320

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1978-Continued

27 February A contract for the CH-53E Super

Stallion helicopter was awarded to Sikorsky Aircraft to

begin full-scale production. The CH-53E provided the

Navy and Marine Corps with a heavy-lift helicopter,

able to lift twice as much as the earlier D model.

28 February The Department of Defense authorized

full-scale development of Sikorsky Aircraft's SH-60B

LAMPS MK III helicopter. The aircraft was designed pri-

marily for antisubmarine and antiship missions and to

be deployed aboard frigates, destroyers and cruisers.

17 March NASA selected four two-man crews for

early orbital flights of the space shuttle. Captain John

W. Young, USN, was selected as commander and

Commander Robert 1. Crippen, USN, as pilot for the

first scheduled orbital test. Colonel Joe H. Engle,

USAF, and Commander Richard H. Truly, USN, were

selected as the backup crew. Also included in the first

group of two-man crews was Lieutenant Colonel John

R. Lousma, USMC.

10 April The first TA-7C attack trainer arrived at

NATC Patuxent River, Md., for Board of Inspection and

Survey trials. The TA-7C was designed to provide a

position for both the instructor and the student in the

aircraft, thus providing a more efficient method of

instruction while reducing fuel consumption about

one-half. The new two-seater would also reduce the

number of aircraft required for transition training.

14 April The first of 12 C-2A Greyhounds rolled off

the SLEP line at NARF North Island, Calif. SLEP would

add between seven and ten years of service to the car-

rier-on-board-delivery aircraft. There was no other air-

craft in the Navy's inventory which could carry as

many supplies and personnel to a carrier at sea.

9 June Rear Admiral William L. Harris, NWC

Commander, accepted the Daedalian Weapons

Systems Award in San Antonio, Tex., on behalf of the

Naval Weapons Center and the Naval Air Systems

Command. The Order of Daedalians, a national frater-

nity of military pilots, selected NWC and NAVAIR as

co-winners of the 1978 award in recognition of the

success of these two Navy commands in working

together as a team in the development and improve-

ment of a family of heat-seeking guided missiles

known as Sidewinder. The Daedalian Weapons System

Award and accompanying perpetual trophy was pre-

sented annually by the Order of Daedalians to the

individual, group or organization, military or civilian,

judged to have developed the most outstanding

weapon system. The recipient was selected from nom-

inations submitted by the Departments of the Army,

Navy, and Air Force on a rotating basis.

8 July The Naval Air Test and Evaluation Museum at

NAS Patuxent River, Md., opened its doors to the pub-

lic for the first time. Its premier exhibition depicted the

full scope of test and evaluation in Naval Aviation. The

displays were varied, showing the many different

types of aircraft which have passed through the

Patuxent River test facility over the years.

21 July The final flight of the service acceptance tri-

als for the AH-1T Cobra helicopter gunship was made

at Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Md. The helo

carried an increase of more than 200 percent in its

armament payload and was designed to fly farther and

fight longer and harder over a target than previous

models of the Cobra.

22 July Captain Holden C. Richardson was induct-

ed into the National Aviation Hall of Fame at

Dayton, Ohio. Naval Aviator #13, Captain Richardson

was the first Naval Aviation engineering officer to be

so honored.

2-3 August The mock-up of the SH-60B ASW heli-

copter was put through shipboard compatibility trials

aboard Arthur W Radford (DD 968). Earlier trials were

conducted July 25-26 aboard Oliver Hazard Perry

(FFG 7). The SH-60B was being developed by

Sikorsky Aircraft.

3 August NAVAIR reported a major advance in the

technology of escape systems. During the summer,

the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, Calif., suc-

cessfully tested a vertical-seeking ejection seat.

While carrying a dummy crew member, the seat was

fired downward from a suspended test module. It

traveled downward less than 45 feet before reversing

direction and traveling upward; it then parachuted

safely to the ground. These tests demonstrated that

the vertical-seeking seat would make it possible to

safely eject upside down, within 50 feet of the sur-

face, thus greatly increasing the safety envelope of

ejection seats.

14 September A Navy technical evaluation was

completed on the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter to

determine if performance had been altered by changes

made since the initial trials conducted by the Board of

Inspection and Survey. The Super Stallion successfully

completed the 60-hour test program.