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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1491.PDF
G HT J17 be pierced by enemy fire, arrangements are made on the Lockheed Shooting Star for automatic reduction of pressure when the gun-control switch is operated. In general, the pilot's view from the jet fighter is superior to that from a piston-engined machine, but this will be marred unless means are discovered to permit the continued use of transparent enclosures. The noise level is less, and if an automatic pilot is fitted, as on the Ameri can long-range twin-jet escort fighters, patrol and escort work should be less exacting than hitherto, particularly as the jet fighter has a short endurance for a given range. In the foregoing remarks the jet-propelled, multi-seat t British visitors to America have been particu-larly impressed by Republic's XP-84 with a single axial-flow General Electric gas turbine and" straight-through " duct. helmets (" glamour hats ") as a measure of pro- tection against bumps. Special precautions are being taken to retain the cockpit hood at great speeds, and this prob- lem may expedite the adoption of a prone position for the pilot, as in the Northrop XP-79, which will in any case be desirable if high accelerations are demanded. To safeguard the pilot against '' explosive decompression" should the cockpit enclosure A prone position for the pilot is but one unorthodox featureof the XP-79, a new fighter by the enterprising Northrop concern. The units are axial-flow Westinghouse. Weighing over 12 tons, the Bell XP-83 long-range fighter has twin General Electric I-40 units, disposed in the manner first demonstrated in the company's P-59. night and bad-weather fighter has purposely been ignored. The introduction of aircraft of this class will be attended by the same problems now besetting the single-seater, and added difficulties will be presented by the need to stow elaborate radar equipment (to permit interception and attack without optical vision), heavier armament, rela- tively greater tankage, full night-flying equipment, and a crew of two or thiee, It should certainly be possible at this stage to build a twin- or triple-jet two-seater weighing less than 30,000 lb and having a top speed of the order of 600 m.p.h., a three- hour endurance and an armament of four or six 20/30 mm guns. Some interesting designs, including flying wings, were proposed by German designers. Their chief shortcoming threatened to be inadequate endurance. FROM THE FLYING CLUBS PRIVATE owners, club members, and charter operators visitsing Weston-super-Mare are now able to obtain 73 and 87 octane fuel, which is being supplied by Western Airways.* * • To be known as the Kendal and Westmorland Aero Club,a new club in the course of formation in the Westmorland area. Flying will be carried out from Middleton Sands, near More-cambe, and the organizer is Mr. L. A. Lyons, Yard 119, Highgate, Kendal. An inaugural dinner and dance will beheld in Kendal on the last Friday in September. • * * It appears that something like ten thousand spectators arrived at Rearsby during the flying display on July 21st. ttte was 5,000 in excess of the estimated figure, and explained ^orrtt of the difficulties experienced m populace control. About4,000 of the total were gate-crashers, but at least the total figure gives an indication of the amount of interest in the area.The car arrivals formed, at one time, a solid block over four miles of the Leicester road. • * •The new Associate Membership branch of the Royal Aero Club proved its value during the week or two previous tothe Deauville Rally. Fit. Lt. de la Hoyde, who is in charge of, the passport and visa section of the touring department,saved, at the cost of a good deal of midnight oil-burning, many of the prospective guests the trouble involved in obtain-ing such things. Actually, twenty-seven passports and a hundred and three visas were obtained by the R.Ae.C., andsome fifty customs carnets for aircraft were also issued. The Yorkshire Aeroplane Club, which operates from Slier-burn-in-Elmet, has reduced its flying rates from ^4 10s and £3 10s to £4 and ^3 per hour respectively lor dual and solo.* * # The Aero Club of Le Touquet has informed our own R.Ae.C. that the airfield there is now open to traffic. It came into use officially on July 14th. Pilots are asked to use the marked cement runway. * * •The United Services Flying Club at Klstree now have lour Auster J.is in action and five instructors on the strength.Meanwhile, the wreckage of the Auster Plus U, which was duly delivered to the club from the R.A.F., is gradually beingmade airworthy and may yet fly during this year. Regular Sunday events of interest, are now being organized; last Sun-day, for instance, there was a "tea patrol," planned on the lines of the pre-war "dawn patrols." * # » The Government of India has decided to subsidize the clubson a scale which will permit very inexpensive flying instruc- tion. So that the subsidy can be put to the best possibleuse, the instructional rates will differ according to the age of the members, and those under 28 years of age will obtain theirflying at half the standard figure—which is Rs.30 (about £2 5s). The lowest rate is, in fact, less than half the normalpre-war charge at any Tndian club. There are active flying clubs in India at Bombay, Madras. Calcutta, Patna, Delhi.Lahore and Karachi, but, later on, the Government proposes to encourage the formation of clubs at other centres.
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