SAA Orange Tail

Oktober/October 1974

No. 130

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THE LOCKHEED TRISTAR

A smiling Lockheed L-1011 TriStar sporting the livery of Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) recently visited the Republic on a 73 600-kilometer around­the-world sales tour.

Powered by three Rolls-Royce RB.211-22B high bypass ratio turbofan engines, each rated at 19 000 kg takeoff thrust, this widebody aircraft is noted for its rela­tively quiet operation and has already been nicknamed the “Whisperliner.”

The TriStar is 54,46 m long with a wing span of 47,34 m. The PSA version which was shown off in South Africa has seating for 297 passengers, including a below-deck lounge with 16 revenue seats. In other versions, the aircraft can ac­commodate 400 seats arranged 10 abreast. The maximum take-off weight of the TriStar is 195,048 kg and maximum cruise speed is over 965 km per hour. The aircraft’s range (at M.82 with 273 passengers) is 5 600 km.

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TONEELSTELERS

Die SAL se tegniese personeel in die vliegtuigloodse by Jan Smuts­lughawe het oor die afgelope paar jaar al daaraan gewoond geword dat hordes filmvervaardigers op hulle toesak en hulle oorweldig met ver­soeke om makrostralers na meer fotogeniese posisies te verskuif, sit­plekke uit te haal om ‘n Pana­vision-kamera te huisves, lengtes elektriese kabels te verskaf en aan honderd-en-een versoeke om by­stand van een of ander aard te voldoen. In meeste gevalle doen hulle dit gewilliglik, al is die versoeke som­tyds ‘n bietjie steurend, want hulle besef dat die SAL se stralers in hulle eie reg filmsterre geword het en dat die vliegtuie op hulle beste moet vertoon. Sedert die aankoms van die SAL se e e r s t e makrostraler in Suid-Afrika, presies drie jaar gelede, wil dit blyk of die Suid-Afrikaanse draaiboekskrywers ‘n filmtoneel aan boord een van hierdie vliegtuie as amper verpligtend beskou. Ons het al skattejagters na Afrika op soek na ‘n legendariese maagdelike godin vervoer. Ons het ‘n klein seuntjie van Lesotho af na New York gevlieg om sy siek vriend in die hospitaal te gaan besoek. Ons het ‘n vliegtuigloods van makroformaat voorsien sodat ‘n verdwaalde klein kêreltjie van die Karoo op sy reis om die Eerste Minister te gaan spreek, daarin kon beland. En ons het ‘n elegante agtergrond aan twee minnaars ver­skaf om in ‘n ligte vliegtuig te klim en weg te vlieg vir ‘n skelm-naweek in die Laeveld. Baie keer was ons minder tevrede met die rolprent as ‘n ge­heel, maar ons kan altyd seker wees dat ons vliegtuie deurgaans ‘n goeie vertoning sal gee. Dit help natuurlik as hulle mense soos Roger Moore en Susannah York as byspelers het, want dit dra daartoe by om die kaartjieverkope aan te help en die publisiteitsvrystelling te vergroot.

Maar ons is meer as ingenome wanneer ons makros ‘n toneel moet deel met twee sulke talentvolle akteurs soos die Hollywoodse vete­raanster Josê Ferrer en ‘n betowe­rende klein knapie van Orlando met die naam van Ben Louis N’debele. Hulle is die sterre van ‘n nuwe Suid-Afrikaanse produksie met die titel „E’Lollipop”, met Ashley Lazarus as regisseur. Hy is die man wat sulke plekke soos die Algarve en die Costa Smeralda bekend ge­maak het met daardie asemrowen­de, wyedoeksigaretadvertensies. Ashley het aan ons erken dat terwyl hierdie besondere reeks pragtige tonele van vliegtuie van mede­dingende rederye insluit, hy nog nooit die geleentheid gehad het om die SAL te betrek nie.

Ons is seker dat die vrystelling van „E’Lollipop” moontlik teen Paastyd 1975, sake sal regstel. Bloot volgens die regisseur se pyn­like presiesheid en die uitstaande vertolkings wat hy van sy sterre verkry het, kan ons met vertroue voorspel dat „E’Lollipop” ‘n uiters bekorende gesinsrolprent sal wees waarmee die SAL hom met trots kan verbind.

Klein Ben Louis N’debele wat blykbaar ‘n blink toekoms in films het, is aan boord van ‘n SAL-Boeing 747 afgeneem tydens die verfilming van ,E’Lollipop”. Die jong akteur het later met die SAL na Londen op pad na New York gevlieg, waar die finale tonele van die rolprent verfilm sou word.

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VERJONGING EN VERNUWING VIR DIE SAL SE MAKROVLOOT

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens het besluit om die tegnologiese vooruitgang wat sedert die bou van die huidige Boeing 747′s ingetree het, te benut om sekere van die spesiale hoedanighede van die SP-begrip in sy bestaande 747-vliegtuie in to bou. Dit sal die moontlikhede van die 747 aansienlik verbeter. Die verbeterings sal bereik word by wyse van ‘n modifikasieprogram gemik op verskeie belangrike prestasie-aspekte. Ten eerste sal die enjins versterk word tot dieselfde stukragaanslag as die enjins van die SP. Met ander woorde, die enjins sal ‘n stukragaanslag van 50 000 pond hê teenoor die huidige 47 000 pond. Daar word look verwag dat daar ‘n verbetering van tussen 1 en 2 persent in brandstofverbruik sal wees. Ten tweede sal die brandstofinhoudvermoë met 2 000 VSA-gellings per vliegtuig vergroot word, wat die vliegbereik met sowat 2 persent sal verleng. ‘n Vermindering van 1 863 pond in die vliegtuig se lee gewig asook die installering van ‘n aantal modifikasies vir stremmingverbeterings sal die 747′s se vliegberei k met ‘n verdere 2,7 persent vermeerder. Die maksimum toelaatbare gewig sal vermeerder word om die verhoogde loonvrag- en vliegbereikvermoë to benut. ‘n Verbeterde Boeing 747 sal byvoorbeeld ‘n vol passasiersvrag van 341 op ‘n geenstopvlug van London af na Johannesburg kan vervoer, teenoor die 250 wat tans dour die huidige model nor dieselfde sektor gedra word. Passasierskapasiteit sal vergroot word dour die uitbreiding van die huidige bodek-sitkamer en die ombouing van hierdie gebied in ‘n standaardkajuit met sitplek vir 14 eersteklaspassasiers. Die boonste dek asook die klein ekonomiese klasgebied net agter die eersteklas sal vir die vertoning van rolprente toegerus word. Die personeelruskamer op die boonste dek sal na die passasierskajuit verskuif word en ‘n ekstra toilet sal vir bodekpassasiers geinstalleer word. Ander veranderings sal die vliegtuig se rem- en stukragomsettingstelseIs insluit. Hierdie verbeterings is ontwerp om die work van instandhoudings­tegnici to verminder.

Die modifikasies sal deur die Boeingmaatskappy in Seattle onderneem word en in Julie 1975 ‘n aanvang neem. Die vyf vlieytuie sal een vir een gemodifiseer word en die hele onderneming behoort teen November volgende jaar voltooi to wees.

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FACELIFT AT PORT ELIZABETH AIRPORT

A R3-MILLION departure concourse will be built at Port Elizabeth’s H.F. Verwoerd Airport and the existing buildings modernised and converted to cope with the steadily increasing flow of air traffic.

The new departures concourse will be a single-storey buil­ding, but will provide the airport with double its present working area.

The new complex will be built on the south-western side of the existing airport building and construction is due to start in September next year.

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NEW FLIGHT STEWARDS

Thirteen new flight stewards recently received their wings from the Commercial Director, Mr. F.J. Swarts, at a ceremony held at Jan Smuts Airport.

Other senior officers present were Messrs. M.M. Louw, Personnel Director, Coen Strijdom, Cabin Services Manager and Captain H. Pharaoh who trained the new stewards in emergency procedures.

Group 71 was trained by Senior Instructor Mr. Len Murdock, seen in the centre of the group on the photograph.

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SUPER SAFETY FOR SAA’S JUMBOS

By 1976 safety features on board South African Airways wide-bodied jets will have progressed to the point where flights will be nearly turbulence-free and landings will be automatic at suitably equipped airfields. Three Boeing 747 special performance aircraft will be delivered to South African Airways early in 1976. The unique safety features on these aircraft will be installed in the existing jumbos, already known as the safest aircraft on the market. CLIMBING: Of all the aircraft evaluated, the SP best suited SAA’s route requirements. Able to fly non-stop from Johannesburg to London or West European cities, the SP is the newest aircraft on the market. South African Airways is the third airline to have ordered it. It will be the first commercial passenger aircraft to take off from Jan Smuts Airport – a high altitude airfield – and climb directly to a cruising altitude of 41 000 ft. Normal jets cruise at between 31 000 and 39 000 ft. only reaching these altitudes by step-climbing gradually as they burn up enough fuel to reduce weight sufficiently for the next climb. With the SP’s more powerful engines and lighter body, the aircraft is able to climb directly to its ultimate altitude, which is above the normal jet traffic and in a less turbulent atmosphere. Compared to normal jets it is more economical because it is able to climb to cruising altitude immediately. Its ability to climb at such a steep angle after take-off also reduces the noise annoyance in airport vicinities.

Its 50 000-lb-thrust engines will be installed in the present jumbos which now have 47 000-lb-thrust engines. Besides automatic braking, the SP also has a triplex auto pilot, which enables it to land automatically, only monitored by the human pilot. By making the correct frequency and speed selection, the pilot tells the aircraft where to go and how fast to go there, and the aircraft safely lands itself in even the worst visibility conditions.

The triplex auto pilots monitor one another, and in the event of any one of the three failing, the others take over. In the million-to-one event of all three failing, a piercing warning noise tells the pilot to take over.

Another safety feature is the SP’s ground proximity warning device. This alerts the pilot when he is within 4 000 ft. of any surface, whether it is the ground, a hill, the sea – or even another jumbo.

The initial warning of the ground proximity device is a hooting in the pilot’s earphones at 4 000 ft. If that is ignored, a warning light shows on the instrument panel at a slightly lower altitude. If even this is not reacted to, at a still lower altitude a voice calls to the pilot three times to “pull up”.

Because it is lighter, another safety factor is that the SP will be able to take off and land from shorter airfields. It is 14,3m shorter, about 23 000 kg lighter when empty, and 57 000 kg lighter when loaded, than the other jumbos.

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