved on the combat maneuvers in the vertical plane as well. It almost looks like a MiG-15bis but for the addition of an extra strake on the wing, and a fin under the tail. The Klimov VK-1F engine, forward fuselage, landing gear and the cannon and the

guns were carried forward as is from the MiG-15. The MiG-17 was also license built as the Shenyang J-5 in China and as PZLMielec Lim-5 in Poland. There were several aspects of the design that gave the MiG-17 its amazing turning capability. The first is the wing that features a dual sweep angle. The inboard wing sweep is 49 degrees and the outboard is 45 degrees. There is variation on the camber of the inboard and the outboard wing as well. These enhancements along with the fences on the wing that separated boundary layer air over the wing and of course the afterburning engine gave the MiG-17 it’s fantastic turn performance. The MiG-17 which was designed in the 1950s boasted the best turn rate for a fighter until the Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon was operational in 1979 – holding on to that capability for almost 30 years – which is amazing in the world of military aviation.

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Bill Reesman was a 20-year former US Air Force fighter pilot and flew the North American F-100 Super Sabre during the Vietnam War. He flew a MiG-17 - that he acquired in 1992 from China - in airshows as MiG Magic Airshow act. Bill Reesman's MiG Magic was a famous act during the airshows in the 90s as he exploited the MiG-17s tight turning capability and wing mounted Sanders smoke generators. He was also known for putting on a night show streaming pyrotechnics. While testing a newly installed engine, the fuel line broke during an afterburner corkscrew climb and engulfed the MiG in the fire. Bill did not eject but managed to land the aircraft on the airport runway and escaped.

Since he was with one less MiG, he acquired the MiG-17F featured in this article in 1994.

The MiG-17 is an 'F' variant with a VK-1F engine with the afterburner and is of Polish origin. This MiG-17 was produced in Poland in 1959 as a LIM 5 C/N 1C-1529. It was further modified to a LIM-5R and sold in 1994 to Bill Reesman. This airframe became the famous Red Bull MiG seen in airshows across the USA until 2011 when Bill Reesman tragically passed away. The MiG-17 was bought by Commanche Fighters LLC in Houston, Texas and was non-operational from 2011 to 2019. Jason Somes' company High Alpha Airshows bought the MiG-17 from Commanche Fighters in August 2019.

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Reminiscing about his growing up years, Jason said "I was born in the San Fernando valley, and grew up in Southern California. My first flying lesson was at the age of 12 in a Cessna 150. I learnt to fly at the age of 16. I was fortunate enough to get my first twenty or so hours of dual in a Pitts S-2B. Tailwheel and aerobatics were all I knew from the beginning and that helped to pave the way for Warbirds and Airshows. I have been flying Warbirds for 17 years. I currently fly a Gulfstream G -650 for a living." Reflecting on his flying journey, Jason added, “I have around 10,000+ flying hours under my belt. I am cleared to fly in 17 different aircraft from the aerobatic Pitts, to the warbirds like the T-6 Texan, Mustang, helicopters, gliders and just recently seaplanes and all the way to the G650 and the MiG-17.”

Jason also owns a L-29C Delfin trainer produced in 1968 by Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic. It bears the serial number C/N 892876. It was formerly operated by the Bulgarian Air Force as S/N 53. In 2002, it was sold to Warbirds West Air Museum based at Gillespie Field, San Diego in California who operated it in the air shows at the time. He bought it from them in September 2016. Upon asking as to why did he end up buying the L-29, Jason replied "I had no desire to own a military Jet. I owned a North American T6 that a friend wanted more than I did.

We did a trade deal and now I’m absolutely stoked to own the airplane." The answer to a similar question regarding the reason he bought the MiG-17 was almost obvious "The L-29 is a fantastic airplane but the only thing it lacks is performance.

I had a desire to put a jet on the airshow circuit and knew it would have to be supportable, have self-start capability, have good looks, and fantastic performance.

The MiG-17 satisfies all the requirements - oh and it shoots fire out of the back…. bonus!!" added Jason with a gleam in his eyes. Jason commented on the future plans for the MiG-17 with High Alpha Airshows, "The MiG-17 will be an airshow

asset. High Alpha Airshows was created for the initial purpose of getting the MiG17 on the airshow circuit. I have plans in the future on adding other acts and other aircraft as well. The MiG has had a long career of airshow flying and I plan to continue. It has Sanders Aeronautics Smoke Generators which are absolutely awesome pieces of hardware and it came with Pyro pods for night shows if I ever chose to go down that path." Adding more information about the Sanders Aeronautics Smoke generator pods, Jason said "The smoke generators are Awesome!! I have had no prior experience with them but they are straight forward and easy to service and operate. It turns out my Sanders Smoke Generators are some of the oldest out there. The team at Sanders Aeronautics reached out to me and gave them a thorough evaluation, cleaning, and test to ensure the most awesome smoke in the business.

I am super excited to show them off at airshows."

Commenting on the L-29 he said “It will be used in a training role.

I am working on a few programs to include formation, upset recovery, basic fighter maneuvers, and transition training.” The L-29 was designated as the standard trainer for the Warsaw Pact countries and produced around the 1960s. Around 3,000 of these examples were produced. The L-29 was designed to be a docile and a gentle aircraft easy to handle in flight, but was rugged for operations from austere landing strips. The flight controls are manual.

The seating arrangement was tandem with the student pilot in front and the instructor behind a little higher to provide a view of what the student was doing.

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Highlighting the differences in the flight characteristics and performance between the L-29 and the MiG-17, "The L-29 handles like a jet powered Piper Cub. It is smooth, stable, and predictable. It is a great first jet for anyone looking to step up to a new challenge. The MiG -17 is an honest airplane but must be respected and flown on speed. It is an absolute joy to fly in the 300 to 550 Knot range. It likes to go fast and its one of the best handling airplanes I have ever flown at speed. The low speed regime which is in the range of 200 knots down to 130 knot final approach speed demands some attention and flight control is diminished especially in roll." Obviously excited about the experience of the afterburner of the MiG-17, Jason described the experience of lighting the afterburner in flight, "The afterburner on the MiG is very low tech and I believe it was one of the first production aircraft fitted with one. It takes a few seconds to activate once selected.

You don’t notice much on the takeoff roll other than increased acceleration but, in the air, it comes on with a whack and you know its lit. I would say the MiG-17 on the deck in burner is one of the most awesome experiences I’ve had in my aviation career!!"

Operating jet aircraft and especially Russian and Czech origins have their challenges in maintainability of the aircraft. Elaborating on his experience on maintaining the two aircrafts, Jason shared "The L-29 and MiG-17 like all eastern bloc aircraft are designed to be rugged, easily supported, maintained by young men and women with basic skills, and sit outside in very harsh environments, and be extremely reliable. The landing gear are of trailing link design and though the intent was never to operate of unimproved fields, if a runway overrun or an off-field landing would occur the landing gear would take the punishment so the aircraft could fight another day. Both aircraft are easily maintainable and most parts are available through a few sources in the US. I always keep an eye out for spares and tooling.

VK-1F engines and Afterburners are getting hard to come by so if anyone has them laying around in their garage let me know!!"

Jason is the Wing Leader of the Commemorative Air Force’s SoCal Wing. He flies all the in-

ventory of the flight museum there that includes the Griffon-powered Spitfire, the Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero, the Bearcat, the P-51 Mustang and the Hellcat. Clearly, he has had his share of dedicated hard work to rise that position. Flying in the airshows, and showcasing the warbirds and the jets, is his contribution in preserving the rich history and inspiring a passion for aviation in the younger generation. Telling about the time he first walked into the Museum, “I walked in to the Museum almost eighteen years ago, and introduced myself, and mentioned that I want to fly the warbirds you have – how can I go about achieving this goal. They said I needed to have 200 hours in a T-6 Texan, commercial rating, formation training, and needed to volunteer there for a year before we let you fly anything.

And so, I did – I had my personal T-6 at the time and I started building time in it. In the meantime, I volunteered at the Museum my time in the form of helping them out at events, and especially in maintenance activities since I was a certified A&P (Airplanes & Powerplants Mechanic) at the time. And yeah true to their promise, after year and a half, I got my first ride on a warbird, which was the IJN A6M3 Zero.”

I asked Jason about keeping Bill Reesman's registration number on the MiG-17, the same and he said "Bill was a friend of mine and I have known Julie since I was 16 years old. I loved to watch Bill’s routine with the MiG. I was lucky enough to find and retain the aircraft's registration N117BR and the aircraft bears it today. Julie’s name is still on the nose gear doors and I plan to leave that on there for as long as I own the airplane. They are dear friends."

It is obvious that Jason plans to keep the legacy of Bill Reesman, very much alive once the airshow season starts after this COVID-19 pandemic. It was very gracious of Jason to fly for us to conduct an air-to-air shoot with his MiG17 and the L-29 Delfin. We wish him and the team at High Alpha Airshows all the best with their steeds and pray the biologists the world over find a vaccine for COVID-19 soon so the airshows can go on .

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MILITARY

Text: Mark Zerafa Photos: Cheng Hao Cai

Taiwan’s fleet of 20 C-130H Hercules transport provides it with its main airlift capability. Operating in a difficult environment with numerous constraints, the aircraft have achieved an enviable service record.

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On June 18th, 1984, the Raegan administration informed Congress of the proposed sale of 12 Lockheed C-130Hs to Taiwan, in order to replace the nation’s fleet of ageing C-119s. ROCAF personnel arrived for training in November 1985, and the 101st Airlift Fleet was established to operate the type. Within the 439th Composite Wing.

The first two C-130s landing at Pingtung on September 22nd, 1986.

A second squadron, the 102nd Airlift Squadron, would receive the Hercules, with conversion completed by end May 1995. A further four C-130Hs were delivered between 1993 and 1994, and a further four were ordered in 1997. These were amongst the very last C130Hs built before Lockheed switched production to the C-130J. A total of 20 C-130Hs were purchased, of which one, 85-0022 (Tail Number 1310) was written off on 10.10.1997.

The airframe’s capability and versatility has been made good use of, with the C-130s are used very heavily, even supplementing mainline transport between Taiwan’s main island and its outer islands during peak travel times such as the Lunar New Year Period.

It is understood that one aircraft is used for ELINT missions under the designation C-130HE and operated by the 6th Electronic Warfare Squadron, but its identity is unknown. The aircraft are rarely seen abroad, with their few overseas appearances being mainly humanitarian flights in response to natural disasters, such as when they delivered humanitarian aid to Singapore for onward shipment to Indonesia, in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Taiwan’s Hercules also assisted in the aftermath of the 2009 and 2013 typhoons that struck the Philippines .

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In 2010, a C-130 undertook a 4,000km journey from Taiwan to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic carrying 6 tonnes of medical supplies on board, destined for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, following the earthquake which devastated the country. With national markings covered in order to avoid complications while the humanitarian flight staged through countries which officially did not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

portant to make sure that the assets available to the Air Force remain as relevant and well-maintained as possible.

In September 2018, the US government agreed to provide Taiwan with a significant spare parts support package, covering its F-16s, F5s, IDFs and C-130s. In November 2019, it was announced that Taiwan’s C-130H fleet would receive upgraded avionics. Like all other military hardware available to the nation, the Hercules will need to Two Hercules were also made available for the search for Flight continue serving long and work hard, especially in today’s current MH434, but these had to be withdrawn after Mainland China ob- diplomatic scenarios with ever-increasing sabre-rattling in the rejected. gion.

Taiwan’s diplomatic scenario renders the acquisition of any military hardware a tricky affair, and hence it has become immensely im-

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SPOTTER ENCOUNTER

Text: Photos:

Yolandie Grobler De Jager Angel Matthews

Having an aviation photographer parent is one of the guaranteed paths to share their passion. For Angel Matthews, whose father Lee is an RAF photographer, the aviation bug has bitten hard...

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First of all, since you are a very young spotter, how old are you?

I am 8 years old.

Your dad is a Royal Air Force Photographer, how did you get interested in taking photos of airplanes?

Because I wanted to become an RAF photographer like my dad and it’s fun to watch planes.

What do you like most about aviation photography?

My favourite thing is learning about all the different planes I’m photographing.

What is your favourite airplane/aircraft to photograph?

My favourite aircraft would be the Red Arrow or the C-17 because the Red Arrows are very cool and fast and the C-17 is fun to watch. My favourite C-17 is ZZ178.

What equipment do you use to take your photos?

I’ve used my Dad’s Canon 5D, my Nikon Coolpix and sometimes phones to record videos.

What has been your best moment so far?

My best moment so far is seeing and photographing the Red Arrows in formation at the Royal International Air Tattoo last year.

Do you think you might want to be in the aviation business when you grow up? Or what would you like to do/be when you grow up?

I would love to be and I want to be an aviation photographer like my Daddy.

What has been the best advice your dad has given you so far regarding your photography?

The best advice from my dad has given me is the importance of focus and shutter speed when photographing aircraft.

Do you have friends that also enjoy aviation photography, and what do they think of your hobby?

My friends not so much but I got many great comments from people when I filmed a B-2 stealth bomber at Fairford earlier this year.

If there are other young aviation photographers out there, what advice could you give to them?

I would tell them that always watch your focus and to realise that when photographing aircraft with propellers they are more difficult to capture compared to aircraft with jet engines.

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An RAF C-17 coming in to land.

Airbus Voyager tanker awaiting a new mission.

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A400s on the ramp at RAF Brize Norton

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A400 performing base training‌ a perfect opportunity to practice photography.

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NOSTALGIA

Text: Mark Zerafa Photos: Clive Grant Colour Profiles: Gabriel Mora Aldama

On April 22nd, 1970, the first of 11 Boeing 747-100s ordered by the British Overseas Airways Corporation landed at London Heathrow. It would only enter service on April 14th, 1971, when the airline managed to settle crewing and pay issues with the British Air Line Pilots Association. BOAC would merge with BEA in 1972, to form British Airways, and the airline remains a 747 operator to this day.

G-AWNI still in BOAC livery with British Airways titles replacing the original BOAC letters. Delivered in 1972, it remained in BA service until 1981, when it was bought by TWA as N17125. In 1991 it changed hands again to Tower Air as N605FF. It was destroyed in a take-off accident at John F. Kennedy Int’l Airport on 20.12.1995

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G-AWNM being towed into the maintenance area at London Heathrow.

BOAC would receive fifteen 747-100s prior to the merger. A further four would be delivered to British Airways. The type enjoyed an impeccable safety record, with the only hull loss being G-AWND, which was caught up in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and blown up. The –100s would start being retired in October 1998, and all had left the fleet by 1999.

On June 22nd, 1977, the first 747-200 was delivered, the first of an eventual 24 which would be delivered between 1977 and 1988, partly by absorbing the former fleet of British Caledonian, which had also been merged with British Airways.

In September 1980, BA received its first 747-200 freighter, aptly registered G-KILO. This aircraft’s time with British Airways was quite short, as barely two years later, it had been sold to Cathay Pacific. The last 747-200 was retired in 2002.

Nowadays, British Airways still operates the 747400, the first of which was delivered in 1989. However, the continued use of these is also in doubt.

747-200 G-BDXE served with British Airways from 1978 till 2002.

It then flew for European Aircharter and Corsair until it was broken up at Kemble in November 2005.

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British Airways’ 747-200s were the first of the airline’s jumbos to be powered by Rolls Royce engines.

G-KILO has a short career with British Airways. Sold to Cathay Pacific in March 1982, it was eventually scrapped at Kemble in May 2008.

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G-AWNA (msn19761) was BOAC’s first 747, delivered on April 22nd, 1970.

Taken over by British Airways, it would continue to fly for the airline till it was broken up at Bruntingthorpe after its retirement in 1999.

G-AWNH (msn 20270) was delivered in November 1971. It remained in service until June 2nd, 1999. It was flown to Abulquerque for storage on June 14th, 1999, and was broken up in August 2014.

G-BDXA (msn 22138) was delivered in July 1977. Unlike the –100s, which were powere by Pratt & Whitney turbofans, British Airways specified Rolls Royce engines on its subsequent 747s. It flew for the airline till January 2001 and was eventually scrapped at Marana.

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G-AWNK retracting its landing gear on departure, still wearing a hybrid colour scheme.

G-PDBZ was leased from Aer Lingus in 1976. It was affectionately known by the engineers as ‘Paddy Zulu’

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AIRLINE SPOTTING

Text: Clive Grant Photos: Clive Grant

The brutal reality of the COVID-19 situation has had a radical effect on aircraft movements world-wide. London Heathrow has seen considerable reduction in traffic, and with low demand, many airlines are operating with aircraft previously unseen at the major European hub.

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In lieu of the normal passenger 787 service, Royal Jordanian’s sole A310F JYAGQ has been performing daily cargo flights between Heathrow and Amman.

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Activity at London’s biggest airport has decreased considerably. In fact, all flights have been redirected into Terminals 2 and 5, and the airport is now operating all take-offs and departures from a single runway. In fact, runway 09R/27L will be closed until September 30th, with the airport taking the opportunity to conduct repairs on the Southern runway. Unfortunately, for spotters, this means that till then, it will not be possible to take photos from the legendary Myrtle Avenue location.

Cathay Pacific Cargo B-LIE arrives from Delhi on 24 May.

Cargojet 767-300Fs have been appearing almost daily since the beginning of the pandemic. C-FPIJ, one of the fleet without winglets, arrives from Cincinnati on 18 May.

As well as its Airbus aircraft, Alitalia has used 777-200 aircraft on some of its services from Rome. EI-DBL departs back to Fiumicino on 1 June.

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One of several Air China A330s in the Star Alliance livery, A330-200 B-6076 taxies out for its return flight to Beijing.

With cargo flights in high demand, one good airline story to come from the chaos caused by the current pandemic is the fact that CargoLogicAir is up and running again. 747-400F is seen about to depart Heathrow on 25 April.

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Amongst the few A380s currently in service, China Southern’s fleet have appeared a few times at Heathrow. B6139 is about to touch down at the end of a flight from Guangzhou.

Although ANA continues to utilise 777-300ERs on its daily Tokyo service, JAL has been operating 787-9s on the route for several weeks now. JA863J is about to touch down on 09L.

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United’s transatlantic services have been operating exclusively with 787 aircraft in recent times. Here, 787-10 N14011 taxies out in the latest United colour scheme.

Having first been battered by civil unrest at home and now the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathay Pacific nonetheless manages to keep its Heathrow service open. Their A3501000 B-LXL is seen here departing back to Hong Kong.

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Air Cairo is an unusual visitor for Heathrow. Here, A320 SU-BPU performs one of several flights by the airline between Heathrow and Cairo

With its A380 fleet grounded, Etihad has been utilising its 787-10s on some Heathrow services. A6-BMD in ‘Choose China’ livery taxies out for departure

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Egyptair 777-300s have been replaced on the Cairo route, at least for now, by their new 787-9s. SU-GER is about to line up for departure on 09L; the use of this runway for departures is something else not normally seen at Heathrow.

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777-200 VP-BJG of Nordwind Airlines departs back to Moscow Sheremetyevo in glorious sunshine.

Though it’s been in PIA retro colours for about seven y doesn’t usually appear at Heathrow. However, it’s tur cent weeks.

Air China has been using A350-900 equipment on regular daily flights into Heathrow. B-308M in Star Alliance colours lines up for departure back to Shanghai.

As well as the 787-9 and -10 series, Vietnam Airlines some of its services into Heathrow. VN-A895 is abou

Bamboo Airways 787-9 VN-A818 was a nice visitor on 10 May, departing to Ho Chi Minh City as BAV9036.

More regularly seen at Luton Airport, MNG A300F TC on 10 May in the airline’s latest colour scheme.

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years now, 777-200 AP-BMG rned up at least twice in re-

Despite the airline entering voluntary administration on 22 April, Air Mauritius A350-900 3B-NBQ managed to put in an appearance in the evening of 19 May.

has used its A350-900s on ut to touch down on 09L.

At least one passenger 747-400 has appeared at Heathrow recently. EC-MDS of Wamos Air arrived From Bridgetown on 29 May, departing later to Madrid. It repeated this route on 4 June.

C-MCD arrives at Heathrow 143

SCALE MODELING

Build: Text: Photos:

Robert Lautier Mark Zerafa Robert Lautier

The F-16 is one of the most potent warplanes available in the Middle East, and the Israeli versions are probably the most capable of them all, in both strike and air-toair configurations. Our build celebrates the early Israeli F-16Ds.

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Italeri’s F-16D comes with decals for USAF and Israeli aircraft. The latter was chosen as it is much more colourful than the tedious grey schemes which seem to have afflicted most modern military aircraft.

First to be assembled were the ejector seats, which were pretty detailed straight out of the box, each comingin four pieces. The Cockpit is also fairly detailed, as are the wheel wells. With the F-16 being very much a blended-wing aircraft, Italeri have made the kit with upper and lower halves, complete with wings, making sure that a good wing angle angle achieved by every modeller.

The Landing gear is also well detailed. Fit is generally good, although copious amounts of filler are needed around the intakes and avionics spine, as well as the drop tanks, in order to achieve a good finish.

The panel lines are already inscribed, however, some sections might need to be rescribed due to the need to sand down some surfaces in order to achieve a good finish.

The cockpit tub is in three sections, so getting them aligned when fitting them inside the fuselage can be a bit fiddly. The cockpit occupies quite a large portion of the top fuselage, so careful masking will be required, especially if airbrushing the model. After a coat of grey primer, the aircraft was pre-shaded in grey as the Israeli colour scheme isn’t particularly dark.

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Airbrushing this model was particularly challenging yet satisfying, given the three-tone upper surfaces in contrasting sand, earth and green. Italeri have probably modelled their aircraft on early configurations of the aircraft, before sensors and IFF aerials were added to the nose section.

Only one access ladder came with the kit. Since the canopy was going to be left open, it was only fitting that the crew access ladders would be in place, so another ladder was salvaged from another kit.

The decal sheet contains most major stencil data and walkway lines, and are straightforward to apply. A final coat of semi-matt varnish sealed everything off to complete the model.

Obviously, at its price level, this is not the best 1:48 kit in the market, but with some good care and attention during the build, can be made into a very presentable model which will make any showcase proud.

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THE REAL THING

Text: Photos:

Mark Zerafa Mark Zerafa

Israel was one of the major operators of the F-16, and the first nation to test it in combat More than half all F-16 air-to-air kills were in the hands of Israeli pilots. The earliest variants have been retired, whilst the latest F-16I Sufa is recognised as probably the most advanced F-16 in service.

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F-16D serial 061 from 109Sqn ‘ The Valley Squadron’ departs from Ramat David AB. An upgrade programme for all F-16C/Ds was undertaken between 2000 and 2004, with upgraded aircraft now referred to as Barak 2000s.

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The Israel Defence Force Air Force initially purchased the F-16 as an alternative to the more complex and expensive F-15, with an initial order of F-16As and Bs. The first examples, named Netz (Hawk) arrived in July 1980. In 1981, they saw action, in a daring long-range raid to take out Iraq’s nuclear reactot at Osirak.

In October 1987, the first F-16Cs and Ds started being delivered.

These are known as the Barak. Following the Gulf War, as part of an agreement whereby Israel would not retaliate for Iraqi SCUD missile attacks, a batch of surplus US F-16As and Bs were delivered.

In January 2000, the Israeli government proceeded to order 50 F16Ds to Block 52 standard. The level of customisation of these aircraft was such, that it soon became the F-16I. The first F-16I rolled out at Forth Worth on November 14th 2003, and deliveries commenced in February 2004. A further 52 aircraft were ordered in September 2001.

All F-16A/Bs were retired by December 2016. 40 were offered to Croatia, but the deal failed to get US State Approval.

The F-16I Sufa (Storm) features removeable conformal fuel tanks , and has a high proportion of Israeli content, both in airframe components and especially the avionics suite in an enlarged dorsal compartment. The rear cockpit is configured for the weapons systems operator, and the Elbit Dash IV display and sight helmet has been integrated. This allows pilots to aim weapons by line of sight targeting, and it also cues pilots to visually detect targets at high angles off the nose of the aircraft, whilst keeping critical information available regardless of where the pilot is looking.

The Sufa’s cockpit is also specific to Israeli specifications, with a wide-angle head up display from Elop, and high-definition 4 inch colour multi-function displays supplied by Astronautics CA, another Israeli firm. The cockpit also features a moving map display, digital video recording equipment and NVG-compatible lighting.

The I comp and H integ

The F and P firma additi

The p creas weigh

Squa at Ha 253 S

Israeli avionics content continues with an Elbit Systems general avionics puter, display processors and interfaces. Rafael provided the UHF/VHF HF radios. Elta provides the satellite communications system, and IAI the grated tactical video data link.

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Additional sensors on the sides of the nose of this Israeli F-16I

F-16I is compatible with Israeli-developed munitions, including Pythom 4 Python 5 and Derby air-to-air missiles, all developed by Rafael. The conal fuel tanks make it possible to do without the underwing drop tanks for tional carriage of air-to-ground munitions.

powerplant is the Pratt & Whiteny F100-PW-229 engine, offering insed level of thrust o permit a maximum take-off weight of 23,582kgs. This ht increase, in turn, required strengthened landing gear.

drons operate the F-16I –107 Sqn ‘Knights of the Orange Tail Squadron’ atzerim AB , 119 Sqn ‘The Bat Squadron’, 201 Sqn ’The One Squadron’ and Sqn ’The Negev Squadron’ at Ramat David AB.

Conformal tanks, and underwing 600l drop tanks, provide the F-16I with phenomenal range.

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F-16D Barak from 109 Sqn ‘The Valley Squadron’ on static display at Ramat David AB. Unlike F-16Is, Israeli F-16Ds have a braking parachute.

A pair of 201 Sqn ‘The One Squadron’ F-16Is seen at Kecskemet AB, Hungary in a rare airshow appearance. Note the larger 600l drop tanks.

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IFF Aerials and additional sensors in the nose of this F-16I

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