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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0132.PDF
ri2 FLIGHT JANUARY 194s Highest—Fastest—Farthest in their daily lives. It might also be added that if we liked we could capture several records immediately with existing aircraft. Excuses are a very poor substitute for doing the job. It is, of course, true that at present many companies have neither the time, man-power nor money to attack records. It would, in any case, be a bad thing to interrupt their current all-important research and de- velopment programmes. However, a great deal of flying, particularly in the Services, must be done anyway,, and it is extremely difficult to maintain keenness and efficiency in squadrons when the practice and training do not seem to lead to anything in particular. Preparation for a record attempt might well give both a goal and an incentive while providing useful experience and training. Before the war, the Italians were prominent among record holders, and several of those they established remain unbroken to-day. It was their policy at one time to hav\e service establishments specializing in, for example, high- speed or high-altitude flying, and it was the staff of such units who prepared and flew the record-gaining aircraft. America and Russia now hold a large proportion of all records, but it is their Air Forces using in most cases standard or slightly modified aircraft which took them. During 1946, in America, whole squadrons went to work on the class records. Britain can over-do austerity and lose much in prestige, know-how and national spirit. That the authorities are awake to the popular appeal and prestige value of record breaking cannot be doubted. The high-speed flight of Meteors was made the subject of recruiting drives and publicity ad nauseam, and the record card was played with some effect on the export table. It would give a worth-while fillip to our national pres- tige, which has recently sunk to an all-time low, and would also be a welcome encouragement to both industry and Services if a modest policy of record-gaining or regain- ing were introduced without delay. To attempt to regain the speed record, set so commendably high by the Ameri- cans, would entail diversion of effort and considerable jet unit)—tne world s fastest. expense at the present time, but a start might be madewith preparations for an attack on the altitude figure of 56,000ft, giving the job to one of our jet fighter squadrons.This record figure has not been increased since October, 1938, and is held by an old Italian single-engined biplane. Let us next have a look at high-speed and long-distancerecords. One of our precious two is John Cunningham's excellent 100 km flight at 496 m.p.h. in a Vampire (which,it is believed, the Meteor is to dispute later in the year). Let us try to add the speed records for distances of1,000 km and 2,000 km which stand around 450 m.p.h., with, say, a Meteor, and perhaps the speed over 5,000 kmwith a Hornet. Modifications to tankage and the use of the Boscombe runway should go a long way towards meet-ing the technical requirements. There are also the weight-lifting records to consider. Even the old Mosquito might make a good showing over 2,000 km with a 1,000 kg load. The opposition for the 1,000 km with 1,000 kg load is formidable. A modified special Douglas A-26 with a G.E. 1-16 turbo jet let into the tail is the present holder. All the big-load-for-long- distance speed records are held firmly by America. Turning to Hydravions, the speed record of 440.67 m.p.h., held by Francesco Agello for Italy since October, I934> might well be taken in during an afternoon practice .ockheedP2 V-l (R-3350 Cyclone)—the distance-record holder. by Mr. Geoffrey Tyson. The altitude record would be a tougher proposition, but it is not out of reach. Finally, let us give the women a chance by offering an experienced ex-A.T.A. pilot a conversion course "^ to Vampires. The present ten-year-old speed record stands at only 292 m.p.h., and the speed over 100 and 1,000 km is about the same. The altitude record is also within the aircraft's capacity. Although several so-called round-the-world record flights have been made they have all been unofficial because the route taken was not in accordance with that laid down by the F.A.I. The route taken must pass through London, Karachi, Tokyo, San Francisco and New York. Any one of these can be the starting and finishing point, and timing is from the moment of take off to the moment of touch down at the same point. Fortunately, this brief discourse on international records can be completed on a more encouraging note. A large proportion of the Records de Parcours—place-to- place flights—are British, and no other country holds as many as we do. In some ways these records are the most valuable and they indicate not only technical efficiency and reliability, but bear witness to first-class airmanship in its broadest sense. It should be mentioned in conclusion that John Cobb and Sir Malcolm Campbell hold respectively the world's land and water speed records for Great Britain. INTERNATIONAL CLASS RECORDS POWERED LANDPLANES (Class C (i))* • * Class A, Balloons and Class B, Airships, omitted. Distance in <i closed circuit (U.S.A.) Lt. Col. Lassiter, U.S.A.A.F. and crew of 8. Boeing B-29. ist/3rd Aug., 1947. 14,248.656 km. Distance in a straight line (U.S.A.) Cdrs. Davies, Rankin, Reid and Tabeling, U.S.N,<jg&J Lockheed P2V-1. 29th Sept.,/ist Oct., 1946. 18,081.'990 km. Altitude (Italy) Lt. Col. Mario Pezzi. Caproni 161. Oct. 22nd, 1938. 17,083 m. Maximum speed at low level (U.S.A.) Maj. M. E. Carl, U.S.M.C. Douglas D-558 Skystreak. 25th Aug., 1947. 1,047.536 km/In Speed over 1,000 km (U.S.A.)Lt. H. A. Johnson. 3rd June, Lockheed P-80. 745.079 km/hr Speed over 5,000 km (U.S.A.)Capts. J. Bauer and J. F. Cotton. 28th June, 1946.Boeing B-29. 544-59O km/hr Speed over 2,000 km (U.S.A.)Lt. J. J. Hancock. 19th M.iv, 1946. Lockheed P-80. 708.592 km lir Speed over 10,000 km (U.S.A.)Lt. Col. Lassiter and crew. 29th,3Oth July, 1947.Boeing B-29. 43966s km in aoeing Superfortress (R-3350 Cyclone)—holder of many distance- with-load records.
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