U.S., German investigators get access to Angolan tapes
     LUANDA (September 24, 1997 08:09 a.m. EDT) - United States and
 German investigators probing what appeared to have been a collision
 involving two of their military aircraft off Namibia have listened
 to Angola's air traffic control tapes, a Western diplomat said
 Wednesday.
     "The joint team from Germany and the U.S. are in town now and
 the Angolans are cooperating in the investigation," the diplomat
 said.
     "The team has been given access to the air traffic control tapes
 and has been allowed to listen to them."
     The diplomat did not say if the tapes had revealed more informa-
 tion on what happened before the German Tupolev, on its way to Cape
 Town, and American C-141, headed west to Ascension Island, crashed
 into the south Atlantic on Sept. 13.
     Newspaper reports in Namibia said Wednesday that the Angolans
 had initially refused to cooperate with investigators.
     "Negotiations with everybody involved are continuing so that
 together with the Americans we can get to the bottom of this
 tragedy," Lieutenant-Colonel Wulff Bickenbach, spokesman for the
 German investigation team in Namibia told Reuters.
     An international air and sea operation now in its second week
 has so far found the body of only one of 33 people on board the
 two planes.
     Ships helping in the search were still recovering pieces of
 wreckage floating in the ocean and ferrying them to Namibia's
 Walvis Bay harbour, Bickenbach said.
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       Former airline executive to run for California governor
     SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 23, 1997 8:33 p.m. EDT) - Alfred
 Checchi, former co-chairman of Northwest Airlines, officially en-
 tered the California governor's race on Tuesday.
     Proclaiming that the next century could be California's, Checchi
 told a group of civic leaders in the state capital, "Starting today,
 I am a candidate for governor of California."
     The multimillionaire businessman, who resigned from Northwest
 Airlines in April to concentrate on exploring his chances of becoming
 governor, is seeking the Democratic nomination.
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                  USAF MUSEUM,  DAYTON, OHIO
     From the Archives is a monthly feature of the USAF Museum web
 site presenting information from our archives about aircraft not
 displayed at the museum.
     The Hughes XF-11 is the featured aircraft for September
     (1946) The XF-11 is a reconnaissnace-photographic, twin-boom,
 high wing monoplane manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company. Equal
 pressurization is maintained in the pilot's and photographer's
 compartments located in the fuselage. The crew of two, pilot and
 relief pilot-navigator, may change places during flight. The relief
 pilot also performs the duty of photographer. The recommended
 maximum gross weight for the take-off is 58,300 pounds.
      General Description - Piuctures available
      Three views of Airplane - large drawing (539x739 54K)
      In flight - (larger version of above photo) Note the standard
      propellers.
      3/4 front view - with the original contra-props.
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