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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1352.PDF
578 FLIGHT TRANSPORT PROJECTS and POSSIBILITIES . for Ghost-powered machine bracketed): span 138ft (135ft 6in); length, 125ft (124ft 6in)j loaded weight, 150,0001b (130,000 lb); max. speed, 559 m.p.h. (550 m.p.h.); most economical speed, 475 m.p.h. (468 m.p.h.). The Avon version would climb to 30,000ft in 14.6 min and take off (10 m.p.h. wind) in 1,300 yd. Before considering the turboprop picture, brief reference may be made to three other pure-jet proposals, by French constructors. The S.O.5100 Champagne is designed to take four Nene, Tay or Atar turbojets, and should weigh about 110,000 lb; speeds of the order of 470-510 m.p.h. are foreseen. For a smaller design, proposed by the S.N.C.A.S.E. group, three Atar turbojets, two on the fuselage sides and one in the tail, are specified. The third type, designated S.O.60, is smaller still, being intended for two Avons, Sapphires or Atars, suspended in pods beneath the swept-back wings. So much for the pure jets. The most advanced turboprop transport which may be referred to at the present time is unquestionably the Bristol 175 Britannia, some notes concerning which appear in the review pages of this issue. The feature entitled "How Good is Good?" (page 608) moreover, brings out the remarkable economy promised by this British design. ' Illustrated on page 576 is a proposed turboprop development of the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter; adaptation of the passenger- carrying Stratocruiser would, of course, be similar, and the Boeing company declares that relatively minor design changes render these machines "virtually made to order" for the new installation, resulting in increased speed, range, payload and operating height. Similar benefits are foretold for the turboprop development of the Lockheed Super Constellation, a development order for which has already been placed by the U.S. Navy. Apart from the proposed long-range turboprop Stratofreighter already mentioned, the years ahead may see similar adaptations of the large Douglas freighters, including perhaps the Globe- master, at present restricted to military service. Four Pratt and Whitney T-34 turboprops have been named as the power plant of this 175,000 lb machine, which, like its piston-engined precursors, should be capable of relatively long range. For shorter distances the Mk 2 version of the Blackburn and General Aircraft Universal Freighter (see page 595) typifies the latest thinking in this country. The most cursory review of future commercial aircraft must not fail to touch upon the important helicopter developments now in prospect. In this country the latest design to be announced is the Bristol 181, a scaled-up development of the Type 173 described elsewhere in this issue, and intended to carry 40 pas sengers. During April it was made known that British European Airways would wish to start operating the type by 1958, which would mean that a C. of A. would have to be obtained by 1957 and that test-flying would have to start in 1955. Another British design, represented in model form at the last S.B.A.C. Display, was the Fairey Rotodyne, which for take-off and climb would function as a true helicopter but for normal flight and landing would fly as a fixed-wing machine with the addition of an auto- rotating rotor. At the tip of each of the four rotor-blades would be small jet ducts, and it is presumed that air supplied by the compressors of the turboprop units would be fed to these, together with fuel, and the mixture there burned to drive the blades. Westland projects are the W.80, W.81 and W.85. The first of these is a twin-Leonides single-rotor 20-seater, likely to serve as a stepping-stone to the larger (30-seat) W.81, which will employ an internally housed power installation quoted as being "of the twin-Mamba type driving the four-blade rotor through a right-angle gearbox." The W.85 is primarily a military concept with a box-car fuselage, capable of carrying 100 fully equipped troops or equivalent load. Singled out for mention by Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, chair man of B.E.A., during his recent American tour was a Piasecki military design now on the drawing-board and having a fuselage of Convair 240 proportions. This twin-rotor machine is expected to fly before the end of the year. FROM ALL QUARTERS The New Minister—and M.C.A.'s Future THE resignation of The Hon. J. S. Maclay from the post of Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, announced on May 6th, did not come as a surprise; for several weeks past he had been showing the effects of strain, and his decision to step down fol lowed a medical opinion that he was likely to remain unwell for some weeks. During his six months in office his routine work had been greatly complicated by the heated political controversies which have centred upon several aspects of transport administration, and these additional burdens will now fall upon the shoulders of his successor, The Rt. Hon. A. T. Lennox-Boyd, whose appoint ment was announced from Down ing Street on May 7th. During the time since the present Government was elected, Mr. Lennox-Boyd has been Mini ster of State for Colonial Affairs. Now forty-seven years of age, he was educated at Sherborne and Christ Church, Oxford, and entered politics in the 1930s. Between 1938 and 1945 he was, successively, Parliamentary Secre tary to four Ministries—Labour, Home Security, Food and Air craft Production (his M.A.P. appointment was from 1943 to 1945, when aircraft production reached its peak). For two years during the war he served as a lieutenant, R.N.V.R. How much will the words "Civil Aviation" mean in Mr. Lennox-Boyd's Ministerial title? Certain developments at West minster last week suggest that the days of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as such, are numbered. Some had thought that a reference to the future of civil aviation in the transport framework would be incorporated in the Government's White Paper on Transport. That was not to be; but, the day before publication of this document, a clear indica tion of the Cabinet attitude was given by Lord Leathers, the Co-ordinating Minister for Transport and Fuel and Power. He was asked by Lord Pakenham, a former Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. A. T. Lennox-boyd whether the Government had arrived at any decision with regard to the future of the Ministry. His reply was that apart from the appointment of Mr. Reginald Maudling as Parliamentary Under-Secretary on April 19th, no further change was at present contemplated. Lord Pakenham then drew attention TO the "great anxiety" being caused to a large number of devoted public servants by the lack of a definite assurance. Lord Leathers confessed himself surprised that that anxiety had reached such a high pitch. He promised that these and other relevant matters would be "very carefully considered." A reference was then made by Lord Ogmore, another former Civil Aviation Minister, to Mr. Maclay's breakdown. Lord Leathers expressed himself as unable to say whether Mr. Maclay's illness was caused by the complexity of his combined duties as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation. Then came these significant words—"All I can say is that civil aviation is a relatively small Ministry and in our view hardly justifies a separate Ministry." He added that he had reported this view before, and would follow it up "at a later date." All these matters affecting civil aviation were having immediate attention; he himself was devot ing a good deal of time to them, and the new Minister of Civil Aviation would be asked to co-operate with him on all the ques tions that were of urgent importance. Lord Lucas then asked the Government to agree that the British people had ground for intense pride upon the latest advancement of the British aeronautical industry in the successful launching of the Comet. With this Lord Leathers concurred. Meanwhile, it has been rumoured in some quarters that a "Civil Aviation Division," headed by an Under-Secretary, is likely to be formed within the Ministry of Transport and that Lord Leathers will assume overall responsibility for policy. Others maintain that, judging from the White Paper proposals on road haulage, a much more radical change is impending and that the M.C.A. will be so emasculated that there will be no need for even an Under-Secretary to look after its affairs. Holders of this view recall that the Conservative Manifesto spoke of "a combination of public and private enterprise." They are convinced that this principle could be applied very widely indeed without any new legislation being involved; at most, they say, the revocation of the appropriate orders and regulations affecting licences and so forth would suffice. By the time these words appear, of course, some more definite indication of Government intentions may have been given.
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