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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1685.PDF
AUGUST 29TH, 194ft FLIGHT 221 The Folkestone Races HOLIDAYMAKERS at Folkestone and Hythe shouldhave a good view of the races to be organized by theCinque Ports Flying Club during the last week-end ofthis month. The heats for the Folkestone Aero Trophy are being run off next Saturday, August 31st, starting at 2.30 p.m.,and the organizers ask that any aircraft attending the meet- ing will endeavour to land by mid-day; other aircraft areasked to keep well away from the circuit during the race. The public will not be admitted to the airfield on Saturday. On Sunday, September 1st, the final will start at 3 p.m., andthe Lympne High-Speed Handicap race at 4 p.m. Once again, it is requested that visiting aircraft will keep clear of thecircuit during the racing, and, if intending to land, to do so well before the racing starts. The public will be admittedfree of charge on this day to one end of the airfield only. The club enclosure will be reserved for competitors, members andtheir guests. Loudspeakers have been installed at the airfield, and a special relay has been organized to the promenade atFolkestone for the benefit of those who will see the aircraft on the seaward leg. Although the main Lympne event may appear to be new tomany, it will be, in fact, the ninth of the series. The last race, over an exactly similar course, was flown in the August ENTRIES* FOR FOLKESTONE TRO?HY RACEAircraft and Registration Entrant Pilot MHes M.28 (AGVX) Vickers Walrus (AHFN) Sokol (OKAHH) B.A. Swallow (AELG) Percival Q.6 (AFIX) Miles Messenger (AHZS) Taylorcraft (AHAJ) Proctor I (AGWV) Proctor I (AHFZ) Hornet Moth (ADKC) Miles Monarch (AFJU) Piper Cub (AFIZ) ... Proctor II (AHNB) Proctor I (AHNV) . Tipsy II (AFJT) Moth Minor (AFOZ) Tiger Moth (AHNX) P. Gull VI (ADPR) D.H.82 (AHDD) Proctor 1 (AHEE) Auster V (AHAX) Tommy Rose ... ... Tommy Rose Whaling Co. ... ... John Grierson K. J. Drbohlav ... K. J. Drbohlav Mr. Godfrey Paul Godfrey Air Kruise Ltd. ... Ian McLaren Ditto W/Cdr. Kennard N. F. Dunkerton J. N. Somers Sqn. Ldr. Reston J. K. Seear Eric Simmonds Peter Landaur R. Temple-Harris D. M. Bay D. R Robertson C. G. Clegg R. Pomfret L. T. Carruthers Peter Fentance J. F. Arnold G, W. Derbyshire N. F. Dunkerton J. N. Somers ... Trade Wind ... Herts and Essex F.C. Miss Betty John Peter Landaur R. Temple-Harris Percival Aircraft D. R. Robertson C. G. Clegg ... Hunting F.C Ditto Ditto Ditto ... G. W. Derbyshire . At the time of going to press IT AIRSHIP HANGAR LYMPNE :HARBOUR~ UGHTMOUSE5 HYTHE 'GASOMETER prior to the outbreak of war. This 1939 race was won by theHon. A. W. H. Dalrymple, now unfortunately no longer with us, flying his firm's Train-engined Chilton single-seater, withwhich he averaged 126 m.p.h. in the final event; the best time of the day was made by Capt. E. \V.Percival, with a Mew Gull, at the quite remarkably high average speed of 230m.p.h. Although this figure will be vastly exceeded in the High-Speed Race,it would not seem, judging from the entry list, that such an average is likelyto be repeated this year in the Folke- stone Aero Trophy race itself. The certain starters for the High SpeedTrophy Race—as far as anything aero- nautical can be "certain"—numberonly four at the time of going to press. These are as follows: Racing Aircraft Number Pilot Vampire I 1 Geoffrey de Havilland Hornet I 2 Geoffrey Pike. Fury I 4 Bill Humble. Seafang 5 Guy Morgan. Cloud Warning by Radar A British Scheme to Reduce Flying Hazards TE first British aircraft to be fitted with special radarapparatus for the long-range detection of bad weatherhas returned to England from South-East Asia, aftera series of experimental flights, the results of which are of far-reaching importance towards the attainment of safer flying.The aircraft, a Lancaster bomber, was sent out by the Tele- communications Research Establishment of the Ministry ofSupply and Aircraft Production, whose scientists have been responsible for the development of radar in Britain. Accom-panying the Lancaster's crew of operationally experienced fliers was a team of four scientific observers and R.A.F.meteorological experts and a sergeant photographer. South-East Asia was selected as lendezvous for the trials because of its hazardous weather conditions, and also because[facilities for obtaining meteorological information are fewer than **iu Britain. The experimental aircraft was based at R.A.F. Station, Changi, Singapore, and over the period of a month observation flights were made in all kinds of weather.The type of equipment required for cloud and collision warning differs from that used in wartime to "pin-point"land objects or ships at sea, when it was necessary to "see" as large an area as possible by radar. This was achieved byusing a searchlight radar beam producing a maplike picture •—which could extend to a radius of a hundred miles roundthe aircraft—on the cathode-ray tube. For weather detection, a smaller area in front of and at the same height as the air-craft, requires observation. In the test Lancaster, the aerial system was built in a domereplacing the normal mid-upper turret, and in transport air- craft it will probably be carried in the nose of the machine. The indicator on which the cloud or high ground shows up asa bright spot will be placed close to the navigator's seat. Heavy clouds, rain squalls and storm centres reflect theradar beam, often from a great distance. Clouds return the beam because they contain water particles, and the greaterthe degree of moisture the stronger the returning echoes. Thus it is possible to measure the density of cloud formations, •and the pilot can be given ample notice to take avoiding action.During the recent experiments much time was spent in "cloud chasing." Alter take-off from Changi airfield, theLancaster climbed to some 10,000 feet, from which height clouds could be seen with the naked eye a great distance away.The "Met" flight lieutenant would compare his own obser- vations with the appearance of the clouds on the radar indi-cator. Photographs" were taken simultaneously of cloud formations and of radar showings. Many important data were collected during these trials,which will enable the Research Establishment in England to modify and improve radar equipment. In its present formthe apparatus is too unwieldy for general use in transport aircraft, where every additional pound of weight has to becarefully considered.' The experiments will be continued shortly in a York aiicraft fitted with much more compact andsimple apparatus. The vital importance of short pulse radio waves in thedetection not only of dangerous clouds but in giving warning of high ground and hills, is obvious. Airborne radar for nightflying, and for use during monsoon weather in the Far East. will greatly reduce the hazards of air travel.
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