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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0390.PDF
248 PLIGHT CANBERRA ACROSS ... expansion over pressure waistcoats. There are two types of trousers, one with long sliding fasteners on the outside seams, which give quick access to the fasteners of the normal flying clothing worn underneath, and the other conforming to the normal pattern. Blouse and trousers have been designed for wear in conjunction with a wide range of protective under- garments. The "Mae Wests" were of the newest type, as illustrated in Flight of January 25th last. Having been photographed, filmed, interrogated and stalked for autographs, the crew found sanctuary in the mess: there was nothing for it but to await repair of the gull- sabotaged wing. Soon after daylight on February 21st we were again out at Aldergrove. The night had not passed without incident. Just before 2000 hr Mr. Peter Hillwood, an English Electric test pilot, who had ferried a party over in the firm's Consul, was very wisely making himself comfortable in the mess when word came from the Canberra's hangar that the damage was not wholly superficial. A generator cable in the leading edge had suffered. With his navigator, Mr. D. A. Watson, Hill- wood lost no time in getting airborne to collect a spare. It was snowing. Cloud-base over Belfast was at 400ft, tops at 10,000-11,000ft; but the Consul forced through to Warton. On the descent through cloud, severe icing was encountered and one sliver from an airscrew penetrated the fuselage. Having landed, the aircraft was still as iced as a Christmas cake but, with the spare aboard, returned in the frozen dark- ness without further mutilation. By 0845 repairs were completed in the bitterly cold hangar by R.A.F. and English Electric personnel. These splendid performances were to pass almost unnoticed in the flurry of publicity rightly occasioned by the Canberra's flight. The "E.E." team at Aldergrove were Mr. D. L. Ellis (deputy chief engineer); H. C. Harrison (chief production designer), R. N. Hollock (aircraft service manager); J. Crow- ther (foreman); F. Holman (inspector); J. Cookson (elec- trician); and J. R. Taylor and G. N. Fraser (fitters). Repre- senting Marconi radio interests was W/C. R. R. Stanford Tuck, D.S.O., D.F.C. Away at Last At Flight Planning we learned that head-winds were less favourable than the day before, but that Gander conditions were acceptable. S/L. Callard appeared and was badgered into admitting that he hoped the crossing would take "less than five hours," hastening to add that if a G.C.A. landing at Gander were necessary this might add 20 minutes or so to his time. Overnight, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir Basil Brooke, had visited the mess and had handed him a letter for the premier of Newfoundland, Mr. J. R. Smallwood. To a last question Callard replied that he would have the Canberra off in about three-quarters of the 2,000-yd runway. After an engine-run to test the new generator cable, the Canberra was at length refuelled by the overtaxed station bowsers. (Quips about "Callard and Bowser" were severely discouraged.) From a point about two-thirds of the distance down the runway we saw her towed out and positioned. The little flock of votaries dispersed, the firing of the cartridges in the Rolls-Royce turbo-starters was faintly heard, the Avons roared, and the Canberra surged up the wet runway with sheets of spray rising under the blast of the Avons. The nose- wheels lifted, the spray ceased, and before three-quarters of the runway had been used up the wheels were retracting. Callard built up the knots, then eased his beautiful charge into a gentle climbing turn—westwards. Scant reports from Prestwick and Gander tell that F/L. Robson reported his position at 1206, 1450 and 1530 hr. Head-winds were strong, but by 1649 contact had been made with Gander tower, and the Canberra was on a controlled descent. She made a wide circuit and touched down smoothly at 1720 G.M.T. Average height for the trip had been about 403000ft, but at one time the machine is believed to have been cruising at 48,000ft. And so the Atlantic was bridged in little over 4% hr, and the previous best time for the Ireland-Gander trip (by a Pan American Constellation, in 6 hr 40 min) had been cut by about 2 hr. There is now, of course, much speculation as to the Canberra's speed in the west-east direction, the fastest recorded time for which is 5 hr 10 min, put up by a de Havilland Mosquito during the war. Congratulations have been flooding in on the crew, the English Electric and Rolls-Royce companies, and—very justly—on Mr. W. E. Petter, the Canberra's designer. Mr. Arthur Henderson, the Air Minister, telegraphed S/L, Callard as follows :— "Congratulations to you and your crew on record-breaking flight. The splendid airmanship you have shown proves the quality of R.A.F. prowess in the air and the Canberra has shown that the British aircraft industry stands in the forefront of modern development." On February 24th Callard flew the Canberra on to Andrews Field, near Washington; thence it was to go to the Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, at Dayton, Ohio, where the U.S.A.F. are to initiate a period of evaluation—particularly, it is believed, in the night-intruder role. In America the machine will be serviced by a party of six senior N.C.O.s from the R.A.F. Central Servicing Development Establish- ment, which draws up schedules for all new R.A.F. machines. Members of the party have been attached to the English Electric company during recent months to familiarize them- selves with the Canberra. They have assisted in the Bos- combe Down trials and have been responsible for servicing at the various air displays in England and on the Continent at which the Canberra has been demonstrated with such resounding effect. Their names are : F/S. W. C. Slade (electrical fitter); Sgt. S. W. Smith (armament fitter); Sgt. R. A. Pirie (aircraft fitter); Sgt. L. W. Greenwood (aircraft!' fitter); Sgt. A. Byrom (air radio fitter); and Sgt. A. Hunt (instrument maker). The 1,317 miles from Gander to Washington was flown in 2 hr 59 min. Waiting officials included Maj.-Gen. Morris R. Nelson, U.S.A.F. Director of Requirements, and A. Cdre.^ . Swain, Deputy Chief of the British Air Force staff iria|.' Washington. Late reports from America state that plans ardV- well advanced for Canberra production at the Glenn L. Martin plant in Maryland. The Martin concern has built, and submitted for official tests, prototypes of a high-speed, swept-wing, three-jet bomber—the XB-51—with which the Canberra would be competitive in the tactical troop-support role. Sharing the credit for the Canberra's achievement with English Electric and Rolls-Royce are the manufacturers listed below. H.F.K. CONTRIBUTORS TO SUCCESS Martin-Baker Aircraft Co., Ltd.; Dowry Equipment, Ltd.; Auto- itmotive Products Co., Ltd.; Vokes, Ltd.;:Fireproof Tanks, Ltd.; Rotal, •'' Ltd.; Hymatic Engineering Co., Ltd.; Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd.;Northern Aluminium Co., Ltd.; James Booth and Co., Ltd.; Sperry Gyroscope Co., Ltd.; Thomas Firth and John Brown, Ltd.; BrownBrothers (Aircraft), Ltd.; T. J. Brooks (Autos), Ltd.; Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, Ltd.; Rubery, Owen and Co., Ltd.; H. Terry and Sons,Ltd.; J. Stone and Co., Ltd.; George Tucker £yelet Co.; Aviation Developments, Ltd.Teleflex Products, Ltd.; Ransome and Maries Bearing Co., Ltd.; Docker Brothers; British Messier, Ltd.; T.I. Aluminium, Ltd.; Fother-gill and Harvey, Ltd.; Varley Pumps and Engineering, Ltd.; Skefko Ball Bearing Co., Ltd.; Manganese Bronze and Brass Co., Ltd.; HoffmanManufacturing Co., Ltd.; Kent Alloys, Ltd.; John Dale, Ltd.; Sterling Metals, Ltd.; David Brown Foundries, Ltd.; William Mills, Ltd.; HighDuty Alloys, Ltd.; Light Metal Forgings, Ltd.; Deritend Stamping Co., Ltd.; George Salter, Ltd.; Robert Riley, Ltd.; British Wire Products,Ltd. Electro-Hydraulics, Ltd.; Turner Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Exors. ofJames Mills, Ltd.; W. T. Flather, Ltd.; English Steel Corporation, Ltd.; Accles and Pollock, Ltd.; Birmetals, Ltd.; Reynolds Tube Co., Ltd.;British Aluminium Co., Ltd.; Richard, Thomas and Baldwin, Ltd.; J. J. Habershon and Son, Ltd.; Samuel Fox and Co., Ltd.; ThomasBolton and Sons, Ltd.; H. Rollet and Co., Ltd.; Langley Alloys, Ltd.; Aircraft Materials, Ltd.; T. Boorn and Co., Ltd.; A. F. Bulgin and Co.,Ltd.; Graviner Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Mollart Engineering Co., Ltd.; Normalair, Ltd.The Plessey Co., Ltd.; Rotax, Ltd.; Saunders Valve Co., Ltd.; Serck Radiators, Ltd.; The Self-Priming Pump and Engineering Co., Ltd.;Simmonds Aerocessories, Ltd.; Smiths Aircraft Instruments, Ltd.; Triplex Safety Glass Co.; Bells Asbestos and Engineering Supplies,Ltd.; British Insulated Calender's Cables, Ltd.; Bakelite, Ltd.; B. Attewell and Sons; Wilkinsons Rubber Linatex, Ltd.; British Tyre andRubber Co.; Hall and Hall, Ltd.; George Spencer, Moulton and Co., Ltd.; Tenaplas, Ltd.; The Fibreglass Co., Ltd.; Herts Pharmaceuticals,Ltd.; Kautex, Ltd.; I.C.I. (Plastics Division); R. B. Pullin and Co., Ltd.; Sangamo Weston, Ltd.; British Belting and Asbestos, Ltd.
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