MRCA COMPETITORS COMPETITION IS NOW HOTTING-UP fo r the MRCA multi-role combat aircraft being projected on a collaborative basis by Italy, West Germany and the United

"^Kingdom and now awaiting a decision on the building of prototypes.

From Lockheed Aircraft Corporation has come a proposal (Flight, March 19) to offer the latest version of the Star-fighter (CL-1200) to European countries which built and are operating the F-104. These include two of the MRCA partners, Italy and West Germany. This would have the advantage of providing a logical follow-on in production to the Starfighter, and of easing the logistic problems of the air forces operating it. On the other hand, as far as the German Air Force is concerned, the F-104G has earned itself an unhappy reputation because of the number of aircraft lost (118 to date). Also, Germany's aircraft industry is no doubt anxious to put a type of its own into production, having

Infra-red Reconnaissance ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION TO THE A N - U S D -

j 501 airborne surveillance system which is to come into the British Army inventory this year (Flight, March 5, page 355) is the Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Type 201 infra-red linescan system. Describing their contribution to this reconnaissance drone, HSD say that it "looks more like a missile than aircraft, is only eight feet, 2.4m long and just over one foot, 0.3m in diameter. It is launched by rocket and flies over enemy territory on a pre­selected path. It is guided to the recovery area by a homing beacon where the engine cuts off and a parachute floats the drone to the ground. Infra-red or photographic imagery recorded by the drone during its flight can be rapidly developed and assessed to provide the tactical commander with battlefield in­formation. Due to its small size and high subsonic velocity the drone is almost impossible to detect and has a high prob­ability of survival in hostile environ­ments.

"In 1968 Hawker Siddeley Dynamics was selected, after international compe­tition, to develop an infra-red linescan

5 sensor for the drone, which can be car­ried as an alternative to photographic cameras.

"Linescan is a form of reconnaissance in which the terrain overflown is scanned at high speed in narrow strips at right angles to the flight path. Forward motion builds up a continuous picture of the

built only projects since its post-war revival. Germany's MRCA requirement (600) would be half the total number to be built. So far, Lockheed have not released any details of the CL-1200.

The other MRCA competitor is now the Dassault Mirage F.l, the develop­ment of the 3E, which it was reported from Paris last week had been offered to the Italians. The attractiveness of this alternative to Italy—and which would woo her away from the MRCA consor­tium—would be largely on economic grounds, because the cost of the F.l would probably be about two-thirds that of the MRCA. Also, the French aircraft is already in being, while the multi-role combat type so far exists only on paper. Primary r61e of the F.l is all-weather interception, which is what the Italian Air Force require in their MRCA version. The French have reportedly offered licence-production of the aircraft in Italy.

radiation from the ground below. In an infra-red linescan, radiation is collected by an optical scanner and is focused on to an infra-red detector. Variations in the radiation received cause correspond­ing fluctuations of the signal output from the detector. The detector output is pro­cessed electronically and is used to modulate the intensity of a light source which exposes a photographic film.

"The introduction of an infra-red line-scan, as an alternative sensor to optical cameras, provides the drone with impor­tant additional capabilities. In particular, the night performance of the system is greatly enhanced, -since the IR linescan can produce continuous imagery on the darkest night without the use of illumin­ating flares.

"The use of a completely different part of the electro-magnetic spectrum enables the system to detect targets in circumstances where a camera would be useless. It is possible, for example, to detect military targets, such as vehicles which are under camouflage, by virtue of the difference in temperature from their surroundings.

"Twelve months' successful and rapid development of the infra-red linescan culminated in a series of flights with the sensor installed in the drone at the Royal Canadian Artillery Firing Range at Camp Shilo, Manitoba. These trials were completely successful and resulted in high quality infra-red imagery of military targets."

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Lockheed's New Hercules THE FIRST OF A NEW TYPE of C-130 Hercules—the forty-second version—has been delivered to the US Air Force by Lockheed-Georgia. Designated HC-130N, it is a long-range rescue aircraft and helicopter in-flight refueller. It can refuel two helicopters simultaneously, rAnain on station for three hours and transfer 2,500 gal of fuel at maximum range.

The HC-130N has a search system to locate aircrew on the ground and to track returning space vehicles. For catching space vehicles in the air, the aircraft uses a special system on its aft cargo ramp.

India's Fighter Aircraft INDIA HAS STARTED PRODUCING miss i les for MiG-21s and a suitably modified version of the aircraft was being de­veloped, according to the Minister of State for Defence Production, Mr L. N. Misra. The new version of MiG-21 would be called Mig-21 (M).

Besides the manufacture of the Gnat, HF-24s and MiGs, research into a new fighter with better striking capacity and endurance was being carried out, Mr Misra said in the Indian Parliament.

A new engine with an improved re­heat system was also being developed for the HF-24. Separate design sections would set up at the Nasik, Koraput and Hyderabad factories to train engineers in designing supersonic aircraft.

India had almost attained self-reliance with regard to fighter planes, he added, but it would take some time to achieve self-sufficiency.

F-l l l "Shortcomings" DISCLOSURES OF SHORTCOMINGS in t h e F-l l l were made last week by the chair­man of the US Senate permanent investi-tions sub-committee, Senator John L. McLellan, when he addressed committee hearings. He made them after the Administration had agreed to cancel guidelines that had prevented the com­mittee's staff from learning the full details of F- l l l cost and performance. Shortcomings disclosed by the senator were as follows:—

(1) Its cruising range was only 2,750-miles as against 4,180 miles called for in the specifications.

(2) Its maximum, high-altitude speed— originally specified at 2.5 times the speed of sound—is Mach 2.2.

(3) Its "supersonic dash distance"— the capability of diving under enemy radar and surface-to-air missiles flying at supersonic speeds to attack, then climb­ing back to high altitudes—is 30 miles. The contract specification was for 210 miles. . (4) It requires at least 3,550ft to

take off, instead of 2,780ft. (5) It takes four minutes to

accelerate from 0.9 to Mach 2.2, com­pared with the 1.45 minutes specified.

(6) Its take-off weight, originally planned to be 69,1221b, has risen to 82,5001b.