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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0389.PDF
March 1951 story of a hole- The gull-strike; work under way; the patch and masking. On the right, S/L Callard is officially taking over the Canberra from English Electric officials after completion of repairs seen in progress above. have been well; but, as it happened, one was struck. Callard felt the impact and feared for one of the Avons; Haskett looked out but saw no damage. It was, however (as the Aldergrove C.T.O. soon discovered) serious enough to keep the Canberra grounded throughout the night while repairs were effected. The delay was especially unfortunate as the met. forecast was at that time comparatively favourable. Thereafter conditions were likely to deteriorate. S/L. Callard handed over to Mr. S. E. Virgo for a more detailed met. briefing. Mr. Virgo is senior- meteorological officer of No. 18 Group, R.A.F., and for some time has been specializing in Atlantic forecasting. He gave due credit to the collaboration of the Central Forecasting Office at Dun- stable and the staff at Prestwick. He had plotted a special series of charts showing winds and temperatures up to a height of 50,000ft, but the level for the actual crossing was, of course, to be decided by the pilot himself. Mr. Virgo explained that the winds tended to increase with height up to 35,000ft, but that they lessened in force in the strato- sphere; so it would pay Callard to fly as high as possible. At 30 deg west and 40,000ft they were of the order of 70-75 kt, 310 deg, but at 50,000ft had dropped to some 45-50 kt—an important difference in 10,000ft of height. These winds, remarked the met. expert, should not change substantially in the immediate future but there was a prospect of worsen- ing conditions at Gander. (The landing forecast, incidentally, was a routine one, passed by radio in the normal way.) The Canberra was to fly roughly a Great-Circle course and would not employ the pressure-pattern technique. Her track passed near two weather-ships—one British and one American—and F/L. Robson would be able to talk with both. The distance was 1,800 nautical miles (2,100 statute miles), and although S/L. Callard would say nothing which might give a precise measure of the Canberra's performance, he did mention that each increment of 50 kt in wind speed would add about hah0 an hour to his time. There were several con- venient diversions, including Bluie West, in Greenland. The usual civil procedure of reporting would be followed, which meant that out into mid-Atlantic the aircraft would be in touch with Prestwick Trans-ocean Control, and thereafter with Gander. The fuel-transfer system from the wing-tip tanks, we learned, had been checked on the trip over from Warton. At one time Callard expected to jettison these tanks, but cal- culations by the English Electric technical staff showed that the drag penalty would be negligible, and so he proposed to retain them. At Gander the aircraft would take on fuel and oxygen before leaving for Andrews Field, near Washington. It transpired that a "small technical job" mentioned by S/L. Callard as being necessary at Gander would be to measure the length of the generator brushes. The crew were wearing standard pressure waistcoats and the pilot showed us his new "experimental war-service dress" which, if approved, will be generally issued. The blouse and trousers are in blue-grey barathea, the blouse being longer in the waist than the existing war-service dress blouse. The design allows for greater freedom of movement, essential in modern Service aircraft, and elastic at the waist permits The centre of the three views above shows Mr. S. £. Virgo, senior met. officer, No. 18 Group, with S/L. Callard (in his experimental war-service dress) and FjLs. Haskett and Robson. The lower picture shows the Canberra being re-fuelled shortly before leaving on February 21st.
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