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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0031.PDF
JANUARY gTH, 1947 The Firebrand IV(centre) is flown by Lt. Cdr. Hawkes.Above is Lt. Hickson, on a Firefly IV. passed through the Empire Test Pilot's School and others have had experience as firms' production test pilots. All new pilots will in future take a course at the school. As in the other squadrons there is a parallel staff—known as A Squadron Technical Section—of civil servant technical officers who have a very close liaison with the Ministry of Supply, and are responsible for the interpreta- tion of, and for drawing conclusions from, results obtained in the air. Often these officers are able to suggest technical improvements to firms' design staffs; as an instance, when the stick force of a certain fighter began to rise unduly they proposed the fitting of spring tabs. These were adopted with benefit. When a new aircraft arrives for A Squadron the Techni- cal Section hands to Wing Cdr. Baldwin a list of tests required by the M. of S. One pilot is given primary re- sponsibility for the aircraft during its stay with the Squad- ron, though it is never flown by fewer than three, including Wing Cdr. Baldwin, and the report on its behaviour is, in fact, the findings of a "tribunal." The responsible pilot must see his charge through e.g. tests, weighing, instrumen- tation and checking, watch serviceability and ensure that appropriate photographs are taken to illustrate the report. ' After initial engine trials, if the power plant is of a new type (which, in practice, it rarely is) handling trials are commenced. These are qualitative and quantitative. In the first case the pilot must discover what he can about the flying characteristics' of the aircraft without reference to instruments ; in the second he has recourse to such devices as the stick-force indicator, accelerometer, Machmeter, and possibly an automatic server. Performance tests embrace partial climbs and battle climbs to service ceiling; checking of speed and con- sumption in level flight at several heights; endurance tests (fighters often land at Boscombe with tanks nearly empty); and A.S.I, position error determination at all heights. The foregoing sequence of tests is particularly exhaustive and imposes A Griffon-engined Spitfire 24 flownby Sqn. Ldr. Roach of A Squadron ;>«.-;;-•. ^•:.J'i:::'i^--:-:-:.::-.^:'-i.:-^:-::,::^!;;,:-'::i:--:;:r^::-..:i 1 " t tight " i>/t fit oil i'ti fit 3. i very heavy demands, especially uponN^ngines. In conse-/ quence, forced landings have been comparatively, common; as in the very early days when the Merlin and Griffon were re-rated for 25 lb boost. So, for the next series of tests with external loads, a second aircraft is usually required. Checks are now made on handling characteristics with auxiliary tanks, rocket projectiles and bombs, and are followed by trials to assess the functioning of the various weapon installations. Guns and R.P.s are fired in Lyrue Bay, and for bombing trials Porton Ranges normally serve. These trials, it must be understood, are solely to check the functioning of equipment. Accuracy trials demand special observation and for assessing the results of R.P. and gun firing A Squadron uses the range at Imber. Here, apart from an ordinary target in the chalk are some derelict tanks. No '' g suits'' hang in the wardrobes of the A Squadron pilots, though 5g is often reached during stick-force tests. The A. and A.E.E. "height record" at present stands at 48,200ft, attained by Fit. Lt. Williams flying a Spitfire in 1943. This, of course, will soon go-by the board when the pressure-cabin Meteors begin to come through. Taming the Rogues One of the jobs which falls to the lot of the Squadron is the flying of "rogue" aircraft—usually Squadron machines which exhibit some apparently unaccountable abnormality—to establish the reason for their behaviour. Demonstration flights and shoots are undertaken for the Imperial Defence College and Staff College, and although the Boscombe pilots have received less public notice than
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