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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 0805.PDF
APRIL 25TH, 1946 FLIGHT HERE AND THERE Glenn Martin and a ground station at the Westinghouse plant at Baltimore. Usuable signals have been transmitted over 240 air miles from 25,000 ft using only 250 watts. Although the tests are far from com- plete, these initial results are hailed as bringing economically practical tele- vision and frequency-modulated radio services on a nation-wide basis at least one step nearer. "^ Back io the Land LAST week we mentioned at the footof our '' News in Brief '' column that Fit. Lt. Turner Hughes, Armstrong Whitworth's chief test pilot, was leav- ing that firm. He duly left at Easter to set up in business for himself, servicing farm vehicles in Warwick. But he is not giving up flying, and is prepared to do any test-flying, as a free-lance, for any- one who requires his services. Without Comment A READER who is a member of theBristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club has sent us a cutting from a local news- paper which solemnly reports that the club's directors "have applied to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for three ' Buster' aircraft fitted with Morris Minor engines, and pre-war members have been circularised to ascertain their views on peacetime flying." Street Scene WHILE flying between Cootamundraand Sydney, a Gipsy Moth pur- chased from the Disposals Commission had to make a forced landing, and as there was no clear country in the vicinity, used a street in a suburb of Sydney—Glamis Street, Rockdale. Just before the aircraft completed its landing run the passenger jumped out and, hanging on to the wing tip, pre- vented the Moth from running into the scrub at the end of the street. After the trouble had been cured the pilot took off, again using the street, and flew on to Mascot Airport. Seafcee Production '"THE report from Farmingdale that -»- Republic Aviation aim at turning out their light amphibian, the Seabee, (see picture above), at the rate of 40 a day by August is a good example of J^.. the vigour with which American private enterprise is setting about the job of meeting the big demand for aircraft in the owner-pilot class. Revolutionary simplifications in de- AIRSTRIP ... No. II sign and produc- tion methods, they say, have en- abled them to market this four- seater aircraft at $3,995 (roughly ^950) and at the same time easily exceed the C.A.A. static test require- ments. The production model of the Sea- bee is powered by a 215 h.p. air- cooled '' flat-six '' Franklin engine, and equipment in- cludes two - way radio, electric starter, hydraulically operated flaps, re- tractable land gear, and a ground-adjust- able two-bladed airscrew. Top speed is 120 m.p.h., cruising speed 103 m.p.h., landing speed 58 This photograph of the Seabee shows the good view provided by high wing and pusher engine installation. m.p.h., sea-level climb 700 ft/min, ser- vice ceiling 12,000 it, and range 550 miles Wing loading is 15.3 lb/sq ft and power loading 14.2 lb/h,p. Mass pro- duction begins next month. News in Brief HALFAR airfield, Malta, which be-came famous as an air defence base during the siege of the island in 1940-41, has been transferred from the R.A.F. to the Royal Navy and commissioned H.M.S. Falcon. * * * Britain's new 16,200-ton aircraft carrier, H.M.S. Triumph, left the Tyne on April 15th commanded by Capt. H. N. Faulkner, to begin her trials. It is about two years since her keel was laid in the yards of Hawthorne Leslie and Co., Ltd., Hepburn-on-Tyne. * » * • Three members of a British Mission led by Lt. Gen J. F. Evetts to investigate rocket development in Australia, arrived in the Commonwealth on April 10th. They were Wing Cdr. R. F. Harman, Mr. N. Coles, of Farnborough, and J. C. Yar- row, a Ministry of Supply expert. * • * A special flight is to be established by the R.A.A.F. for carrying out tests under tropical desert conditions in the heart of Australia. A Lincoln bomber and a number of jet-propelled aircraft are being sent out to the Commonwealth for use in these tests. * * • A "flying mailcar" version of the Fairchild C-82 Packet has been evolved to the needs of the U.S. ^ost Office Department for speeding u£ airmail ser- vice between major irfnerican cities. Special postal equiMnent for sorting mails in flight hasvfieen designed, and from four to six tons of mail can be handled according to the length of the> flight. It is expected that Congress will approve a five cent airmail rate. • • * The prize of £50 offered last year by the council of the Royal Society for the invention considered to be the best ad- vancement in the science or practice of navigation has been awarded to Mr. W. J. O'Brien for his invention, the Decca navigator. • * • Passengers in a railway train marooned 60 miles east of Baghdad by the Tigris floods had food supplies dropped to them by an Anson of the Communications Flight A.F.Q., Iraq Command, which made eight runs alongside the stranded train at a height of about 20ft. * # • The appointment of Mr. H. T. Chap- man to the board of directors of Arm- strong Siddeley Motors, Ltd., has just been announced. Mr. Chapman joined the company in December, 1926, and has been general manager since April, 1945. # * # A new subsidiary company to West- land Aircraft, Ltd. (and entirely owned by them), called Normalair, Ltd., with offices at 8, The Sanctuary, Westmin- ster, S.W.i, has been formed to deal with the development and production of atmosphere control equipment previously handled by the parent firm. The new board consists of Messrs. J. Fearn (chairman), E. Mensforth, \V. B. Hick- man (secretary) and Colonel Sorel.
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