A History of Aviation in South Africa - Part 3

Continued...

by Nico Henning

The Jet Age

Technology advanced rapidly during and after World War II. Aviation was no exception. Planes had to go faster and had to have more power available. This requirement gave birth to the jet engine. It was now possible to travel faster, further and more comfortable.

Sir Frank Whittle

Sir Frank Whittle was an Aviation Engineer and pilot in the RAF. Born in England in 1907, he was the first person to register a patent for a turbojet engine when he was only 22 years of age but, due to a lack of funds, couldn’t build a prototype until 1937. Whittle’s jet engine concept was finally recognised and used by the Gloster Aircraft Company to power the Gloster Pioneer which later led to the development of the Gloster Meteor. The basic design of the Whittle engine is still used today by engineers in the development of the latest jet engines.

Passenger Jets

In May 1952, BOAC (British Overseas Aircraft Corporation) became the first airline to introduce commercial jet flights. The first service introduced took passengers from London to Johannesburg via Rome, Beirut, Khartoum, Entebbe and Livingstone. It took the de Havilland Comet 1 an entire day (24 hours) to reach Johannesburg. 

The South African Airways was quick to follow into the footsteps of BOAC. In 1953, 2 de Havilland Comet 1 jet airliners entered service with the SAA. The aircraft were leased from BOAC and operated between London and Johannesburg.

All Comet 1 aircraft around the world were grounded in 1954 after the crash of an SAA Comet in the Mediterranean Ocean. Similar Comet accidents occurred before the SAA incident. An investigation concluded that the Comets’ structure suffered from severe metal fatigue caused by the continuous expansion and reduction of the fuselage resulting from pressurisation. All Comets had to be withdrawn from service. de Havilland designed a new stronger and larger jet airliner called the Comet 3 but the Comet 1 accidents made the aircraft unpopular in the airline industry.

The de Haviland D.H.106 Comet. Photo: SAA Museum Society

The Americans joined the jet airliner age in 1958 with the all new Boeing 707-120. The SAA received their first 707 in 1960. It shortened the flying time between Johannesburg and London to 13 hours and the aircraft could carry as many as 160 passengers! The 707’s success led to the development of the shorter range Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 as well as the Boeing 747 Jumbo. Piston engine aircraft were replaced by jet engine aircraft in most airlines by the 1970’s.

South African Airways’ Boeing 747-200B. Photo: SAA Museum Society

The commercial airline industry is evolving each year. Aircraft are flying faster and further, consuming less fuel and carrying more passengers. The Airbus A380 can carry up to 525 passengers consuming less fuel than a Boeing 747-400. Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner consumes up to 20% less fuel than a Boeing 767 which is more or less the same size of aircraft. 

The SAAF's Jets

The Messerschmitt Me-262 holds the title of the first operational fighter jet. It was developed by Nazi Germany in the 1940’s and saw active service during the closing stages of World War II.

The South African Air Force entered the jet era in 1950 with the de Havilland D.H.100 Vampire. 3 years later the SAAF flew its first fighter jet sorties in Korea with the F-86 Sabre.

In the 1980’s, the war on the South West African border to Angola was getting hotter and it became apparent that the SAAF’s Mirages were inferior to the Angolan MiG 23. The arms sanctions against the Apartheid government prevented South Africa from importing arms, including new fighter aircraft, into the country.

The Atlas Aircraft Corporation (now Denel) together with the SAAF joined forces with Israeli expertise to develop the Atlas Cheetah. The Cheetah was the product of a major upgrade on the Dassault Mirage III’s in service with the SAAF. 4 different variants of the Cheetah were built (Cheetah E from the Mirage IIEZ, Cheetah C from the Mirage IIICZ, Cheetah D from the Mirage IIIDZ/D2Z and Cheetah R from the Mirage IIIR2Z). The upgrade included the refurbishment of the airframes, new ejection seats, a refuelling probe, 2 new pylons on the wings and a computer flight-control system. The nose was enlarged to fit a new avionics suite, radar and electronic warfare protection suite. Non-moving cannards on the engine intakes, a drooping leading edge and dog tooth incision on each wing, new elevons and strakes on the nose increased the aerodynamic performance while a new engine increased the power.

An Atlas Cheetah C at the SAAF Museum at Swartkops Air Force Base in Pretoria. Photo: Nico Henning

The Cheetah C and -D served in the SAAF until 2008 while the Cheetah E was retired in 1992. The Cheetah R, a recognisance variant, was never ordered as the SAAF did not have a role for it after the Border War ended in 1989.

Today, the SAAF utilises the latest in jet aircraft technology. The SAAB JAS39C Gripen, a 4^th generation Swedish fighter aircraft incorporating an 18 000Ibs of thrust afterburning turbofan engine, is the SAAF’s lead in fighter aircraft.

A SAAB Gripen C and Gripen D taking-off at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria. For more information on the South African Air Force, visit the the Unofficial SAAF Website. Photo: Suvoné Venter