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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0293.PDF
MARCH 4TH, I948 FLIGHT 247 A warld-beating combination—the Vickers-Supermarine Attacker, with Rolls-Royce Nene turbo-jet, and Mr. M. J. Lithgow, ex-Fleet Air Arm Vickers-Supermarine test pilot-PROVOKED ATTACKER Vickers-Supermarine Jet Fighter Averages 564.881 m.p.h. over 100-Km Closed Clrc'titf**** Illustrated by "Flight" Photographs ~ YET another brilliant fletaonslration of the speed andhandling qualities of a British jet fighter was providedat Chilbolton last Friday by Mr. M. J. Lithgow ina Vickers-Supermarine Attacker, propelled by a Rolls- Royce Nene turbo-jet. "TS409," the first Attacker pro- totype, remembered for its vivid displays at Radlett, Brussels and Lee-on-Solent, completed a 100-km closed circuit at an average speed of 564.881 m.p.h., thereby (subject to F.A.I, confirmation) wresting the international record for this course from the Meteor, which, in its turn, had won it from the Vampire. The performance was preceded on the Thursday by a lap at 560.634 m.p.h. and is the more creditable in view of the tractability displayed by the Attacker in its deck-landing trials, reported in Flight of November 13th last year. Warming memories of joint Supermarme-Rolls-Royce suc- cesses in bygone Schneider Trophy contests are evoked. On Thursday, after a reasonable, though far from per- fect, weather report from Messrs. Morgan and Colquhoun in the yellow Spitfire Trainer, Royal Aero Club officials and time-keepers and the R.O.C. turning-point observers stood to their posts, having been fully briefed, together with Mr. Lithgow, by Colonel R. L. Preston. Before entering the cockpit in the lobster-claw nose of the Attacker, '' Mike'' Lithgow forecast his time (having regard to the wind and weather) as 6 min 39 sec. The Nene inhaled the chilly air, found it good, and with the ground- running louvres opening to guard against depression in the plenum chamber, roared up to its full 5,000 lb static thrust. When the brakes were released for take-off, the all-silver fighter was seemingly catapulted along the run- way, to become airborne well before reaching the last of the enfilading photographers. The course, flown anti-clock- wise, was marked by turning points at (A) the control tower at Chilbolton, (B) Pepper Box. Hill on Witherington Down, south of West Grinstead, (C) the intersection of the runways at Ibsley airfield, and (D) the con- crete tower at Arnewood Sway, near Lymington. Confirmed by the county surveyor, the precise distance was 100.136 km (62.235 miles). Visibility was such that from 500ft Lithgow was unable to see each succeeding turning point from the preceding one, though this had been possible on prac- tice flights. On the first leg he lined up the Attacker with the Chilbolton runway and steered "Mike" Lithgow with members of the Supermarine and Rolls- Royce teams which prepared the victorious Attacker.
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