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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1348.PDF
232 FLIGHT AUGUST 26TH, 1948 Civil Aviation News gency, pilots are requested by the M.C.A. to ensure that emergency flashing is ob- viously irregular. It was a rule before and during the war that an aircraft in distress and unable to communicate with the ground by other means should indicate an emergency by circling and flashing naviga- tion lights. American aircraft are now equipped with lights which flash at regular inter- vals, the purpose being to dis- tinguish them from other lighted objects, particularly when on the ground. Experi- ments are under way at the R.A.E., Farnborough, with three different systems of flash- ing lights for British aircraft. The system of switching lights erratically on and off in emer- gency still applies in the United Kingdom. OUTSTANDING VISITOR : Away from familiar surroundings in Hampshire but in its natural environ- ment, the Ambassador was resplendent on the tarmac at Northolt during a recent visit. Great interest was aroused at this airport, where in several years' time the Ambassador will be well known. CONTROL RECORDING AS announced in Flight, August 19th, all conversation be-tween aircraft crews and controllers at Northolt and London Airports will now be recorded. The Dictaphone Com- pany, Limited, of 107, Kingsway, London, have installed «ight Dictaphone Belt recorder/reproducers at each airpor^. ••' One machine has been allocated to each Control towel, frequency and three to the Ground Controlled Approach frequencies. The installation is contained in the equipment roams* of the airport control towers at each airport. Not ol%i do the machines record and log all R/T conversa- tions, but they also serve as monitors,* for reception and transmission,. siMce each Dictaphone A2M machine is connected to an in-* dependent receiver which picks up all audio signals on the frequency to which it is tuned. On each set is a meter to indicate whether signals are in fact being re- corded, and in such a way a continuous check is kept on the efficiency of each transmitter whether on the ground or in an air- craft. The A2M machine records, by means of lateral embossing, 30 min- utes of continuous speech on a plastic belt I2jin in circum- ference and 3jin wide. An automatic change-over mechanism provides a 20-30 second overlap and ensures continuity, and an automatic device controls the machine so that no recording is made unless conversations are taking place. Recorded material niay be filed under time, date and frequency. The system has been in use for some time in America for air traffic control, with the approval of the Civil Aeronautics Administration and by airlines for logging radio/telephone communications. APOLLO FURNISHINGS A LTHOUGH the Appollo has not yet reached the stage where -£i cabin furnishings can be installed, the full-scale mock-up does enable one to see what the finished aircraft will be like. The whole of the walls and ceiling surfaces are finished in very pale grey-green Vynide based on a dark sage-green skirting, the only relief from this general tone scheme being the central strip lighting panel in the ridge flat of the ceiling. Windows A Dictaphone Belt recorder/reproducer. are curtained with a silver-green patterned fabric, which affords pleasant contrast to the grey-green moquette in which the chairs are covered. Seating is given in paired-chair units, using a tubular chassis with wooden panels to the outer ami rests; the central arm rests fold into squab recesses. Across the backs of the paired seats are net racks and flap tables which fold down to rest on the rack frame. These tables are finished in walnut, and steward call-buttons are incorporated in the top centre of the squabs. The floor of the cabin is carpeted throughout in grey-green moquette of slightly deeper shades than that used for the chair upholstery. SOLENT MODIFICATIONSW ING floats on the Short Solent flying boats have been placed some 7ft further outboard on each wing and i£ft forward. " Vee "-strut bracing has replaced the original fitting and the wing spar is being strengthened in the new vicinity of the floats. B.O.A.C. withdrew Solents from the South African service on July 22nd, and two of the flying boats were flown to Short and Harland at Belfast, where they are now in the process of being modified. The remainder will be modi- fied at Hythe, the Corporation's flying-boat maintenance base, with some assistance from Short and Harland. It is hoped the first aircraft will be completed by the end of this month and soon return to service. B.S.A.A. WEST INDIES SERVICES A NEW weekly service between London and Kingston,Jamaica, is now being operated by B.S.A.A., using 32- seater Tudor IV aircraft. The service leaves London Airport on Thursdays at 10.30 hours (local time), and is routed via Keflavik (Iceland), Gander, Bermuda and Nassau, reaching Kingston the following day at 14.40 hours (local time). On the return flight, the service leaves Kingston on Saturdays at 11.00 hours, calls at Nassau, stops overnight at Bermuda, and arrives at London Airport, via Gander and Shannon, on Mon- days at 13.45 hours. The Corporation recently completed the transfer of their maintenance and engineering base from Kings- ton to Nassau. Since the station opened in March, 1947, flight movements there have increased from two to twelve a week. In addition to the Tudor IV service, B.S.A.A. also operate two other weekly services to the West Indies, yia the Azores, with departures on Tuesdays and Saturdays. - AIRWORK IN EAST AFRICA A NEW company, Airwork (East Africa), Ltd., has beenformed with headquarters in Nairobi to take over existing aircraft interests of the Uganda Co., Ltd., and Airwork, Ltd., in East Africa. Although the new company will be controllec by Airwork, Ltd., the Uganda Co. will still be represented bott in shareholding and by seats on the board of directors, which consists of Sir Alfred Vincent (chairman), Lt. Col. B. A. Wilson (managing director), Mr. M. D. N. Wyatt, Mr. Alexander M. T. B. Noon, Mr. Joseph T. Simpson and Mr. D. Elphick. The new company has also acquired an interest B 12
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