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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0892.PDF
FLIGHT, n May 1951 Vickers-Armslrongs Viscount 700, with four Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops. Britain's Turbine Aircraft CIVIL TYPES THE first bona fide British transport aircraft to fly with *• turbine power was the prototype Vickers-Armstrongs Viscount 630, which, with four Rolls-Royce Dart 1 turboprops, made its initial flight on July 18th, 1948. From the start, performance and handling gave the greatest satis- faction, while the absence of vibration and low noise-level inherent in the turboprop airliner were the subject of enthusiastic comment by everyone fortunate enough to fly in the machine, even in its undeveloped state. On July 29th, 1950, the Viscount 630 made the first commercial flight by a turbine aircraft when it flew fare-paying passengers on the Northolt-Paris service of British European Airways. By the end of August 730 hours' flying had been logged. Attainment of this figure more or less coincided with the maiden flight of the larger and generally more efficient Viscount 700, on August 28th. Aircraft of this series have been ordered by B.E.A. and Air France. The B.E.A. model (Viscount 701) will go into service next y£ar and will carry 40 passengers in the pressurized cabin. Cruising speed on 80 per cent power, at 18,000ft, is quoted as 338 m.p.h. An airliner of the same character as the Viscount is Armstrong Whitworth's Apollo, first flown on April 10th, 1949, and powered with four Armstrong Siddeley Mambas. A Certificate of Airworthiness was awarded on January 1st this year and a start has been made on a programme of over- seas flights. For short and medium-range work the Apollo offers cruising speeds up to 306 m.p.h. Typical accommoda- tion is for 31 passengers and some 10,000 lb of freight. The second Apollo, now under construction, is likely to be fitted with the new and highly efficient Mamba ASM. 3 turbo- props. Maximum take-off weight will be 45,000 lb. Handley Page are developing two types of turboprop airliner for widely differing duties. The first—the Hermes V, with four Bristol Theseus—is what might be termed a main- liner, while the second—the Mamba-powered Marathon— is for feederline work. The maiden flight of the first prototype of the Hermes V was on August 23rd, 1949; the second, with double-slotted trailing-edge flaps, flew last year and, with its speed and manoeuvrability, made a deep impression at the S.B.A.C. display. The latest figures show a gross weight of 90,000 lb, a take-off run to 50ft of 1,100 yd, and a cruising speed of 350 m.p.h. at 24,500ft. At this speed, with a 17,000-lb payload, the range is 1,500 miles. Just as the Hermes V is a direct development of the Piston-engined Hermes IV as operated by B.O.A.C., so the Marathon II is related to the four-Gipsy Marathon I. It first Hew on July 21st, 1949, and has proved capable of maintain- •ng cruising speeds of up to 290 m.p.h. The range is better than 800 miles and passenger capacity is 18-22. Take-off run to 50ft is only 850 yd, and an initial rate of climb of overI )7ooft/rnin is attained. Armstrong Whitworth Apollo (four Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprops). Great Britain's—and the world's—first pure-jet airliner to be seriously intended for commercial service was the de Havilland Comet, the first example of which flew on July 27th, 1949. Exemplifying the encouraging results obtained with this very remarkable aircraft is the fact that by August 25th it had flown 32 hours, and in the first 90 days, 95 hours. By June 15th, 1950, it had 324 hours to its credit—an average of one hour per day for the first 11 months. The second Comet flew on July 27th, 1950, and by January 8th this year the two machines had raised the flying time to over 525 hours. The third Comet took the air on January 9th this year, and differs from the earlier machines in having, as a standard fitment, the four-wheel bogie undercarriage in place of the single- wheel type. It is hoped that during 1951 sufficient Comets will have been delivered to permit B.O.A.C. to introduce the type into regular service by the end of the year, or early in 1952. One example has already been handed over to B.O.A.C. to explore crucial operating problems in different parts of the world. The Comet in the form in which it is now flying, has the following characteristics : span, 115ft; length, 93ft; all-up weight, 105,000 lb; cruising speed, 490 m.p.h.; ultimate still-air range, with full tankage and 12,000 lb payload, 3,540 miles; stage length (full tankage, with 12,000 lb payload and full allowances, including 50-m.p.h. headwind and 200-mile diversion reserves), 2,140 miles; power plant, four D.H. Ghosts, each developing 5,000 lb static thrust; accom- modation for 36 or 48 passengers in paired seats, plus two pilots, flight engineer, radio operator/navigator, and one or two stewards. Such remarkable progress has been made with the Ghost- Comet that a development is already envisaged. The
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