do Soltis Nieroiysd IUMirage 2000, the height of perfection lj DASSAULTAlR International Volume 43 Number December 1952 Eattor Barry Wheeler News Editor ‘Dave Allort Assistant Robert Rudha Miltary Coordinator David Oiver Technical Consultant Roy Braybrook Photographer Duncan Cubitt ustator/Designer ote West Contributing Artists Mike Bacrocke Dennis Punnett Editorial Representative, USA, "René Francllon Editor's Secretary Penny Haris Aviation Group Eltor Ken Eis [Advertsing Adminstration Fiona Kelly [Advertsing Production Jane Lowndes Group Sales Manager Jatin Barker Girculation Director deh Phillos Publisher ang CChiet Execute Richard Cox and Advertising Offices INTERNATIONAL, PO Box 100, ‘Stamford, Lines PEO 10, England. Tal 0780 55131 Fax: 0780 67265, Telex: 93121341 19 (KPG) Key 108, Sania Unes PE 1X0, Enda. Ta 78080181. hour answerine 0760 Sres2 USA an Canadian reader may accross Subscriptions and venquioe to. AR Femamosst, PO Box S03, Witestona, NY "Tesy, Usa uK 23.00 Europe £23.00 USAICanaitoight £51.00 869.00) Overseas suace £32.00 ‘Nima Zone £40.90 ‘Numa Zone 2 £48.00 (and clase Post Pac Rarway NY) (Two year rates avaabie on request. AR WTeswATON. ig publshed month by Fey Rublenng Li, PO Box 100" Samtora nes, ‘PES XQ, UK. (0790. 59131). ‘Betton by Unies Megane Darton. Benwet Rood, Holloway, London N? FAX, UK {11 700.4600), "Typeset by Catron, Stanfor, Lino.” Preted in England. by Kinser Web, Peteroroush Entre contents © 1992 by Key Publishing i. Nether the Etre nr the Pubs fvcept report for wy los &anage, oweve eases, 12 maori subated Panag Ae Avant NJgTOO% IS9N 0206-5634 CONTENTS FRONT COVER Taken by the authors of the Albanian Air Force article beginning on page 305 is this close up on the nose of a two-seat FT-5 (MiG-17UTI) at Kucova with the tal of a Shenyang 26 behind. Each of the two Kucova-based Shenyang F-6 (MiG-19S) squadrons currently ‘operates a single FT-S for continuation taining 329 DIFFICULTIES AHEAD FOR DASA? Ute Ballay assesses the future of Europe's largest. alr and. space canglomerato which i being reatened »y forces beyond is conto. 382 YAK-144 John Fricker takes a detailed look at Vakovlev'e cupereonio VISTOL ighter and assesses its somewhat doubt future 807 A HAWKER TO GOD'S NARROWS! Fire: Poze 311 ‘A report by Robert $ Grant on tne ‘success of H8.748 operations in the 905 FRONT-LINE PROFESSIONALS —_hrsh conditions of northern Canada, WITH YESTERDAY'S AIRCRAFT Almost unknown for decades, foreign 345 FI.'92 - THE MAGICAL MYSTERY journalists were recently aliowed a SHOW Foy Braybcook’s Personal View revealing insight into the Albanian Air takes a backward look at this year’s Force as detailed by George Kamp and Russian-dominated Farnborough alr Hane Koning show. ‘Albanian Air Force: Page 305 311 FIREFLY - SLINGSBY'S TRAINER 298 AIRSCI Miltary, commercial and HITS THE BIG TIME The editor aerospace industiy news from around ‘examines the development history of the world with the major stories the Increasingly successful Slingsby _highighted. 7-67, recent winner of the lucrative USAF EFS contract 520 VIETNAM VETERANS In the Veteran & Vintage slot this month, Frank Rozendaal looks at somo of the more 917 REGIONAL JET - INTO SERVICE inaccessible aircraft preserved in Ken Ellis reports from Montreal on ‘Vietnam, many on mitary installations, progress withthe Canadair Regional Jet Which entered revenue sorvice with 342 FIGHTER A TO Z Continuing the AIR Lluthansa GiyLine during November. INTERNATIONAL encyclopaedia of the world's fighter aireralt, this month covering the Shenyang V-8 Il, Short 421 HOVERPLY = THE SIKORSKY fa STORY ty inetmonmermaronas S10 Cumnar ard SAI S50, 882,858 Keane, Roll temceths, earat evelopment of the Sikorsky R-4, the first operational helicopter to enter $40 FLYING COLOURS This month's serve in the US military. arlwork from Pete West features the new colours appearing on gam TASTSASSSST TTT areralt of hetormer Yugoslavia ig including a Croatan Me-2tDs [Me cla of ntti ond at aot ty |} Ygoatay rao, Krahina Mila Iublshing fed would the te wih ol tes wade |S] MMB hip and Slovenian Bell 412, Ary Cena a Nay Ne Yr ‘en kaa drm is 349 TALKBACK Reader's letists on subjects carted in past issues of the magazine, oyu Nel et ane aes FrebeWatonon uaa aliens Neues ahr Wace ce nF Pout Noahs yo Mao 952. IN PRINT Reviows of some recent books received. oa [cl elerereeleraeeaalerelal PAGE 297~—-AIRSGENE HEADLINES ——___] EFA may be saved by NEFA proposal ‘Asa result of the German decision t pull out of BFA (AIR eremyaTionst/Augus, page $8 and November, page 254), the Spanish Misty of Defence laid EFA contactors in mid-October that there shouldbe a slowdown in investment inthe Programme and stated hat no new money Would Fe'stocated to EFA. On October 10, he alan Defence Minster wrote to the Air Force Chel of Staff and the Director General for weapons Sequiston org rere on development and Stating that no ew EFA contracts were to be Senet: Subsequent, as «result of Euoighers iy nf cog costs EFA fo sit ifering ‘ational requirements, New EFA (NEFA) Wak fereaed ina sevenvole report sued 9 ripating mations om October {6 which sou Feovce cons hy between 12nd 305 wile ail thing the existing sirfame tut excluding major {sign changes nhich would redae perfomance find increase costs. NEFA would be tallored t0 Individval sir force's needs, the more basle Netsion requced by Germany featuring 943% eduction it capbiies compared tothe orsial FA and alternative equipment including Tacement ofthe GEC Fertnts ECROD radar ‘wih the Hughes APGOS and fing of 1 more Timited defensive aids subsystem: Following, revelation of the NEFA proposals, it was Hecoming apparent by mid-November that Germany wa Sel Becoming fess resistant (0 the project ad there were hopes that NEPA could ‘wel be the mses fo preventing any ofthe present farmers trom paling. A meting for freee Uiscussions on the project between defence ministers ofthe four countries Involved was haduled for December II when as oped that Her Rohe would age 1 canine wih he Cheaper BPA aerate Air Canada takes over Continental Bids for the bankrupt Continental Airlines America's fifth largest easier which has beet ‘operating under Chapter 11 protection since December 3, 1990 (AIR Tyrenkartona January 190, page 8) were evaluated by Board members in early November and resulted in the winning Bproporal from Air Canada being accepted on November 9. After a variety of candidates ad ‘made offer, tere were only two final contenders ‘which submitted proposals, Alr Canada in “ssolaion withthe fexae based investment grou ‘Ait Pacinere andthe Maxaam consortium whic {inches Aeromenso, The $480 milion uke aver by Air Canada and Air Partners will be Fnplemented after the Continental e-organisation plan as been implemented and the cartier moves ‘ut of ankrupey. probably early next year. Air Canada will hold 378 of the equity and 24% of te voting stock inthe airline while partner Air Dareers il bold similar equity stake and 21% of the votes and a further 38.6% equity ill 20 0 Continentals board and wnsecured creditors In ‘etm forgiving up dt cai. “een during Te irs fle on Sepromber 22, as Teported én the Novenber isa, page 240, i the firs Harrier IPs, 151129, wearing he flags of its three customer nations of the nose. Note also the adaliional new “bump” on the upper rear “fuselage side, vistbe just above the wing, which presumably houses further new equipment faltnough deals are wcknown, (Photo, MeDennell Douglas) PAGE 200 AIR INTERNATIONALIDECEMBER 1002 (CIS Nay Ka-27 Helis Red 46° from the ‘Admiral Vinogrados’ onthe deck of HMS ‘Chathan' on October 21,1982 ater making the historic first landing ofa CIS military helicopter on a Royal Navy ship. (Photo, ‘Jeremy FlatiAviation Photographs lnernaional) Daa-Ai Services search fr an investor (AIR Tirarionst/November, page 241) as ended ‘ath the enmouncement tha Banh Aways a0 Shs Dan-Air by paying a nominal £1 for the ‘inwalyhenkrupt pent company. Davies and ewan Hing, ot aking om thet ds hich ae estimated st about $80 million, Final Sgteement on the acquisition was teached on Novamber The Dan-A sched aework il be reduced to only 13 European destinations, a Sew lowcost subsidiary of BA will be formed ‘wih the Dan-Air mame disappeariag andl Shaner operations being dropped, Dan-Air had fev sed 28 deine ia he UR ard [Birope om i schedules ou of Grwick i adkiion to etensive carter operations ith Salta Set of 15 Boeing 787-200/300/40s, sine 727 Bots, 11 BAC One-Elevens and tres BAe M6. British Airways absorbs Dan-Air 0s. BA plant trim the Dest o jot 12737-4008 eventually. although the 737-300 will be retained innally, and will cut staffing levels from the present 2,000 to between 400 and 600. The {nwanted 737-200, 727-200s and One Elevens have been putin storage atthe FLS facilites at Bournemouth, Guwick and Lasham to avait sal ‘The take-over agreement Was submited tothe UK Monopolies and: Mergers Commission and European Community authorities, which do not plan fo raise abjections tothe proposls, bul the ‘Seals already provoked strong reaction from Air UK, Britannia Airways, British Midland and Virgin Atlante Airways which all feel thatthe take-over ill tengthen even more BA's aleady Sominane position olk at Heathrow and yastculnly at Gavik