Air International — September 2017

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Upgraded KLU PC-7 L-01 back at Woensdrecht Air Base, after its ferry flight from Stans-Buochs on July 19. Kees van der Mark

Commemorative ALCA

Aero L-159A 6053/DU-C of the Vzdušné

Síly Armády České Republiky’s (Czech Air

Force) 212.tl (Taktická Letka or Tactical

Squadron) based at Caslav Air Base has

been temporarily repainted to represent

World War Two Spitfire Vc, AD572/

DU-C, of No.312 Squadron RAF. For

a time AD572 was the personal aircraft

of Wing Commander František Peřina

(later Czech Air Force General). Peřina

destroyed one Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and

damaged another while flying AD572 on

June 3, 1942 and ended the war as an

‘ace’. At the end of hostilities, he returned

home to Czechoslovakia only to fall foul

of the then-new communist regime.

He and his wife then spent most of the

next 45 years living in the United States

but, after the collapse of communism

in Czechoslovakia, the couple returned

home to a heroes’ welcome in 1993.

Peřina was honoured with the rank of

General in the Czech Air Force and

became an active supporter of many

Czech Air Force institutions, including his

patronage of 212.tl. He died in May 2006

aged 95. Tom Allett

Aero L-159A 6053/DU-C seen departing RAF Fairford after the Royal International Air Tattoo 2017. Mark Ayton

OA-X: last-minute addition

The identity of the fourth light attack aircraft

to participate in the US Air Force’s OA-X

(observation attack experimental) experiment

held at Holloman Air Force Base, New

Mexico in July and August was announced

on July 31. The L3 Communications Air

Tractor AT-802L Longsword turboprop

joined Textron’s Scorpion jet and the AT-

Wolverine turboprop and the Embraer-

Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano to

fly a range of missions under simulated

combat conditions, including delivery of live

ordnance.

While known that the Air Force had originally

aimed to have four different off-the-shelf

production-ready designs flying in the OA-X

experiment, the announcement of the

Longsword’s participation was a surprise.

Longsword, modified from an agricultural

aircraft, lacked some of the characteristics

the Air Force requested in its invitation to

participate in the experiment, including an

ejection seat. Kenya has ordered 12 AT-

802Ls. Earlier versions of the AT-802 have

been used in combat in Yemen and Libya by

the United Arab Emirates.

It was also announced that US Special

Operations Command would be playing a

role in the OA-X experiment as part of its

Light Air Support for Special Operations

programme.

While the Air Force did not request any

procurement funding for an OA-X in its

FY2018 budget request submitted earlier

this year, and only $8 million in research and

development funding, the Senate Armed

Service Committee included $1.2 billion in

procurement funding for the programme

in its version of the FY2018 Defence

Authorisation Bill. Should this provision

become law, it could enable a rapid

transition to OA-X production. David C Isby

The new French Interior Minister, Gérard

Collomb, told journalists on July 26 that the

French Government is preparing to buy six

additional Bombardier Q400 MRs to start

replacing the Sécurité Civile’s aging fleet of

nine Turbo Trackers. The Q400 MR can carry

9,000kg (19,841lb) of water/flame retardant

compared to 3,200kg (7,055lb) by the Turbo

Tracker. The Direction Générale de la Sécurité

Civile et de la Gestion des Crises had already

issued an official request for proposals in

July 2016, but it was not until this year’s

fire season that the government announced

any firm decisions. This year, France has

seen many fires in the summer months.

According to the head of the Sécurité Civile,

Jacques Witkowski, the fleet of Canadair

CL-415s, Turbo Trackers and Q400s had

already carried out 4,500 droppings by July

25; the normal number is around 2,000.

Due to the increased activity and the ageing

fleet, about 20% of the aircraft are currently

unavailable. Replacing the Turbo Trackers

with newer aircraft that also have three times

the capacity should increase availability of

fire-fighting aircraft throughout France in

the summer months. The Sécurité Civile is

also looking into a potential replacement for

the Canadair CL415. Although this will be a

long-term process, it will become a priority

fairly soon, as the maintenance costs of

the Canadair aircraft are quickly increasing.

According to Collomb, the Canadair-fleet

represents 60% of the total maintenance

costs for the Sécurité Civile’s fixed-wing

aircraft fleet. Jan Kraak

Presidential helo

A VH-92A configured test aircraft

(Engineering Development Model 1) in

support of the US Marine Corps’ Presidential

Helicopter Replacement Program made the

type’s first flight from Sikorsky’s Stratford,

Connecticut plant on July 28.

A second follow-on flight also took place

that day racking up a combined flight

time of 60 minutes, which included hover

control checks, low-speed flight, and a

pass of the airfield.

A second test aircraft, EDM-2, will join the

12-month, 250-hour flight-test programme

to be conducted at Lockheed Martin’s

facility in Owego, New York.

Naval Air Systems Command awarded

Sikorsky a $1.24 billion fixed-price incentive

EMD contract, with production options,

on May 7, 2014. The EMD contract covers

production of six VH-92s: two for test and

four production aircraft. Production options

for the remaining 17 aircraft will be finalized

in FY2019; service entry is expected in 2020.

Turbo Tracker replacement