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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1275.PDF
9 May 1952 MEETING IN TOKYO: Air Marshal J. D. I. Hardman, C.&., O.B.E., D.F.C., Chief of Staff, Royal Australian Air Force, called on General Weyland, Commanding General Far East Air Force, during a brief inspection of airfields in Japan and Korea. The two officers are seen in conversation at the General's Tokyo H.Q. THIRSTY WORK: Seen in place on a production-type Boeing 8-47B are the largest external tanks ever mounted on an aircraft. They are painted in a bizarre pattern of black and white, in order that they may be iden tified during drop tests. The gross weight of the B-47B is announced as "almost 93 tons." Six General Electric J-47-23s are fitted. two-seat lightplane competition are not required to make any further application and should use their allotted number in submitting designs for the new competitions. New Gloster Managing Director MR. P. G. CRABBE, F.R.Ae.S., M.I.P.E., has been appointed managing director of the Gloster Aircraft Co., Ltd., partly in recognition of his work with the Gloster team in producing the Meteor, and partly, in the words of Mr. Hugh Burroughes (deputy managing director of the Hawker Siddeley Group), "because the Hucclecote factory has work of even greater significance coming to it." Mr. Burroughes added that he was now empowered to say officially that before Meteor production comes to an end, Glosters will turn over to the super-priority job of making the Hawker Hunter. He went on, "Most of this task will be carried out by Hawkers, but the various sections of the Hawker Siddeley Group always 'carry the ball' for one another; and an important proportion of the work on the Hunter will be handled by Glosters. I cannot, at present, say when this work will begin. We all hope, too, that in the near future a decision will be taken by the Government to order the G. A.5, the fine new Gloster delta fighter. This is another Crabbe achievement and a production programme for this will naturally mean even more responsibility for him." Sealands for India FROM Belfast comes the excellent news that Short Brothers and Harland, Ltd., have received an order from the Office of the High Commissioner of India for ten Sealand amphibians for the Indian Navy. They will be powered with Gipsy Queen 70-4 engines, which give a higher continuous output for cruising than the generally used 70-3 type. Long-range tanks will be installed and in a separate station in the forward cabin, designed to facilitate training, will be STR/9X, AD/7092A and AD 107/94 radio. Dual controls are specified and accommodation will be provided for pilot, co-pilot, observer and three passengers. There is also a toilet compartment. The Sealands will be based at Cochin, on the western sea board of Southern India. COMET ON SCHEDULE B.O.A.C. Opens the World's First Jet Service TTHE scene is London Airport; the time is 1445 hr local time •*• on May 2nd, 1952. Airliners of many nations crowd the apron, their cabin-tops white against an inky sky. Among them, out of sight of the many observers at windows and on terraces, is B.O.A.C.'s de Havilland Comet G-ALYP. Today it carries for the first time fare-paying passengers. With the full complement of 36 installed, and his initial cockpit checks completed, Capt. A. M. Majendie, Flight Captain of the Comet Fleet, is ready to start the four Ghost turbojets. Now the shrill jet-song drowns the background hum of piston-engines and heat-haze floats away across the airport. Promptly, at 1500 hr, chocks are pulled away and the Comet turns towards the taxi-track, gleaming brightly in a sudden burst of sunshine. Twelve minutes later, climbing swiftly away from No. 5 runway in a wake of thunderous sound (inaudible near the terminal buildings), the flagship of B.O.A.C.'s Comet Fleet is airborne for Rome. So began the first scheduled jet flight to Johannesburg, where the Comet arrived 23 hr 38 min later—two minutes ahead of schedule. "It went without a hitch," said Sir Miles Thomas, who had joined the aircraft at Livingstone. The flight, he said, had "put British civil aviation—jet-propelled—on the map of the world." Speaking before departure on behalf of the three crews who made the flight, Capt. Majendie had said simply : "We are very glad to have the honour of launching this service . . . We are also very proud to be using this British aeroplane." No official ceremony was held to mark the Comet's departure; the moment was considered to be historic in itself. Among the watching crowds were many of those who had made the event possible—including Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, Mr. R. E. Bishop, Mr. R. M. Clarkson, Maj. Frank Halford, Mr. J. L. P. Brodie, Dr. E. S. Moult and G/C. John Cunningham. B.O.A.C.'s representatives included Mr. Whitney Straight, Mr. John Booth, Sir Francis Brake, Mr. A. C. Campbell-Orde and Capt. M. J. R. Alderson. It was regrettable, as many remarked, that A. Cdre. Sir Frank Whittle was not present. Capt Majendie had expected headwinds on the first leg of the flight, and the Comet was in fact nine minutes late when it landed at Rome at 1646 G.M.T. On the Rome-Beirut stage, however, lost time was regained, and the aircraft averaged 525 m.p.h. with the aid of a tailwind. The remainder of the journey proceeded to plan, with slip-crews taking over at Beirut and Khartoum. For the inaugural service it was particularly essential to adhere to the schedule, and Capt. Alabaster "killed time" on the Livingstone- Johannesburg leg by leaving late and making wide turns. At 1438 hr B.S.T. on May 3rd, the Comet touched down at Palmiet- fontein, Johannesburg, where it received a great welcome from some 20,000 South Africans. Passengers were reported to be "without the slightest sign of fatigue." The Comet's return journey began at 0737 hr B.S.T. on Monday and ended with the arrival at London Airport on Tuesday morning at 0740 hr B.S.T. For the Record—Crews and Complement On the inaugural outward flight, the following passengers left London Airport, the majority having booked through to Johannesburg: Mr. A. Henshaw (first "jet passenger" to be booked), Mr. J. S. Crossley, Mr. D. Carter, Brig. G. Ross, Mr. A. O. Cookman, Mr. P. F. Knight, Mr. R. D. Gwyther, Mr. E. T. Pinkney, Mr. J. Garlick, Mr. W. K. Peters, Mr. P. Sraffa, Mr. D. P. Bertlin, Miss D. Hannaford, Mr. S. C. Brealey, Dr. J. M. Brown, Col. E. P. J. Ryan, Mr. W. E. Lawson, Mr. G. N. Wright, Mr. B. I. D. Jackson, Mr. L. Morris, Mr. R. Brook, Mr. C. H. Brigish, Aid. J. H. Wemsley, Mr. D. Willis, Mr. Fraser Wighton, Mr. G. W. Pearson, Mr. W. A. Walker, Mr. G. Movshon, Mr. E. C. Bailey, Mr. O. Garlick, Miss A. Coleridge-Tavlor, Mr. T. West, Mr. A. C. Hales, Mr. B. Hardy, Mr. L. Orton and Mr. S. Naude. The flight was made by the following members of the B.O.A.C. Comet Fleet: London-Rome-Beirut: Capt. A. M. Majendie, F/Off. J. G. Woodill, Eng/Off. W. L. Bennett, Rad/Off. R. W. Chandler, Steward E. W. Charlwood, Stewardess J. P. Nourse. Beirut-Khartoum: Capt. J. T. A. Marsden, D.F.C., F/Off. K. Emmott, Eng/Off. T. W. Taylor, Rad/Off. G. L. Coutts, Steward A. C. McCor- mack, Stewardess E. P. Courtney. Khartoum-Entebbe-Livingstone-Johannesburg: Capt. R. C. Alabaster, D.S.O., D.F.C., F/Off. D. T. Whitham, F/Off. (supemumary) B. A. Arterton, Eng/Off. J. A. Johnson, Rad/Off. R. J. Dolman, Steward T. D. Irwin, Stewardess A. Cartmell.
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