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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0601.PDF
APRIL 7TH, 1949 FLIGHT STRATOCRUISER HERE Pan American's "Flying Cloud" Comes to London Airport NAMED Flying Cloud, the fourth aircraft ofan order for 20 Boeing Stratocruisers to bedelivered to Pan American Airways, and the first example of the type to be seen in this country, landed at London Airport at 1325 hours last Monday. It had originally been intended that the flight from Gander to London should be made direct, but a reduced favourable-wind component made a landing at Shannon necessary. The Gander- Shannon leg took seven hours. When the scheduled service begins on June 1st passengers will be flown direct from Heathrow to Idlewild in 12 hours. The Stratocruiser's arrival at London Airport was further delayed by servicing to its port outer engine, which had been out of action when the aircraft touched down at Shannon at 0420 hours on Monday. Maintenance crews were reported to have experienced difficulty in re-fitting engine cowlings in the prevailing gale. In charge of Flying Cloud's crew of 17, many of whom were, of course, supernumary, was Command Captain R. D. Fordyce, with Capt. F. I. Jacobs and Capt. C. R. Titus as first and second officers. Despite its delayed arrival, a large number of people waited to welcome the Stratocruiser, includ- ing those members of the public responding to a widely advertised invitation to inspect the new airliner. Impressions gained in a brief examination of the interior were that the upper deck is extremely spacious in spite of the large number of seats, while in the lower half of the '' double- bubble " fuselage the cocktail lounge, with a large mirror, appeared extremely attractive; it is upholstered in red, grey and blue. Pan American officials constituted the passenger list, some forty strong. Among them was Mr. Willis G. Lipscomb (vice- president, traffic and sales), who stated that Pan American ' Flight " photograph. Super Clipper : Tht luxurious, fast, and expensive (137^000) Bnemg cruiser Flying Cloud of Pan American World Airways, the first of Us type to visit the United Kingdom, touching down at London Airport last Monday afternoon. Airways' goal was to carry people, cargo and letters in greatnumbers—that was, mass air-transportation for the average man at fares he could afford to pay. The world's first low-cost tourist-class fare was begun recently between New York and Puerto Rico, with the result that within five months thenumber of scheduled air passengers between Puerto Rico and New York was more than trebled. Late this summer, he said, sufficient equipment would beavailable to enable P.A.W.A. to offer low-cost tourist-class ser- vice to Europe and to the Orient as well as to South America.Tourist-class fares between the United Kingdom and the United States could be at least 30 per cent below first-classrates. There was no reason, therefore, why a tourist-class air trip between Europe and the United States this autumn shouldcost more than $225 (approximately ,£56). That was the Pan American objective, subject to the concurrence of the Govern-ments concerned. They would not carry two classes of pas- sengers on the same aircraft. Six Stratocruisers, incidentally, are on order for B.O.A.C.,which expects delivery of the first during November. A description of the aircraft, with reference to B.O.A.C. require-ments, was published in Flight of January 27th last. MENTION PERMITTEDT HE existence of a turboprop-powered version of the West- land Wyvern strike-fighter may now be disclosed. Designated the Wyvern T.F.2, it is powered by an Armstrong- Siddeley Python of unstated power output. The maximum power output so far admitted for this unit is 4,100 h.p. Official mention has previously been made of another turboprop- powered strike-fighter, the Westland W.35, with Rolls-Royce Clyde. The mark-number F.8 has been allotted to a later variant of the Meteor. A "long-nose" Meteor development, with increased fuel tankage, was announced in 1947. COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS CELEBRATIONT HE College of Aeronautics, established by the Government in 1946 to provide high-grade engineering, technical and scientific training in aeronautics, celebrated its first annual dinner last Friday. There was an excellent and representative gathering, including many guests, in the Senior Common Room of the College, which is situated at Cranfield, some ten miles south-west of Bedford. The toast list was as follows:-— "The College of Aeronautics."—Proposed by Sir Robert S. Wood, C.B., K.B.E.; response by the Principal, E. F. Relf, C.B.E., F.R.S. "The Senior Common Room Society."—Proposed by P. G. Masefield, M.A.; response by the Chairman, S. V. Colbran, M.A. "The Guests."—Proposed by Sir Frederick Handley Page, C.B.E.; response by Prof. G. Temple, F.R.S. NEW CO. FOR No. 615 CQUADRON LEADER PETER DEVITT has been appointed *J to command the County of Surrey Squadron of the R.Aux.A.F., vice S/L. Kellett. Before the war Peter Devitt was a flight commander in No. 600 (City of London) Squadron. He fought in the Battle of Britain, and, later, served as a GroupCaptain on A.V-M. S. F. Vincent's staff in Burma. Appropriately, he is a Surrey man—his home is at Limps-field—and a member of Lloyd's. Gliding is one of his pastimes and he owns an Olympia sailplane which he keeps at Redhill,where he is a member of the Surrey Gliding Club. AERONAUTICAL GOLF THE match between the Aero Golfing Society and the R.A.F.Golfing Society, played at the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club on. March 15th, resulted in a win for the R.A.F. team. In- dividual scores were as follows: Aero Golfing Society H. G. Bentley ...A. Michell-Clarke Douglas Bader...\V. G. Metcalfe Lord BrabasonP. Q. Reiss T. F. Mitchell ...A. E. L. Skinner H. G. Bentley...Douglas Bader... Lord BrabazonA. Michell-Clarke P. Q. ReissW. G. Metcalie A. E. L. SkinnerT. F. Mitchell (6 and 5)(3 ana 1) (3 and 2 (4 and 2) R.A.F. Golfing SocietyF.L. J. Niven (I S/L. F. C. Roe ... 0G/C. G. F. Macpherson .0 A. Cdre. H. D. jackman 1S/L. H.E.Beardshaw... 0 W'C. R.D.I. Scott ... ]F/L. G. Hovil 1 G/C. K. A. Jackman ... | (2 and 3) (7 and 5)(3 and 1) F L. T. Niven ...SI. F. C. Roe G C. G. F. Macpherson I .A. Cdre. H. D. Tankman/ S 'L.-H. E. Bearfshaw...\\;C. R. D. I. Scott ... G/C. K. A. Jackman ...F'L. H. Hovil 3* "\ 1 (7 and 5i (ft and 5) 0 1 (4 and 2) 1 3 Result :. Aero Golfing Society, 5i ; R.A.F. Golfing Society. 61. Following the competition members of the two societies were entertained to dinner by Flight at the Aviation Centre, London- derry House. Mr. F. G. Montfort Bebb welcomed the guests and Sir Frederick Handley Page replied.
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