Comet in Canada
First de Havilland Comet to land on the North American continent, the Series 1A, number 5301, of the Royal Canadian Air Force arrived according to plan at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, last Friday. This Comet is one of two ordered by the R.C.A.F. for transport for fighter and radar affiliated exercises. Canadian Sabres were briefed to intercept the Comet over Montreal and to escort it to its historic landing at Uplands.
The route selected for this first jet-transport crossing of the Atlantic was from London Airport to Keflavik (1,180 miles, flight-plan time 3 hr 15 min); Keflavik to Goose Bay (1,495 miles, time 4hr 15 min); Goose Bay to Ottawa (870 miles, time 2 hr 30 min). The total time for the journey of 3,545 miles was 10 hr 20 min, compared with the normal transport time of 16 to 18 hours. Landing time was 3.03 p.m. G.M.T.
T.W. Hayhow
As we briefly recorded last week, Tom Hayhow's Auster Aiglet - in which he had been attempting a London-Belgrade record on April 10th - was sighted by skiers on May 25th. It lay on its back, apparently not badly damaged, in a hollow at 6,000ft between the Grosser and Kleiner Breitstein peaks, 20 miles south of Salzburg.
News reached London of the finding - by American Army and Austrian skiers - of the pilot's body, some 600 yards from the aircraft. He had suffered only minor injuries, and it was assumed that he had died from exposure in the deep snow whilst trying to make his way down the mountainside. Other evidence pointed to the fact that he had reached the Klagenfurt area, turned back towards Salzburg owing to bad weather, and eventually run out of fuel. He had been approximately on track.
Swift F.4
Bearing the above designation, a new version of the Vickers-Supermarine Swift fighter, now in super-priority production for the R.A.F., recently made its maiden flight at Chilbolton. It was flown by Mr. M.J. Lithgow, the company's chief test pilot. The power unit is a Rolls-Royce Avon with two-position reheat, and various modifications have been incorporated, including "more powerful" armament. In this connection it may be remarked that the Swift, as displayed at Farnborough last year, had only two cannon ports, whereas the Hawker Hunter had four.
It is the makers' claim that the Swift has climb, endurance and manoeuvrability unsurpassed by any fighter in the world.
Source: Flight International