FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0964.PDF
MAY 26TH, 1949 FLIGHT 623 Balliol Progress Pre-production Order for Merlin-powered Mark Us for Service Testing at Home and Overseas IT was in the July 1st, 1948, issue of Flight that a fullydetailed description of the Boulton Paul Balliol Mark 1advanced trainer appeared, and the time has now come when some further measure of progress can be recorded. Flying qualities of the Balliol Mark I, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop, were reported on ill our February 3rd issue this year. The three Mark I pro- totypes were followed by the construction of four prototype Mark Us employing Merlin 35 engines. One of these latter aircraft, having undergone the normal Boscombe Down trials, is now out at Khartoum, where its suitability for tropical operation will be assessed; from all reports, it appears to be behaving very well. The flight out to Khartoum was made with wing drop-tanks and was accomplished without incident. In the meantime, Boulton Paul Air- craft, Ltd., have received an order for 17 pre-production Mark II Balliols, the first batch of which are now near- ing completion. These pre-production aircraft will be sent out on extensive Service trials to Squadrons and Main- tenance Units, both in this country and in Rhodesia. Whether there will, however, be a hiatus between the completion of the intermediate 17 and the placing of a firm contract for pro- duction Balliols remains to be seen. The Avro Athena is competing for the same prize. The Balliol certainly makes a vt-iv The first batch of pre-production Mcrlm- Balliols are now nearing completion up at Wolverhampton. fine showing in meeting the requirements of its design specification; its in-built quality of simplicity in mainten- ance should prove a powerful factor in its favour. Other things being equal, the value of an aircraft is dependent upon its flying serviceability, and this shows up in a trainer perhaps to a greater degree than in any other military type, particularly in peacetime. The influence of ease of main- tenance on flying serviceability is too obvious to need emphasis. Further to aid the" maintenance problem, a large measure of interchangeability has been introduced into the "Flight" photoi/rap B I?
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
