FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1296.PDF
566 FLIGHT, 9 May 1952 RIDING THE SUPER 6 . . . being fitted with several wash-basins to handle the high-density load. No "tunnel" effect is produced by the interior, probably thanks to the skilful selection of fabrics and colours. Seat covering of blue nylon fabric blends restfully with the cloth-backed plastic wall—grey up to window level and pale yellow above and over the ceiling; the curtains are of coral colour in a heavy wool. The over all effect—of paramount importance on a long flight with tourist seating—is commendable. Such high-density seating is bound to involve certain problems which do not appear capable of immediate solution; in particular, passenger movement tends to block gangways and produce queueing, while strain on stewards and stewardesses is greatly increased; equally, arrangement of emergency exits and life-rafts becomes more difficult. But the first of these are minor disadvan tages when related to the greatly increased capacity available. The "tourist" aircraft now entering service with several airlines appear to be the optimum blend of comfort with capacity and will undoubtably make air travel available to a hitherto untapped sec tion of the public. May 1st, 1952, should, therefore, be recorded as being a date of as much consequence as the following day—which saw the Comet enter scheduled service. W.T.G. STOPPING THEM IN THEIR TRACKS THE Northrop aircrew-decelerator, details of which were published in Flight of February 9th, 1950, has now been in full operation for rather more than two years, and fully analysed results are now available to the U.S.A.F. The apparatus consists, briefly, of a steel-tubular sled powered by three 1,000 lb-thrust rocket flagons and running on a rail- track provided with a special braking arrangement at one end. It has been built at Edwards A.F.B., Muroc Dry Lake, California, and the testing has been conducted under the auspices of the aero-medical laboratory of the Wright Air Development Centre at Dayton, Ohio. With all three rockets in use, the sled reaches a speed of about 170 m.p.h. in 500ft. Power is then removed and the unit allowed to coast until the arresting section of track is reached at about 154 m.p.h.; various degrees of braking are applicable, the most severe slowing the sled to 34 m.p.h. in a distance of 31ft in about 0.228 sec. Major lohn Paul Stapp, a U.S.A.F. Maj. Stapp (right) is seen to be fully instrumented with heart-beat and blood- pressure recorders; reference points on his body are marked by camera targets. The sketch (left) shows the U.S.A.F. pilot- harness developed from these tests. medical officer, has carried out most of the test-runs. The maximum decelera tion he has so far experienced is reported to have been 45 g; this would result in his apparent body-weight becoming some 7,900 lb. As shown in the accom panying photograph—which portrays Major Stapp himself—unusually complete harness has been used on the test-runs, both the feet and hands being shown strapped down tightly. A new pilot-harness has emerged from these tests; the sketch shows it to include a foot-strap into which the pilot apparently inserts his feet immediately before an expected impact is felt. Finally, reports from the Aero-Medical laboratory speak highly of aft-facing seats; these are stated to provide "a maximum of pro tection with minimum harness," but no indication is given whether or not such seating is considered possible for a pilot. ROTOL AND THE FUTURE SPEAKING at the recent annual prize distribution to apprentices of Rotol, Ltd., Lt.-Gen. Sir John Evetts, C.B., C.B.E., M.C. (managing director) said the company had great faith in its plans. "We have not been idle in thinking out future projects," he added, and went on to remark that a lot of people had said that the propeller-driven aircraft was "dead and buried," but he personally did not believe it—"If for purposes of economy of operation the reciprocating-cum-turbine composite engine, such as the Napier Nomad, becomes fashionable, then I foresee considerable use of propeller-driven aircraft in civil aviation." Earlier, Sir John had dealt with the company's more immediate prospects, stating that Rotol would be involved in the field of component parts and accessories for all the aircraft which the Government had decided should have super-priority. Speaking of the apprentice scheme, Sir John said that the number of apprentices at present being trained was 130, and it was proposed to increase this number to 150 or more by the end of the year. To accommodate the increase, alterations had been carried out on the training school buildings and additional machine tools installed. Among the winners of Higher National Certificates in Mechanical Engineering was R. W. Partridge, who gained distinctions in thermo dynamics, strength of materials and theory of machines, as well as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers National Certificate Prize. Higher National Certificates in Mechanical Engineering were also won by G. C. G. Agg (distinctions in strength of materials and structures, and in aircraft design, and an endorsement in mathematics); Mrs. G. Agg (endorsement in mathematics), D. N. Birrell and P. Wilson. Other successes in the National Certificate examinations were as follows: Higher National Certificate in Electrical Engineering: B. G. Beard, R. C. Williams. Higher National Certificate in Production Engineering: M. J. Stevens. Ordinary National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering: M. W. Chambers, C. R. Hambling, I. R. Harris, C. G. Walker. City and Guilds of London Machine Shop Engineering—Final Certificate: P. B. Hopkins; Intermediate Certificate: D. G. Cameron, P. G. Newing, T. P. Parker, F. J. Robertson; Higher National Certificate-A. 1: L. Kelly: Ordinary National Certificate S.2: D. T. Shellswell, R. B. Whiteley; Ordinary National Certificate S.i: P. B. Barnes, R. T. Roderick; Supplementary Endorsements to the Higher National Certificate: R. Hayward and T. J. Sullivan (Industrial Administration). DEFENDING THE CANBERRA A HOUSE-ORGAN of the English Electric Co., Ltd., includes the following reference to the Canberra which recently flew out to Australia : ". . . it is to be used exclusively for secret work on the Woomera range. It will be a guinea-pig for new guided- missiles which cannot be tested properly by piston-engined bombers. It will also experiment with secret radar equipment for defence against guided-missiles, and has been fitted with radar bomb-sights that can be used at very high speeds."
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
