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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1647.PDF
FLIGHT, 29 September 1949 411 An early proposal, with pusher propellers and vee tail. i he brabazon I as she first flew on September 4th, (949. Left) Showing undercarriage layout abandoned late in 1945. BACKGROUND WITH admirable prescience, the Government decided in1942 to take preliminary steps to safeguard the post- war department of British aviation. An interdepart- mental committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Brabazon of Tara, and consisting of representatives from the Air Ministry, Ministry of Aircraft Production and Ministry of Production, was appointed to prepare outline speci- fications of aircraft types required for commercial utiliza- tion. On February gth, 1943, the committee recommended (as mentioned by Lord Brabazon himself on the first page of this supplement) that designs for five new types of air- craft should be started immediately. The first of these was a London-New York landplane with a still-air range of 5,000 statute miles; this type was listed as top priority for allo- cation of design and prototype-construction effort, and it was estimated that the first batch of production machines would be unlikely to appear much before the end of the fifth year. A second Brabazon Committee was appointed to consider the types recommended and to prepare, with due regard to traffic needs and economy of operation, a list of require- ments for each type in sufficient detail to provide a working basis for design and development. In their first interim report (August, 1943) they gave priority to aircraft for the London-New York service and recommended that no time be lost in the issue of a specification, adding that if the exacting operational requirements of this service were to be met, financial considerations must necessarily be sub- sidiary. A detailed list of requirements was also prepared, including the provision of accommodation for a minimum of twenty-five passengers in convertible berths. Mean- while, the Bristol Aeroplane Company had been asked by the M.A.P. to make design proposals, and in May, 1943, after submitting a memorandum, were told that the Ministry intended to order two prototypes. The Bristol Company was selected because it was the only firm with sufficient design capacity available at the time; it had an excellent record on structural work and, manufacturing aero engines also, would be responsible for both branches of develop- ment. In 1942 the company had tendered proposals for a bomber of similar size to the Brabazon Type I. To the second Brabazon Committee B.O.A.C. had sug- gested that the aircraft should have a passenger capacity of about twenty-five, together with mail and a quantity of cargo; they expected the gross weight to be about 150,0001b. The Bristol Company, however, maintained that to meet Progressive views on this and the following page show the Brabazon I's huge structure taking form ; the move from No. 2 Flight Shed to the new assembly hall during October 1947, and the coincident naming ceremony ; the final stages of erection, resonance testing and engine running. Lastly she is seen in flight on September 8th, 1949, over the S.B.A.C Display at Farnborough.
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