Scramble Magazine — August 2017

Articles

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News

Movements

Scramble 459

course be the original aircraft after all; alas, its plate has been

removed.

L-23 Super Blanik
V-51 EAM c/n update 018810

M5 Dagger T
C-425 wreck BAZT c/n not B-02
C-426 pres BAZT c/n not B-05 B-02

PIK-20B
V-25 EAM c/n update 20104

This construction number should make it a B-model instead

of a PIK-20D.

Comando de Aviación de Ejército Argentino (AR)

In an effort to make maintenance more efficient, the 601st

maintenance battalion created a mobile maintenance team.

This was sent to Nuequén to perform overhaul on the based

UH-1H and UH-1H-II there. This works out cheaper than

flying the helicopters to Campo de Mayo where the main bat-

talion is based.

UH-1H-II
AE-473 ex UH-1H AE-449 12353 feb17

This is the 15th upgrade, parts for which were already

sourced in March 2012. The airframe itself was still a regular

Huey, as AE-449, in March 2014. Although formally handed

over recently, it was already seen as UH-1H-II AE-473 back

in April 2016. Parts have been acquired through tenders for

future conversions too, up to the twentieth and last, to be

AE-478.

Prefectura Naval Argentina (CG)

SADF = San Fernando, BA

C212-300
PA-71 wfu stored SADF since 2008 399 jun17

It has been stored since at least 31 May 2008 awaiting expen-

sive repairs due to cracks at the wing root. It is believed to be

withdrawn from use due to the lack of economic feasibility

of the repairs.

Bolivia

Fuerza Aérea Boliviana (AF)

Updating our K-8 article in Scramble 453, the Bolivian K-8s

have Ukrainian AI-25TLK engines. As the inlet ducting on all

those later exports look the same, it is almost certain that

the Venezuelans, Bengali, Ghanese, later Sudani and Burmese

also have this powerplant instead of the Chinese WS-11. Also,

the unit flying them is the Curso de Especialización para Avi-

adores de Combate (CEPAC). One of the elements in the cur-

riculum is said to be air defence as well.

Sad unit news is that GAC32 was disbanded June 2016 due

to lack of operable aircraft. The situation is so severe that

GAC31 was slated to be disbanded this June, although that has

not happened yet. That would mean the end of T-33 opera-

tions too. Evidently, FAB is in dire need of new aircraft.

LRBC = Bacau
SLET = Santa Cruz-El Trompillo

AS332C1e
FAB-783 GA51 c/n update 2985 jun17

This year’s insurance tender revealed the last identities.

BAe146-RJ70
FAB-107 o/o LRBC 11jul17 E1252 jul17
... o/o stored VIDP E1230

FAB-107 went on to Southend 15 July, likely for some pre-

delivery work. Both are former Indian MDLR airlines aircraft.

So ‘new’ aircraft for FAB indeed, but not something that

could be used in defence of the country... In any case, TAM

will be trying to get a certification to become a public firm

and if that succeeds will no longer be part of FAB. To that end,

a B737 is also sought. Truly commercial flight operations are

slated to start in January 2018.

EMB810C (PA-34-200T) FAB-042 GA65 c/n update 810.492 jun17 PC-7 FAB-471 GAC33 w/o 26jun17 254

This twelfth mishap further diminishes the number of oper-

able PC-7s. We know that two are still active, FAB-453 and

470, and six others were seen stored, described as withdrawn

from use, in October 2013. Three more are preserved and the

last of the 24 is a dumped wreck at Cochabamba. Looks as

though the days of the PC-7 are numbered now...

Aviación del Ejército Boliviano (AR)

The annual insurance tender does not list the R44 EB-102

anymore. It could be withdrawn or crashed. Unfortunately,

the construction numbers quoted for the H425 helicopters

are duplicated from the first airframe and are therefore the

same in the document for each individual aircraft entry. So

some administrative inaccuracy probably occurred...

H425 EB-101 CAE-1 c/n update Z9-0676 jun17

Servicio Aeropolicial Boliviana (PO)

Beech B58 PB-001 SAB h/o SLET 28jun17 jun17

This is likely an impounded drug runner. However, it could

also be the sole Baron in the register, CP-2918, who knows?

Another interesting point is that there is a an R44 current

with the same serial.

Brazil

Comando da Força Aeronaval (NY)

Yes, the KC-2 program still lives! The refurbished C-1A

Traders are to be operated from NAe São Paulo, the former

French Foch. Recently, the Aeronautics division of the navy

went to San Antonio, Texas to discuss the project with con-

tractors Elbit and M7 Aerospace. If all goes according to plan,

the first flight will take place in April 2019 and deliveries

should commence in 2021. That means it will enter service

33 years after it was phased out by the US Navy and the air-

frames will be over sixty years old...

UH-15A (EC725BR-M) N-7201 HU-2 del 14jun17 jun17

It is apparent that the serials N-7110 to N-7117 have not been

taken up. The first Anti-Submarine Warfare variant is seri-

alled N-4101 (N-7110 allocated), and the first Combat Search

and Rescue variant now emerged as N-7201. Three of those

will be taken up. The regular versions are N-7101 to N-7108,

although the last of those is still to be delivered.

Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PO)

Due to severe budget problems, the highway police has

ceased air operations as of 6 July. Obviously, it is hoped that

they will be able to reinstate this branch in 2018 again but for

the moment the future looks grim for the eleven distinctive

yellow, white and blue machines:

Bell 407 PT-YZD/5, PT-YZF/2, PT-YZG/3, PT-YZJ/1, PT-YZQ/6 Bell 412EP PP-PRF/11 Ce208B PR-DOA/2 EC120B PR-FPM/8, PR-FPN/9, PR-FPO/10 EMB810D PP-FFZ/1

Already written off were Bell 407 PT-YZK/4 and EC120

PR-FPL/7.

Chile

Fuerza Aérea de Chile (AF)

MNAE = Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio SCBQ = Santiago-El Bosque T-36 417 MNAE ex std SCBQ BB02-14-130 apr17