Two new Hercules ordered

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 9 December 1975, Page 22

Two new Hercules ordered

The United States Science Foundation is t< equipped Hercules from the Lockhead Aircraft Company for use in the Antarctic. In Christchurch yesterday Captain A. N. Fowler, ths deputy head of the foundation’s Office of Polar Programmes. said the two Hercules shou’d be delivered in Aorij and Mav of 1977 and that the contract was for SUS 18m. If the three aircraft which have been damaged on the continent are successfully recovered. then in the 1978 summer season the Navy’s

•S]VXE6 Squadron could have o seven Hercules to carry out its support mission. " Captain Fowler will leave I Christchurch for McMurdo e Station tomorrow for seven days to discuss future planning. with particular emphay'ris on next summer’s re-; e search activities. i- He said that next season’s >- formula would b" much the •- same as it was this summer.; r "We might be a bit more ; d timid on the amount of work! r we can commit them to and. of course, much will depend; h on the success of retrieving i e one of the disabled Hercules - from Dome C this summer,”; 8 he said. Si The almost 50 per cent cutj

in the scientific research programme this summer, had resulted in quite a few disappointed scientists. “When the ban is not total and some are able to go south the others naturally feel annoyed at having to be left out,” said Captain Fowler. He said there was the; oossibilitv that some of the! cancelled,project* this season; might be included in next sea-, son’s work. For the next eight to 10 i days no aircraft will fly be tween American bases in the Antarctic. The two ski-j equipped United States Navy Hercules will be in Christ-, church undergoing mainten-j ance checks. |

In the meantime a 12-man crew was flown from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Sunday to the Dome C camp, 1750 km from McMurdo Station, where for the next two weeks they will prepare a skiway. Once ready for the two Hercules, which came up to Christchurch last evening, aj 17-man maintenance crew; will be flown to the Dome C camp from McMurdo Station! to carry out the necessary re-; nairs to the Hercules requir-l ing an engine change and] some fuselage patching be-; fore it is flown back to Me-! Murdo Station about midJanuary.