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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0058.PDF
FLIGHT SERVICE AVIATION Royal Air Force and Naval Aviation News STEAM LAUNCH from the new catapult, as seen here installed in H.M.S. "Perseus," may become standard procedure aboard British, Commonwealth, and American carriers if tests now imminent are successful. An account is given below. NEW YEAR HONOURS THE names of a number of senior officers at the Air Ministry and in the Commands, together with members of the King's Flight, and other personnel, appear in the list of New Year Honours published in the London Gazette for January ist, 1952. These are given in part below; the re mainder will be published in our next issue. ORDER OF THE BATH Knights Commanders.—Air Chief Marshal Sir William Forster Dickson, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., A.F.C.; Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Penrose Martyn Sanders, K.B.E., C.B. Companions.—A.V-M. G. R. C. Spencer, C.B.E.; A.V-M. H. G. White, C.B.E., M.I. Mech.E.; Act. A.V-M. L. W. Cannon, C.B.E.; A. Cdre. J. A. Easton, C.B.E.; A. Cdre. H. D. Spreckley, O.B.E.; A. Cdre. S. R. Ubee, A.F.C.; G/C. E. D. MacKinlay Nelson. ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE Knight Grand Cross.—Air Chief Marshal Sir Leslie Norman Hollinghurst, K.C.B., K.B.E., D.F.C. Knights Commanders.—Air Marshal Alick Charles Stevens, C.B.; Act. Air Marshal Colin Winterbotham Weedon, C.B., C.B.E., M.A., M.I.Mech.E., A.F.R.Ae.S.; A.V-M. V. E. Groom, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C. Commanders.—Rev. Canon L. Wright, K.H.C.; A. Cdre. J. C. Neely, M.B., D.M., B.Ch., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.O.M.S., D.O (Oxon); Act. A. Cdre. C. L. Dann, O.B.E., B.Sc, A.F.R.Ae.S.; G/C. C. Broughton; G/C. -J. M. Freeman; G/C. R. L. M. Hall, O.B.E., A.D.C.; G/C. C. E. Morse; Act. G/C. W.E. Coles,D.S.O.,D.F.C.,A.F.C; Act. G/C. W. K. Stewart, A.F.C., B.Sc., M.B., Ch.B.. Officers.—G/O. N. Hunter, W.R.A.F.; Wing Commanders R. D. Baughan, K. M. Crick, C. R. J. Hawkins, A.F.C., S. J. Jury, G. J. Rayner, D. C. Torrens, T. P. F. Trud- gian, D. H. Burnside, D.S.O., D.F.C., G. Tupholme. Act. Wing Commanders G. P. Howell, A. G. Strutt, J. G. Topham, D.S.O., D.F.C. Squadron Leaders J. H. Chart, P. G. D. Farr, D.F.C., H. G. Messer, J. B. Wales, D.F.C., R.Aux.A.F. Act. Squadron Leaders J. McC. Rollo, R.A.F.V.R., G. H. Williams. Members.—Act. Wing Commander J. R. Hall, R.A.F.V.R. Squadron Leader B. Mor gan. Act. Squadron Leaders F. A. Houghton, W. S. O. Randle, A.F.C., D.F.M. Flight Lieutenants L. G. E. Ambler, J. I. R. Bowring, C. A. Brown, G. W. Cornock, D. S. Fowler, H. Hill, D.F.M., W. A. Jeffery, H. Jones, W. Jopling, B.E.M., S. B. Law, H. P. Williams, D.F.C., D. A. S. Woodbridge. Act. Flight Lieutenants C. B. A. Brown, R.A.F.V.R., H. G. Withey. Flight Officer M. Mowat, W.R.Aux.A.F. Flying Officer R. L. Macklin. Warrant Officers S. R. H. Bailey, J. A. Barnes R. S. Beattie, J. F. L. Callaway, T. C. George, J. E. Haden, C. E. Hoad, E. W. Randall, W. G. Rossiter. Act. Warrant Officer D. A. Gourd. ROYAL VICTORIAN ORDER (Fifth Clou) Squadron Leader H. A. Nash, A.F.C., Flight Lieutenants W. T. Bussey, B.E.M., S. N. Sloan, D.F.C., C.G.M. The award of the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) has been made to F/S. A. W. Cousins. These awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made in respect of service in the King's Flight. ROYAL RED CROSS First Class.—-Wing Officer J. K. A. Browne, A.R.R.C., P.M.R.A.F.N.S. Second Class.— Flight Officer I. M. Chapman, P.M.R.A.F.N.S. BAR TO AIR FORCE CROSS Wing Commander G. G. N. Barrett, A.F.C. AIR FORCE CROSS Wing Commanders W. Pitt-Brown, D.F.C., E. N. M. Sparks, D.F.C., J. M. Thompson, D.S.O., D.F.C. Squadron Leaders E. W. Deacon, D.S.O., D.F.C., J. A. G. Jackson, D.F.C., J. F. McPhie, P. L. Parrott, D.F.C., R. P. D. Potgieter, C. B. Owen, D.S.O., D.F.C., R. S. Radley, D.F.C., A. W. Southall, D.S.O., D.F.C., H. E. White, D.F.C. Act. Squadron Leaders N. E. Hoad, C. B. Urwin, D.F.C. Flight Lieutenants R. W. Charters, A. Collins, D.F.M., G. D. Cremer, J. G. Croshaw, P. R. Edelston, R.AUx.A.F., S. G. Hewitt, K. Ignatowski, D.F.M., F. E. Lord, R. R. McGowan, L. R. Miedzybrodzki, W. K. Owen, D.F.M., P. Porter, A. F. Shaw, R. C. Shuster, K. L. Tebbutt, D. G. Walker, B. Watford, C. W. Watson. Flying Officers A. W. Peddell, H. A. Ramsey, D.F.C., Master Pilot J._ Malenczuk. Master Signaller T. N. Evans. Lieutenant Commander D. G. Parker, D.S.O., D.F.C., R.N. Lieutenant G. B. Newby, R.N. Captain O. J. Waldram, R.A. BRITAIN'S NEW CATAPULT VARIOUS speakers on naval flying have hinted at the possibility of using, for the launching of aircraft, the power readily available in a carrier; and to many people it will come as no surprise to learn that "steam-operated equipment designed to keep abreast of demands made by the rapid advance of jet propulsion and the tendency towards bigger and heavier air craft" was built in the light fleet carrier H.M.S. Perseus (Capt. R. G. Poole, R.N.) during 1949. The catapult is being developed by the Admiralty and will be demonstrated in America during this year. Trials in Home Waters during the past fourteen months have been highly satis factory. To continue trials with the co-operation of the U.S. Navy and to enable American experts to assess the potentialities of the new catapult, H.M.S. Perseus was due to sail from the United Kingdom last Mon day. She will go to Philadelphia and Nor folk (Virginia) and during a six-week visit will launch U.S. aircraft of different weights and performances from the machines tested. If these further trials are satisfactory the new apparatus will be installed for operational use in carriers for the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian and Canadian Navies. The catapult uses the principle of the slotted cylinder and has no rams or hy draulic purchases. The hook to which the aircraft is connected is directly attached to a piston, driven along the cylinder by high-pressure steam from the ship's main boilers. A novel sealing device is used to keep the slotted cylinder steam-tight. The inventor is an R.N.V.R. officer, Cdr. (E) C. C. Mitchell, O.B.E., of Brown Brothers and Co., Ltd., Edinburgh, who have de signed and built the installation in H.M.S. Perseus. The amount of steam required for sustained operation is considerable, but preliminary trials show that the demand put upon the main boilers can be met without interfering with the satisfactory operation of the ship. Development involved the building of a raised section on the flight deck of H.M.S. Perseus, forward of the "island," and the installation of compressors and certain machinery in the hangar. If built into a carrier for operational use it would not call for alteration of the level of the flight deck or interfere with the normal working of the ship below deck. It would be dis posed about the vessel, taking up less living and working space than do the most powerful conventional types. The equip ment may be expected to ease some of the problems of naval architects and may be expected to affect naval/air tactics by reducing the necessity for a carrier to steam for lengthy periods into the wind. In certain conditions it will enable aircraft to be launched while the ship is stationary. Development was sufficiendy advanced for trials to be started in 1950. At first, dead loads of varying weights and con struction were used. Some were sinkable, others were floating types recoverable by surface craft and named for identification Ida and Ivan, Noah and Nellie, Walter and Wendy. Later, unpiloted aircraft were successfully shot off with wing-tips re moved and with controls locked. One caused surprise and concern by flying for four minutes round the ship and reaching a height of 1,500ft. Its gyrations were
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