Articles Records (Page 18)

Number SA004b
Class C (Aeroplanes)
Sub Class C1-f (Landplanes: weight 6,000 kg to less than 9,000 kg)
Group III (Jet)
Type of Record Speed over Recognised Course
Course/Location Johannesburg (South Africa) – Cape Town (South Africa)
Performance 794.63 km/h
Date 21/09/2006
Record Holder Terry Redman/Charles Laverty
Nationality South African
Aeroplane Bomabdier Learjet 60 (ZS-GSG)
Engine 2 Pratt & Whitney PW305A (4 600lbs)
World Record? Yes – 14161
Status Current Record

The Story of this record
Number SA002
Class C (Aeroplanes)
Sub Class C1-h (Landplanes: weight 12,000 kg to less than 16,000 kg)
Group III (Jet)
Type of Record Time to Climb to 9 000m
Course/Location Ysterplaat, South Africa
Performance 00:01:43
Date 03/12/2005
Record Holder Dave Stock
Nationality South African
Aeroplane English Electric Lightning T5 (ZU-BEX)
Engine 2 Rolls Royce Avon 302 (16 300lbs)
World Record? No
Status Current Record

Chris Booysen and Dave Stock
English Electric Lightning

Very few South African Flying Records had been ratified by an official body. There are a large number of anecdotal records that are bandied about without any of them have been independently verified. After encouragement from the FAI, SAPFA took on the task of maintaining the documentation relating to speed and altitude records for Class C aircraft.

The record attempts were kicked off at the Overberg Airshow when Dave Stock set the first South African record to be monitored and recorded by SAPFA.

Dave Stock, piloting the Thunder City English Electric Lightning T5 – ZU-BEX, reached 6000m in 70 seconds. The GPS logger placed in the aircraft by SAPFA representatives failed as it was unable to cope with the massive acceleration. The backup manual timing system had to be used.

The Lightning develops 36,000 lbs of thrust whilst burning 500 litres per minute of Jet A1 fuel. The aircraft lifts off the runway at 160 knots and then accelerates to 600 knots (Mach 0.95) before pointing almost straight up to maximise the rate of climb. ZU-BEX was specially prepared for the record attempt and had its external fuel tank removed to reduce weight. In full power with the afterburners aflame the aircraft had only 5 minutes endurance.
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