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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1775.PDF
FLIGHT, 27 June 1952 771 WINGED FEET for the TROOPS Airwork Inaugurate Hermes Trooping Service The vanguard of many. Troops boarding the first Airwork Hermes to leave Blaekbushe for Malta en route for Fay id in the Canal Zone. 'FLIGHT " Photographs In charge of the aerial troopship: (Left to right) Lt.-Col. D. Humphrey, C.B.E., Col. B. J. 0. Burrows, O.B.E.; and GjC. A. G. Miller, D.F.C., manager of Airwork's air transport division, who accompanied the troops. LAST year, Airwork, Ltd., were awarded a trooping contract worth £i million, which enabled them to purchase five •J Handley Page Hermes IVs from B.O.A.C. Considerable modifications have been made to the aircraft. The Series 763 Bristol Hercules engines have been replaced by those of the Series 773, in order that fuel of a lower octane number may be used, and the seating arrangement has been entirely altered. FOT trooping, the Hermes now have 68 rearward-facing seats—an arrangement which can be quickly altered to 59, 47 or 40 for civil work, should occasion demand. In view of the size of the trooping contract, however, it is very unlikely that the Hermes will carry civilian passengers in the near future. The first modified Hermes, G-ALDB, was delivered to Airwork some weeks ago, and immediately flown to Khartoum for tropical trials. This is the aircraft depicted on this page; the photographs were taken when at the inauguration of the trooping service from Blackbushe to the Canal Zone on Tuesday evening, June 17th. Delivery of the other four Hermes is expected shortly, and when they are available Airwork expect to run an almost nightly service via Malta to Fayid, in the Canal Zone. This is the first employ ment of pressurized aircraft for trooping purposes by Britain, but the Americans did pioneer work with Constellations during the war, and with Strato-freighters. An interesting sidelight on the cost of trooping was revealed in the House of Lords debate on civil aviation when the Air Minister stated that it was now cheaper to fly a man to the Middle East than to send him by sea. Apart altogether from the speed, he thought there was a saving of £4 per man. This is the second new service to be started by Airwork recently. On Saturday, June 14th., in conjunction with Hunting Air Travel, they opened the "C-rate" Safari service (for the public) between London and Nairobi, using Vikings. (Above) On the Airwork service, china cups and supper-boxes served by air hostesses replace the cardboard mugs of Transport Command. (Below) Sixty-eight troops make a goodly load for a Hermes. Even the hostess seems a trifle perplexed at having so many men on her hands. Because civilians are not allowed to land at Fayid, the hostesses go no further than Malta. For the same reason all the aircrew hold Reserve commissions and wear R.A.F. uniform.
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