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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0004.PDF
FLIGHT The unique Sara S.R./Al flying boat fighter twin Metrovick Beryls) was one of the most remarkable fruits of 1947. Two naval strike aircraft tested during the year were the Westiand Wyvern and Blackburn S.28/43, or Firecrest, seen above. These deck- landing single-seaters are powered respectively with the Rolls-Royce Eagle and Bristol Centaurus. On the right is the Mercury-engined Boulton-Paul P. 108 trainer, prototype of the turbine-powered Bo//io/, which will fly early in 1948. The twin-boom machine below is the Heston A.2/4S which, by virtue of its high-lift system, possesses one of the widest speed ranges of any 1947 aircraft. As in the Scottish Aviation AA<45 (right) the engine is a D.H. Gipsy Queen. Foundations for '48 personnel shortages and financial restric- tions. Spectacle was uncommon and the visit of No. 617 Squadron to the New World relieved an otherwise undistinguished —even grim—year. The progress of the Auxiliary forces was a source of real en- couragement. In civil flying the year was distinguished internationally by the energies of I.C.A.O. and I.A.T.A. and by the attempts to create some order in international air transport, but at home, apart from the introduction of new services by the Corporations and the creation of new departments in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, there was little to record except, latterly, a policy of retrenchment. Charter operators prospered in the early d?if --= of 1947, and the enthusiasm of flying c) was demonstrated by the frequency of we, end air displays, but the ban upon overseas travel and the removal of basic petrol allow- ance brought general depression, and, to some, disaster. The "^Brab." Moved Reviewing civil transport landplanes in descending order of size, it must be recorded that the first prototype of the Bristol Braba- zon (eight Centaurus in pairs) was moved to its specially prepared assembly hall for com- pletion prior to flight trials this year. The only version of the Avro Tudor to see airline service was the Mark IV, three of which were in service with B.S.A.A. at the close of the year. The announcement of an order for twenty-five Handley Page Hermes IVs, in- tended for Empire routes, was received with satisfaction, as was one for an unspecified number of Airspeed Ambassadors for B.E.A. It may be said that the Industry felt no greater pride in any of its products than in this graceful high-wing Airspeed, with its twin Centaurus engines. Vickers-Arm- strongs and Armstrong Whitworth respec- tively were busy on the first models of their Viscount and Apollo medium transports for which airscrew turbjnes are foreseen. ? Like the Heston A.2/45, the Scottish Aviation A.4/4S, or Prestwick Pioneer (below) has an exceptional speed range.
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