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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0003.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2141 Vol. LV11. THURSDAY, 5 JANUARY 1950. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.BX EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. TECHNICAL EDITOR C. B. BAILEY-WATSON, B.A. ART HJfTOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishitig Offices : DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON. Su£.l- Telegnims : flighlpres, Sedist, London, •telephone : Wtrtenteo 3333 &O bmi- Branch Offices :' COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams : Autnoor, Coventry. — „ Telephone : Coventry 5210. a ^* BIRMINGHAM, 2. : * r ' King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams : Autoprtss, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 7 [91 (7 Vines). MANCHESTER. 3. :.. ",.; „ 260, Deansgzte. ' ^ Telegrams : Miffe, Monc/iester. Telephone : Blackfriars +412 (3 fines). Deansgate 3595 (2 lines). GtASGOW, C.2. 26b, Renfield Street. Te/egronis : l/iflfe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4337. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas : Twelve months £3 Is. Od. Six months, £1 K)s. fed. U.S.A. and Canada, S 10.00. BY AIR : To any country in Europe (except Poland). Twelve months, £5 Is. Od. Six months. £2 19s. 6d. Canada and U.S.A. Six months, $16. In this issue: Highest. Fastest. Farthest 2 Canadian Contender - - 13 Tonic Sonics ----- 16 New Year Honours - - 23 Pre-flight Trials - - - - 25 Design of Turboprop Transports 26 Outdoing the ThrillersS OME reflection'on supersonic flying is appropriate on two accounts: the first —and the more sensational—an unconfirmed report that flight at a Mach number of 3 has been achieved by the Bell X-i; the second^ (more valuable in being carefully substantiated and detailed) an article by Stanley Evans in this issue, dealing with supersonic achievements of the Douglas Skyrocket. Let it be remarked at the outset that the American Air Force and Navy, sponsors of the X-i and Skyrocket respectively, have handled publicity for their supersonic achievements in an exasperatingly circnmspect manner. Those "wild American claims" which are somehow instinctively believed by many people in this country to have been advanced though this, on investigation, does not prove to be the case) have certainly not stemmed from official sources. So little authentic information has, in fact, seeped out of America that Afr. Evans' Tonic Sonics will come as a highly stimulating draught to many interested readers. f If,-*s an American aviation editor asserts, the Bell X-i has achieved Mach 3, representing a speed of some 2,000 m.p.h., then the latest scientific thriller (see Gerald Kersh's The Suppressed Part of the Sant Report in the Daily Mail of December 30th) becomes as dated as the earlier romances of Wells. But whatever the troth behind the American editor's story, we may well speculate on how we might have reacted even two short years ago to the unequivocal report, new coldly and carefully set down in this very issue of Flight, that '' supersonic flights have become more or less normal practice, even down to desert level." That we in Britain have missed our first cue in the exciting drama of supersonic research is obvious to the world; but behind the scenes, we believe, resolute action is being taken to ensure that in the vital phase of developing aircraft for practical supersonic operation we shall not be found wanting in courage or resourcefulness. - -^ :-•.:•:. • • " • .:"-„," •-'&•; RecordsW HATEVER may be one's personal opinion on the value of records, there is ample evidence to indicate that the world public is impressed oy fastest, highest, farthest and other superlative achievements, whether by animal or machine. Flying as a whole can seldom profit by such demonstrations if they are of the spectacular sort, but nearly always gains when they are of the worka- day, routine service variety. Many aircraft records, both "ultimate" and class, are witness to both human and mechanical efficiency, and are of real technical value. Fighters need speed and climb, airliners carrying capacity. With each year that passes, the achievement of greater speed and higher altitude calls for more-specialized aircraft and increasingly taxes the ingenuity of the tech- nician as much as the skill and courage of the pilot. Thus, to make such attempts becomes ever-more costly in cash and in the diversion of skilled men from more urgent work. This, more than anything else, accounts for the meagre showing which Britain makes in the list of world's records published in the following pages. In the past, Service aircraft have been able to capture records almost as a routine job: for example, American bombers hold many for distance and speed with load. Probably for the last time, a standard jet fighter (the F-86) holds the world's speed record; there is certainly more than one research aircraft now capable of eclipsing its performance. It is a little disturbing that no British military aircraft in service to-day is capable of taking an ultimate or class record, although some prototypes— the S.R./A.i and, no doubt, the Canberra, for example—are potential record- holders. It is significant that the Venom is very closely related to the Ghost-Vampire, Britain's successful contender for the altitude title. Surprisingly enough, no cate- gory exists for rate of climb; in this quality several British fighters excel. Until this country is in a position further to enhance the prestige of her aircraft industry by regaining world records, there will be publicity value in continuing to demonstrate useful performance by high-speed capital-to-capital flights.
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