FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2212.PDF
49O F LI G NOVEMBER JTH, 1946 ARMAMENT World armament techni- cians will find plenty to in- terest them on seating themselves in these mod- ern turrets. During the same flight Wing Cdr. Everest did a farewell "beat-up" of Leconfield, home station of the Pilot Attack Instructor and Gunnery Leader. No detailed analysis of the work undertaken at Man by is possible here. Briefly, the Instructional Wing houses the " A Star" Course (this trains officers for work in ex- perimental establishments, posts in the Ministry of Supply, etc., and lasts two years); the Specialist Armament Officers' Course (27 weeks), Armament Officers' Refresher Course (8 weeks); and Bombing Instructors' Course (10 weeks). The Empire Armament Staff Course is held in another wing, and lasts 14 weeks. In the Turret Room specimens of all current types of power turrets used on British aircraft are mounted for operation and study. "Bomb Alley" is a large coom A section of "Bomb Alley " with the 22,000 lb. "Grand Slam ' ground. Bombs are sectioned on the Station. THOR'S TURRETS: Top left,the Bristol B.i7MkIII (mid- upper) ; right, the Boulton-Paul Type D (tail), with the Gunnery Leader checking amuzzle cap ; and, below, the Boulton-Paul Type F (tail). (only a portion is shown in our photograph) housing every type of bomb, photo- flash, ground marker and incendiary container and cluster, with the 22,000-lb '' Grand Slam '' ruling the roost. Fuses are sectioned and beautifully presented in illuminated cases. From the standpoint of display, the ammunition room makes the finest show; here are cases and racks of projectiles from small-arms ammunition to Triplex R.P.s with 3-inch rocket motors, 180-lb warheads, and weighing 380 lb all-up. It is evident in the Foreign Equipment Room that the School sets out not only to instruct but to interest, for it can no longer be claimed that rifles and pistols are " Air Armament," nor is it likely that air-crew would under any circumstances be obliged to wield swords and trench- knives. Of the German exhibits the Hei77 tail turret, with four 13mm guns, and the 30mm MK108 are particularly striking—the former for its mass and the latter for its amazing compactness. Bomb sights include the standard Mark XIV, the S.A.B.S. (Stabilized Automatic Bomb Sight), and a special type of low-level sight for coastal Com- mand use. In the Gun Demonstration room a 0.5m Browning gun is shown working in section at a much reduced rate of fire. Every phase of feeding, loading and ejection is apparent. 4 iL Finally, the library, examination looms, laboratories and cinema would do credit to any scientific institute. As these pages close for press hTwas learned that Thor II was to take-off from St. Mawgan on November 5th en route for the Azores. Thence her itinerary is Gander, Dartmouth (Nova Sootia), Otta wa (here D.G.A. will leave to deliver a paper on Air Armament Training and Development), Toronto, Winnipeg, Ed- monton and Vancouver. In the U.S.A. visits will be paid to Inyokern (Califor- nia), Smoky Hill (Kansas), Maxwell Field, Wright Field, Patuxent River and Washington, D.C.in the back-
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
