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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1721.PDF
FLIGHT, M October, 1949 4*5 Airborne troops, debarked from 3 Handley Page Hastings, take up position at the double. can support troops in the field, six Lincolns putting down a total of six 500 and forty-eight 25 lb bombs on a target indicated by Mosquitoes. The instructions of the Mosquito- mounted master-bomber to the two pathfinders and to the approaching main force, and his subsequent assessment of the bombing, was a model of clarity. So accurate was the placing of the green target indicator that the Lincolns, in line-astern at 1,500-yard intervals, were ordered to make it their primary aiming point and to bomb direct (i.e., without vector or overshoot). The '' stream bombing'' by the Lincolns preceded a demonstration by U.S.A.F. B-50S of the 43rd Bomb Group which, bombing "on the lead ship," put down a thin carpet of startlingly inaudible 100-pounders. These Strato- bombers are not really at home under 20,000ft, due to restrictions imposed by their bomb-sights; nevertheless, they appeared to achieve good results. General Johnson was anxious that it should be made clear that the tech- nique demonstrated is not the only one practised by U.S.A.F. heavy-bomber units; it is, in fact, one of many, but is favoured for attacking military concentrations and the like because of the cumulative blast effect achieved. The U.S.A.F. commentator gave the following figures for the B-50: range, nearly 5,000 miles; maximum bomb load, 20,000 lb (the type can carry an atom bomb without modi- fication); armament, 12 x 0.5m guns; speed, 350 m.p.h. at 25,000ft. Incidentally, in a helpful discourse on U.S. bombers, he stated that the four-jet North American B-45, standard U.S.A.F. light bomber, carries 16,000 1b of bombs for 850 miles, and that a range of 1,200 miles is foreseen. As usual, four Mosquitoes bombed under the direction of a mobile radar-control post, but on this occasion did not manage to achieve their usually good results. The mean error seemed to be 300-400 yards, whereas 250 yards is nearer the usual figure. It should be put on record, how- ever, that in a reheaxsal on the previous day the " Mos- sies " had registered a direct hit. The present radar em- ployed for direction is of American origin and lias a range of only 25-35 miles. A new American set, not yet avail- able to the R.A.F., has an appreciably longer range. To '' demonstrate range of speeds and manoeuvrability of jet aircraft" a Meteor and a Vampire came over from Thorney Island and Odiham respectively. The Meteor wrote its signature in tip trails, precipitated by an astonishingly sharp pull-up, followed by a flawless eight- point roll. With recollections of Bulldog, we guessed the pilot to be a noted Harvard-killer and head-on attacker of our acquaintance. The Vampire flew very fast and very slow at very close quarters, but was aerobatically handi- capped by cloud; a Shooting Star which had been lurking in the background for some time failed, for some reason, to get in its display, though we had no doubt that this would have repaid watching. On the following day there was a transport support demonstration at Netheravon—the usual sequel to the Westdown event. Here the major item of interest was the dropping of heavy containers, each having eight 42ft para- chutes, from Halifaxes of No. 38 Group. These particular " paratechnicons" are capable of carrying a 6,000 lb load, but a larger type is being developed for the Hastings. During descent hinged flaps expose three pneumatic shock absorbers which deflate at an appropriate rate when the container touches down. The eight parachutes are released automatically. A jeep and a 6-pounder gun lormed the demonstration load, but the " paratechnicon " is also being developed for personnel dropping. Handley Page Hastings transports unloaded heavy car- goes, dropped supplies from 500ft and disembarked troops, and Dakotas and a Valetta illustrated their usefulness as instruments of army support by dropping parachutists and containers respectively. A Sikorsky Hoverfly helicopter performed its usual merey mission. An F-47 Thunderbolt of the U.S.A.F. delivers a well-aimed brace of R.P.s against the long-suffering Westdown tanks.
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