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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0686.PDF
446 FLIGHT, 6 April 1950 RECORDS AND RULES : : : more than 100 metres so as to allow direct visual observa- tion by the observer. After getting on to course the pilot may fly at whatever height he chooses, but must cross the finishing line at a maximum height of 100 metres. On landing at Cairo, the seals on the Fury were checked by the observer appointed by the Royal Aero Club of Egypt and the airframe and engine identified as the originals. When the flight is over, a dossier of the attempt must be compiled by the Royal Aero Club. This includes a Certificate of Measurement between the two city-centres, and a similar certificate relating to the distance between the starting and finishing lines ; Certificates of the Start and Finish, signed by the timekeeper at each end of the course ; a log-sheet in respect of the fixing of the official seals; and other papers giving specific details regarding the aircraft, engine and pilot. The completed dossier is then submitted to the F.A.I, in Paris, who check over the figures of speed and distance and, if everything is in order, in due course confirm the record, which is then entered on their official list of International Air Records. If it is found that the figures are in error, and reveal that the speed of the flight is not sufficiently in excess of an existing record, or if there is any doubt about the authenticity of the flight, then the F.A.I, may refuse to confirm the flight as a record. At the time of writing, confirmation of Duke's London-Cairo record is pending HAS THE INTERCEPTER HAD ITS DAY ? (Continued from page 423) loading for jet-propelled aircraft. If one allows that the bomb and fuel load of the bomber over the target amounts to one-half of its all-up weight, the fighter's weight still cannot be brought low enough to halve the wing loading. It must carry armament and fuel; it will be lucky if it can get a third of the extra manoeuvrability it needs. To help himself, the designer may turn to re-heat or to rocket propulsion. With the former he could either get the same thrust with reduced engine- weight, and so reduce wing loading a little, or he could use it to get transonic speeds and hope that the speed will be high enough to restore manoeuvrability. The indications are that only the rocket can give enough speed for that purpose. One solution to the handling problem of jet fighters would be to use armament and tactics which do not require manoeuvrability. High values of g mostly arise because the target must be held in the sights at comparatively short range. If the armament could be fired instantane- ously at long range the g demand would be quite small. An example of the type of installation is a single-shot gun firing a proximity-fused shell, the sighting and firing prob- ably being automatic, through the medium of a radar set. Unfortunately, all such installations are heavy and bulky, and so handicap the fighter still further as regards per- formance and handling. It is ominous that there is talk about rocket-propelled fighters for the defence of this country. Ominous because the rocket-propelled fighter cannot operate without pre- elusive risk in bad weather or at night; at best it is a clumsy and desperate means of defence. At the cost of flexibility, which is one of the big attractions of fighter defence, rocket propulsion can solve the performance pro- blems of the fighter, and at least ease the handling pro- blem, as the empty weight of the rocket unit is very low. It must be allowed that a combination of rocket fighters, and the best jet fighters that can be produced, would pro- vide some sort of deterrent to the jet bomber in all weathers, and at night. But against well-directed atomic- bomb attacks this could hardly be called defence. The only real hope of effective defence against jet bombers carrying atomic bombs would seem to lie in the logical development of the rocket-propelled supersonic fighter, namely, the ground-to-air guided missile. Since the air defence of the country has been its special depart- ment of warfare, one hopes that the R.A.F. will be en- trusted with the job of operating the guided missile. A "LANCASHIRE" LUNCHEON Q at a luncheon given by the Lancashire Aircraft»J Corporation in London last Friday, March 31st, Mr. Eric Kylands, the chairman, said that the company operated 22services, served 16 cities, had a maximum daily passenger capacity of 1,570, and between the mainland and the Isle ofMan alone could carry 1,326 passengers. He felt that L.A.C., one of the first independent companies to start operations in1946, had earned a place in civil aviatjon. He recalled the work done on the Air Lift, on the "Milk Run," and onworld-wide charter services, and thought that companies such as his had a right to know what their prospects were for thefuture a few months ahead of time. Mr. Rvlands said that the company were good employers, having paid out some £%million in wages. The luncheon inaugurated the third summer programme of services to be operated in conjunction with B.E. A. On the very important subject of the part that civil aviationcould play in the event of an emergency, the chairman said that a mercantile air force could, and should, be formed. Hevisualized Reserve squadrons which could work for the Air Ministry in a Reserve capacity. All the staff of the LancashireAircraft Corporation had indicated their willingness to become members of a Reserve or Auxiliary force, and in times ofemergency it was their wish to be available as a complete unit for immediate use. They were well qualified and experi-enced in their trade, though unfortunately not in any other. In reply, Mr. Frank Beswick, Parliamentary Secretary tothe Ministry of Civil Aviation, congratulated Mr. Rylands on the way he had dug his toes in and made a place for hiscompany, and he wished L.A.C. good luck in the coming year. The luncheon was attended by a number of senior officersin military as well as civil aviation circles. RETIREMENT OF R.Ae.S. SECRETARY AS we go to press, a statement from the Royal AeronauticalSociety announces the forthcoming retirement of Capt. J. Laurence Pritchard, who has been secretary of the Society for the past 25 years. An appeal for funds for a testimonial is being made, and the S.B.A.C. has already promised £500. Further details will be published next week. TEST-PIECE BY SEA ; ~ Tuesday ol last week, a full-scale replica section ol theSaunders-Roe Princess wing was despatched aboard the Channel Coast, as deck cargo, for transport to Bristol. Thesection, measuring 26ft x 3tft x 5ft gin, was put aboard the steamer at Samuel White's yard, adjacent to the Saro works,and arrived at Cannon's Marsh, Bristol, next day, thence being taken by road to Filton during the week-end. The purpose of the delivery is to permit the carrying outof full-scale installation test running of the coupled Proteus turboprop units with which, of course, the Princess is to bepowered. A similar policy was proven to be highly successful in the case of the double Centaurus power installation for theprototype Brabazon. * The wing section, with protective cradle, on the ship's deck.
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