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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1531.PDF
(Above) Canopy details ofWie high-altitude Ghost-Vampire. (Right The S.R./A1 makes itt dtbtit. handles all the loads specified by the Army or R.A.F.(Service loads, in general, being more concentrated than those normally taken by civil aircraft^. "The Valetta hadthe new undercut tail section, with glider-towing hook, and contained examples of the amazingly varied equipmentnecessary to accommodate human and inanimate cargoes. Of particular interest was the quickly detachable sound-proofing supplied for the troop-carrier variant. A splendid crop of military trainers was one of the mostsatisfactory features of this year's display. These ranged from the Auster 7 light A.O.P. trainer, by way of theab initio Fairey Primer and the de Havilland Chipmunk, to the Percival Prentice basic trainer, Avro Athena,Boulton Paul Balliol and Fairey '' Operational'' advanced trainers, and the dual-control Spitfire and 585-m.p.h.Meteor 7 jet. Many visitors were busy comparing the Athena and Balliol and, having the basic characteristicsof each type fixed firmly in mind, were studying the latest performance figures quoted for the variants of each type.Comparative data for the Athena Marks 1 and 2 (respec- tively with Mamba and Merlin) are given below:— MARK I MARK 2 Gross weight 7,500 lb 8,210lb Normal tankage 180 gal 150 galMax. speed at 10,000ft 287m.p.h. 287 m.p.h. Cruising speed at 10,000ft 253 m.p.h. 223m.p.h.Rate of climb at 10,000 ft 1,890 ft/min 2,030 ft/min Service ceiling 34,800ft 28,000ft Boulton Paul are now offering three distinct versions of the Balliol—the Mk. 1 with Mamba turboprop, Mk. 2 with Merlin, and P. 108 with Bristol Mercury radial. The all- up weights are respectively 7,860 lb, 8,175 *b> and 7,529 lb, and the maximum speeds 307 m.p.h. at 20,000ft, 305,m.p.h. at 11,500ft, and 280 m.p.h. at 10,000ft. Features of the Balliol were demonstrated in a very practical manner on the Boulton Paul stand. Careful comparison was also made between the Fairey Primer and de Havilland Chipmunk, the former being the less familiar and attracting special attention with its ingen- iously designed clear-view tandem cockpit enclosures. On the Fairey stand was a composite wing for the Primer. Per- civals presented two versions of the Prentice—a standard Mk. 1, looking very smart in Argentine markings, and a Mk. 2 with supercharged Gipsy Queen. The higher output of this engine was put to very good account in the flying display. The Fairey Operational Trainer was a standard British Naval machine in yellow finish (the type has also been adopted by the Netherlands Navy) and the Meteor 7 was the famous vermilion demonstrator. The reduced all-up weight of the Meteor 7 gives a wing loading of 40 lb/sq ft, a stalling speed of 100 m.p.h. (flaps and undercarriage down), and allows the approach to be made at 120 m.p.h. The one new A.O.P. machine on view—the Auster A.2/45—exemplified the tendency towards increased size, weight and power. Complete particulars are withheld, but it was evident that for take-off and landing large-area split flaps are provided, and that additional lift is obtained by aileron droop. Wing-tip slots are provided, with the inten- tion of keeping the ailerons "alive" at low speeds. The long-travel undercarriage, by reducing the angle of attack at touch-down, is said effectively to "kill" lift and thus prevent ballooning. Looking somewhat strange in the machine park, but none the less attractive, the Supermarine Seagull amphibian flying-boat was the only machine to have a variable- incidence wing. Originally designed for observation and reconnaissance, the prototype displayed was equipped for A.S.R. work. With its speed range of 54 m.p.h. to 260 m.p.h. it represents a tremendous advance over its grand- parent, the whiskery Walrus. Many were the congratulations extended to personnel of Short Bros, and Harland and General Aircraft on the highly successful conversions made by their companies of the Sturgeon and Mosquito to suit these aircraft for target- towing and target-simulating duties. With a 16-ft winged target the Sturgeon will cruise at 289 m.p.h. Despite its excrescences, the Mosquito likewise retains a high perform- ance. The glazed nose holds a camera and operator for recording A.A. fire laid to give a fixed error. There is a small dorsal turret for a rearward-facing observer who operates the drogue and marks the shell bursts. CIVIL AIRCRAFT NOTES DEVELOPMENTS in the civil aircraft field were par-ticularly concerned with the introduction of gasturbines, both of turbojet and turboprop type, butgood progress in airframe design, construction and equip- ment was also apparent. New aircraft representing every class greeted visitors, and even the unexpected arrival of the newly launched Tudor VTII four-jet high-altitude research aircraft, which is expected to make a valuable con- tribution to knowledge of operating conditions for the 20,000-40,oooft height band, only temporarily diverted attention from the entirely new and fully furnished Hermes IV, Viscount, Prince and Sealand, not to mention other
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