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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0540.PDF
332 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS South-East Asia, 1943-44 A DISPATCH, submitted to the Secretary of State for Air onNovember 23rd, 1944, by Air Chief Marshal Sir R. E. C. Peirse, K.C.B., D.S.O., A.F.C., Allied Air Commander-in-Chief, South-East Asia, and entitled Air Operations in South-East Asia, 16th November, 1943, to 3m May, 1944, has been issued by H.M. Stationery Office as a supplement to the London Gazette. A set of maps to illustrate the dispatch is on separate sale at is. net. These maps also cover the operations described in the Air and Army dispatches of the Burma campaign from November 16th, 1943, to Septemberji2th, 1945. Canberra makes Friends ^ have just heard from Mr. Arthur W. Perkins, Editor ofthe Martin Star, house journal of the Glenn L. Martin Com- pany, that the Canberra is making an excellent impression atBaltimore. He writes : "The Canberra has been at our airport for a week and it has been a real pleasure to go over the airplanestructurally and to see its performance. Wing Commander Roland P. Beamont, English Electric's chief test pilot, has been hereseveral days and given superb demonstrations of the Canberra's capabilities in the air. The simplicity of its construction has beena revelation, too." A Marathon for Africa ^ fitting ceremony and a host of good wishes from the company assembled to witness the occasion, the first Handley Page Marathon to go into regular service as a "junior airliner" was handed over to the chairman of the West African Airways Cor- poration, Sir Hubert Walker, on Wednesday, March 14th, at the manufacturers' airfield at Radlett. Before the ceremony, the Marathon—attired in the green and gold of W.A.A.C.'s livery, and fitted with 18 seats for high- density traffic in West Africa—carried a full complement of pas- sengers on a demonstration flight. Among them were Sir Hubert and Lady Walker and a number of the West African company's officials. A member of Flight's staff who was on board noticed the favourable impression created among the other occupants by the quick take-off at full load and excellent rate of climb : in fact, the general consensus of opinion seemed to be that the Marathon would prove popular on the Corporation's tropical routes. At the subsequent ceremony, in which Sir Frederick Handley Page handed the C. of A. to Sir Hubert Walker, it was announced that the jviarathon'was to'fly on W.A.A.C. routes for a trial period of three'months so that the company could obtain service experi- ence of the new aircraft before finally committing itself to a decision on fleet re-equipment. The following morning, under the command of Capt. R. Hallarn, West African's chief pilot, the aircraft left on the first leg of its 3,500-mile flight to Lagos, Nigeria. It is understood, incidentally, that work is going ahead at full speed on the batch of Marathons which is being prepared for service on B.E.A.'s Scottish and Channel Island routes. Wrights and the Sapphire IARGE orders have been received from the U.S.A.F. for the-» Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet built by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation. The Sapphire—designated J-65 by the American Air Force—flew in a Republic F-84F Thunderjet fighter for the first time on February 14th. Mr. Roy T. Hurley, president of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation and its aircraft engine division, the Wright Aeronautical Corporation, has stated that Wright are carrying out a development programme to increase the Sapphire's performance beyond the 7,200 lb. thrust now delivered. He confirmed that the Sapphire "uses fewer critical materials than any other of its type." Mr. Hurley said that the engine will add extra "punch" and range to the F-84F Thunder- jet. "Installation of the Sapphire in the F-84," he said, "brings to a battle-tried airplane a proven engine which will extend every point of the plane's performance." The increased power of the Sapphire, its greater fuel economy, and its improved ratios of frontal area and weight to output will increase even further the already outstanding performance of this versatile fighter. It is known that the F-84E, predecessor of the "F," has a top speed of "over 600 m.p.h.," a combat radius of 1,000 miles with external wing tanks, and a service ceiling of more than 45,000 ft. To meet production demands for the J-65 Sapphire and for piston engines, Wright increased their staff from approximately 7,000 to almost 10,000 in 1950, and will probably double the number this year. It is also planned to spread overflow work by sub-contracting and by licensing automotive and other qualified manufacturers to build^Wright engines. Responsibility—by Admiral Cunningham CJPEAKING at the recent annual dinner of the Institution of & Naval Architects, the president, Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, commented on the serious position the Admiralty is facing because of the shortage of naval con- structors to carry out its rearmament programme. He criticized the theory that men will work more cheerfully for the State than for the private employer, saying that there had been too much mischievous teaching about "rights." The whole conception of life and activity in a "Welfare State"—or any other for that matter—had become lopsided and out of balance. Many of our countrymen needed to show a much higher sense of duty, and display a greater degree of moral courage, if they would play fair with the rest of the community. It was only too true that State AFRICAN EMIGRANT: As reported on this page, the first model of the Handley Page Marathon to be placed in regular airline service left last week on a 3,500-mile flight to Lagos, Nigeria, where, as an \8-seater,\it is to undertake route trials with the West African Airways Corporation.
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