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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0923.PDF
FLIGHT, II May 1950 597 FOR CAREFREE TOURING . . . N.W.i.—Leather for aircraft-cabin upholstery and furnishings.Firth and Sons; Ltd., T. F., Africa House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2.—Upholstery materials and lightweight carpeting.Hairlok Co., Ltd., The, 117 Victoria Street, London, S.W.i.— Hairlok and Texfoam materials for cushions, headrests, seats, etc.Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., Nobel House, 2 Buckingham Gate, London, S.W.i.—Rexine and Vynide fire-resisting leather cloths.King Aircraft Corporation, Fifth St., Montrose Ave., Hillington, Glasgow, S.E.2.—Seats.Lancefield Coachworks, 4 Wrentfield Place, London, VV.io.—Chairs. Latex Upholstery, Ltd., 41, Lonsdale Rd., Bayswater, London, W.n. —Cushions, shockproof padding, etc.Moseley and Sons, Ltd., Ardwick, Manchester.—" Float-on-air" upholstery.Moulded Components (Jablo), Ltd., Mill Lane, Waddon, Croydon, Surrey.—Cushioning.Rumboid and Co., Ltd.. L. A., Kingsgate Place, Kilburn, London, N.VV.6—Seat? and soundproofing. Tinkertex, Ltd., Holmfirth, nr. Huddersfield.—Mothproof and fire-proof upholstery and curtaining materials. Turner (London), Ltd., Ernest, Korthdown House, Northdown St., King's Cross London, N.I.—Upholstery and cabin fittings.Wingham Bennett and Co., Ltd., Central Works, Central Ave., West Molesey, Suney.—Adjustable aircraft seats. TARGET-TOWING IN SWEDEN Civil-operated Fireflies Give Excellent Results The larger of the two types of targets has twin tail-booms and a wing-span of 30ft. A KECENT demonstration of taxget-towing by the Swedishcompany Flygtjanst, which operates as a civilian unitat the service of the naval and military gunners, has stimulated interest in this aspect of training. The demon- stration was given both at Copenhagen (Kastrup) and near Stockholm, at the secluded grass airfield of Ska Edeby. Using Fairey Firefly Mk. I target tugs, the Flygtjanst com- pany last year piled up 1,200 hours of towing time, and during that period developed (under licence from the British R.F.D. Co.) a 30ft twin-boom winged target for ground-to-air or ship- to-air practice. Additionally, a 16ft winged target, banner target or sleeve can be towed. It is not generally known that the 16ft and 30ft targets have negative incidence: free from the tug, they have no lift and plunge to earth. The technique of operation is as follows: The target is placed on the ground, head to wind; then the wire—of surprisingly fine gauge—is laid out ahead for about 75 yards and the air- craft is taxied into position. The wire from the target is attached with a straightforward knot to a lead wire which passes on guides into the rear cockpit and round a reeling drum. This drum is rotated by a windmill device, turned in the slipstream. (In practice, the windmill has far too much power, and an operator explained that it was possible in flight to haul in the 16ft target by hand.) Clothing and Miscellaneous ItemsFothergill, Taylor, Ltd.. Woodside, Poynton, Cheshire.—Electrically heated flying clothing.Gieves, Ltd., 27 Old Bond St., London. W.I.—Flying clothing. Lewis, Ltd.. D.—124 Great Portland St., London, W.i.—Suits, goggles, helmets and intercomm. equipment, all flying clothing.Attewell and Sons, Ltd.. Reflation Works, Southall, Middx.—Air- Craft mirrors.Goodyeai Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., Wolverhampton.—Cross-wind landing gear.Houdaille Hydraulic Suspension Co., Ltd., 814 Hampton Rd., Twickenham, Middx.—Windscreen wipers.International Aeradio, Ltd., Aerad Services, Hayes Rd., Southall, Middx.—Aerad Flight Guide and consultative service.Jones Clifton and Co., Ltd., William, 68 Hanson Street, London, W.i.—Engraved panels, identification labels, etc.Meyrowitz, Ltd., E. B., ia Old Bond St., London, W.i.—Goggles. Polarizers (U.K.), Ltd., 8r Gracechurch St., London, E.C.3.—Variable-density and anti-glare windows, goggles, visors and other products incorporating " Polaroid " light-polarizing materials.Shell-Mex and B.P , Ltd., Shell-Mex House, Strand, London, W.C.2. —Flight plans, fuel carnets.Triplex Safety Glass Co., Ltd., 1 Albemarle St., London, W.i.— Plastic enclosuies, safety glass, goggles.Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., Weybridge Works, Weybridge, Surrey.— Ventilation louvres.Wilkinson Rubber Linitex, Ltd., Frimley Road, Camberley, Surrey. —"Linatex" rubber seals for doors, "etc. The pilot opens the throttle and for the initial stages oftake-off holds the aircraft low over the ground, the target skidding and bumping along the surface. Airborne, and stillat low altitude, the undercarriage is raised, and the aircraft still held low until about 150 knots is attained. The controlcolumn is then sharply pulled back, the aircraft climbs steeply, and the target—still 75 yards behind—is '' yanked ''off the ground. Then the aircraft levels off, and the target trails behind some 200ft. The wire is streamed to whateverlength is required up to 7,000ft. The manner, of slipping the target (presuming—not unreason-ably, alas!—that the gunners have failed to shoot it down) is as follows: The pilot manoeuvres the aircraft to a straightapproach into wind, altitude about 500ft, one mile from the airfield. With full flap, and throttled right back, he makesa "deck-landing," motored approach; by now the target is ieeled in to about 75 yards astern and below. Height isreduced and a stage is reached where the trailing target con- tacts the ground. At the critical moment the operator cutsthe cable and the target slithers to rest. The aircraft goes on to make a normal landing. Two interesting points were evident in the demonstration.The first is that with a quickly manoeu%'rable aircraft like the Firefly, on a steep turn the target is actually travelling much The tug's winch-windmill in the "feathered " position and (right) the 16ft target: note the skids and towing-cable attachme S
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