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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 0306.PDF
166 FEBRUARY 14TH, 194(5 U.N.O. SEES OUR BEST the first production Tudor 1 (shownand later flown by Capt. Orrell, the Avro test pilot) ; by the Viking in al!its common-sense glory ; by the Civil Anson ; by the British South AmericanLancastrian which was due to leave on the following day for another semi-service proving flight to Buenos Aires ; by the Aerovan with its Austin carcargo (sensibly unloaded before the flying demonstration) ; by the com-parative comfort obtainable even in a converted bomber, the HalifaxC VIII ; by the lightness and airiness of the Dove (a pity some seats couldnot have been temporarily put in this first of the Brabazon types); by thecomfortable smallness of the Auster (which floated, while landing in thehigh wind, just when Mr. Edwards wanted to put it down) ; by thePtortor V ; and (off the record) by the difficultly named new Miles twin, theGemini. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the prototype Bristol 170Freighter, which was evidently in the throes of one of those minor modifications which beset all aircraft during theirearlier weeks of life. For one reason or another, only four aircraft were per-mitted a brief period of aerobatics, but the pilots of those which were not permitted this freedom made the best oftheir opportunity 3 at somewhat higher levels. After all, there is no reason why a fighter shouldn't make a circuitin a vertical rather than a horizontal plane if the driver feels so inclined. But the rule, though reducing the riskof boredom among the spectators and intensifying the effect of the aerobatic displays which were permitted, tendedto put one or two of our best aircraft—notably the Sea Fury—in a somewhat disadvantageous position. Mr.Humble, the pilot, did his best while sticking to the spirit of the rule, the Firebrand, complete with torpedo, finishedits fly-past on its back, and Mr. Fillingham lost little or nothing while demonstrating the Hornet in the usual effec-tive manner. If jets had never been developed, that par- ticular aircraft would certainly have taken more than itsfair share of the cheers at any flying display. The two jet fighters on show, the Meteor III and the Guests moving among the aircraft lined up on the perimeter track. Includedare the Lancastrian Star Land (due to leave for South America), the Fairey Spearfish and, in the background, the Avro Tudor. The B ackburn Firebrand—torpedo carrier and fighter—taxies out totake-off for a demonstration. The Miles Aerovan, with the aid of high-lift flaps, demon,strates the gentle art of slow flying. Vampire, were most impressively shown off. We are used to perfect exhibitions of timing'and placing by Mr. Geoffrey , fde Havilland, and by the way in which, helped : f perhaps by its small size, the Vampire gives a most astounding impression of sheer speed, but we have never previously seen the Meteor so well demonstrated as it was by Sqn. Ldr. Stans- bury on Sunday. This Meteor was not, unfortu- nately, the actual aircraft expected, but no one was to know and speed is very much a matter of relative impression. It would not be either reasonable or particu- larly useful to attempt to describe all the after- noon's demonstrations, from that of t , Lincoln, flown by Sqn. Ldr. Field-Richards, tl that of the* Sea Fury, but there were, to our mind, two more outstanding shows amongst the airscrew-driven military aircraft. One by the Firefly IV (Lt. L. P. Twiss, straight from an E.T.P.S. course) and another by the Spiteful (Mr. Jeffrey Quill). Both pilots had been per- mitted their five minutes of aerobatics, and each made the best and most impressive use of them. The Spiteful, in particular, looked as fast as it really is, and the series of upward " reversing " rolls were just about perfect—Mr. Quili must have found something pretty defi- nite in the way of a cloud against which to aim.
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