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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0924.PDF
MAY 19TH, 1949 FLIGHT 603 CANADAIR NORTHROPS Licence Acquired for Production of Utility Transport AS briefly reported in last week's issue of Flight, Canadair,Ltd., of Mont-real, has entered into a licence agreementk- with Northrop Aircraft Inc., for production in Canadaof tiie three-engined Northrop Raider. Although this "assault transport-" was developed as a military version of the earlierPioneer commerciat cargo aircraft, Mr. Oliver West, the presi- dent of Canadair, has indicated that the Raider design hascivil applications. In a statement announcing the agreement, Mr. West expressed the belief that this combination ofNorthrop's engineering talents and Canadair's proven produc- tion and sales abilities would benefit many of the world's air-line, charter and military transport operators. Details ot the agreement are described as "exceptionallybroad." As well as building, supplying and servicing Raiders for all available markets, other than the United States,Canadair has the right to develop the basic design. Northrop, it is stated, will assist the Dominion concern in an engineeringconsulting capacity, and further specific agreements are expected. Designed for operation in and out of, small and poorlysurfaced airfields, the Raider is of all-metal construction and has a heavy-duty fixed undercarriage. Provision is made forconversion to floats or skis. A ramp-type door is situated in the under-side of the fuselage and forward of the door is a tail-wheel mounted on a combined oleo-leg-cum-jack which hydraulically raises the tail to facilitate loading. Measuring9ft wide x 24ft long x i£ft thick, the ramp door enables vehicles to be driven straight into the semi-monocoque fuselage. Thecargo hold is stressed to take a useful load of 12,838 1b, and has a capacity of 2,290 cu ft. '' Family '' design features incorporated in the Raider includeretractable ailerons, permitting full-span flaps, as employed by the Black Widow. The Raider's tall single fin and rudder,with high-set tailplane, bears a close resemblance to the tail unit of the Northrop Scorpion night fighter, which, incident-ally, is believed to have the same all-up weight (32,500 lb). With three 1,200 h.p. Wright R-1820-97 nine-cylinder radialengines, the Raider has a maximum speed of 210 m.p.h., cruises at 164 m.p.h., and has an initial rate of climb of i,325ft/min.Hamilton Standard fully feathering, reversible-pitch airscrews are fitted, and assist in shortening the landing run to 230ft at23,000 lb weight. It has been estimated that the Raider's take-off run of 560ft would be decreased to 490ft by the instal- lation of 1,425 h.p. Wright 1820-76 engines. Other perform-ance figures would, of course, benefit correspondingly. Total fuel capacity is 1,800 gallons.At the Northrop plant at Hawthorne, California, 23 Raiders are being built to a U.S. Air Force order. Of these, ten willbe used for Arctic rescue, while the remainder will be employed in the development of the "assault transport" technique.This is thought to offer a more flexible method of landing troops and equipment in battle areas than is possible withgliders, and with less wastage. With the robust construction and ease of maintenance essential for such a duty, and witha capacity, in civil form, for over 30 passengers, the Raider appears likely to prave attractive to many operators. C.U.A.S. ENTERTAINS C.A.S. WTH customary high spirits the Cambridge University-Air Squadron, at its annual dinner at the University Arms Hotel last Friday, entertained some distinguished guests.They included the Chief of the Air Staff, Lord Tedder; Air Marshal Sir Alan Lees, A.O.C.-in-C. Reserve Command; andMr. S. C. Roberts, M.A., Vice-Chancellor elect and Master of Pembroke College. W/C. C. H. Simpson, the Commanding Officer, in propos-ing "The Guests," referred to ihe new headquarters which would shortly be opened in the town, and for which the co-operation of Mr. R. H. Melville, Assistant Under Secretary of State for Air, was largely responsible. The Squadron hada full house, said W/C. Simpson, and there was now a- waiting list. He had no " moans " "except, of course, the hardy post-war annual about the type of aircraft they were flying; he reminded his listeners that before the war, as a member ofthe Squadron, he flew larger and faster aircraft. Mr. Roberts congratulated the Squadron on its freedomfrom superstition in choosing such a date for its gala night. He raised many laughs by his own interpretation of some ofthe terms used by W/C. Simpson, particularly a reference to the C.A.S., which he interpreted as the Cambridge AntiquarianSociety. Lord Tedder proposed the toast to the Squadron and cappedthe Master's joke by referring to himself as the Chief Aunt Sally. He went on to administer a characteristically amusingreprimand to the Commanding Officer for raising the question of equipment at such a function, and further suggested thatsince it was an administrative matter it should be dealt with through the usual channels to .enable it to reach the correctCivil Service department, from which it would never emerge. I-ord Tedder hoped that the Squadron House was full of good-quality material—in fact, that the. full house was "aces" P23 or at least "kings high." He attached great importance tothe University Air Squadrons, particularly in the training of true leaders. In its broadest sense the quality of leadershipwas to be fostered and in that direction the squadrons had a great responsibility. To achieve that end he urged main-tenance of the highest standard. Mr. Roberts, said the C.A.S., had light-heartedy inferred that flying -was an ungentlemanlyaffair, but he would remind him that, as in the cases of other pursuits flying had suffered through its close association withwar, which was not a gentlemanly pursuit. We were often, he thought, in danger of applying gentlemanly actions towarfare, but sound judgment was more important than ethics. Mr. I. S. Lloyd, B.A., replying for the Squadron, describedin vivid detail a replacement aircraft for the Reserves. It was, he alleged, a Nene Tiger, code number DH 82A, Mk 301,and a striking example of the ability of an intrinsically outstanding design to withstand continual modification. NEW INSTRUCTOR AT HAMBLE "TNTENSIVE instruction continues at Air Service Training, -L Hamblo. The demand has increased so much recently that three new flying instructors have had to be engaged; they are F/L.s E. W. Curtis, R. O. Whitehead and P. F. Middleton. F/L. Curtis, until recently, was a captain with Norwegian Airlines; during the war he was an instructor. F/L. Whitehead was a fighter pilot and subsequently an instructor; recently he was employed as C.F.I, at the Hampshire Aero Club. F/L. Middleton had a versatile Service career, and for seven months was in charge of Field-Marshal Montgomery's H.Q. Flight. Latterly, he has been employed with the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, Ltd
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