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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 2201.PDF
15 August 1952 173 NORTHERN LIGHTERMEN Some of the Short Sunderlands of No. 230 Squadron, Pembroke Dock, at their moor ings in Young Sound, Greenland, whence they are taking stores (seen in the foreground) to the British North Green land Expedition's base at Britannia Lake, 888 miles from the North Pole. A note on the operation appears on page 194. Hayhow 's Longest 1AST Saturday, August 9th, was a very full flying day for Tom •> Hayhow. In the light of dawn and Croydon's floodlights he took oft under R.Ae.C. observation in his well known Auster Aiglet Liege Lady at 5 a.m. and set course for Bromma, Stock holm, 895 miles away. Aided by a strong tailwind, he made a direct North Sea crossing at between 5,000 and 10,000ft, beating (subiect to confirmation) Capt. Jan Christie's record for the jour ney : his time was but 6 hr 37 min 45.9 sec, equivalent to a ground speed of 134.46 m.p.h. The yellow G-AMOS was then refuelled in some 24 min for the return trip. The wind was now a severe handicap, and Hayhow followed a more coastal track; and, as fuel was more critical on this return journey, he had to put down at Leeuwarden, Holland, to take on additional petrol. This resulted in a return figure of 8 hr 43 min 18.6 sec, equal to 102.19 m.p.h., and a Croydon-Bromma-Croydon result of 15 hr 45 min 08.5 sec, or 113.17 m.p.h. Needless to say, Hayhow's Decca Navigator was again a great help. Hayhow is not yet through with records—tomorrow, August 16th, he plans to take Liege Lady to Madrid and back, between the airfields of Denham and Cuatro Vientos. Red Medley ROTORPLANE development in the Soviet Union is believed to be proceeding on quite a large scale, although only one modern helicopter—a design which has been credited to Mikhail Mil—is at all well known outside Russia. But Russian helicopters have certainly reached the operational stage, and it is significant to find that at the Red Navy Day, last Sunday, helicopters took part in a big display on the Moskva-Volga canal. They are reported to have assisted in a beachhead landing and to have demonstrated take-offs from land, water, and ships under way. From Vienna comes the news that a twin-jet aircraft of the Russian Air Force crashed in Essling, an eastern suburb of the city, last Friday, August 8th. The aircraft, presumably a Type 27" bomber, caught fire in the air and brought down electric power cables, telephone lines, and a chimney, before burying itself in a field and exploding. One of the crew of three escaped by parachute. From Korea it is learned that no fewer than 21 Mig-I5s were destroyed in air combat in the first week of August, and it is worthy of note that at least one of these succumbed to an attack by a Royal Naval Sea Fury, a piston-engined fighter over 200 m.p.h. slower than the Mig. Sullom Voe Again THREE R.A.F. Commands—Coastal, Bomber and Flying Training—will take part in Exercise Mambrace, which starts on September 13th and will last about 12 days. Aircraft of Coastal Command will operate from Norwegian bases as well as from most of the Command's permanent stations in the United Kingdom. Two squadrons of Shackletons will operate from Sola (btavanger) and one squadron of Sunderlands will be based at Trondheim. Another Sunderland squadron will be at Sullom Voe m the Shetlands, where a flving-boat base is being reopened for the exercise—the first time it has been used since the war. Coastal Command aircraft will be attached to the Blue forces, with the exception of two Lancaster squadrons allocated to the Orange force. Bomber and Flying Training Command will operate with the Orange forces; medium-sized forces of Washing-tons and Lincolns will make high-level raids on Blue shipping, and other Bomber Command aircraft will undertake mining. Flying Training Command will carry out medium-level raids on Blue shipping, with Varsities, Lincolns and Wellingtons. German Rocket Mail MANY readers will remember the series of experiments with powder rockets in Germany before 1939, when several launchings were made with token payloads of mail. The tech nology of this sphere of activity has advanced greatly in recent years, and it is interesting to note that a number of engineers who once worked on the notorious A.4 ("V-2") rockets have formed themselves into a group ostensibly to perfect a mail-carrying guided rocket. They have already carried out one test launch from a 20ft ramp sited on the heathland behind Bremen. Professor Puellenberg, the leader of the project, is reported to have said, "We had some trouble finding the correct detonator, but hope to go ahead now. If we can get backing from the German Post Office, we hope to open rocket deliveries up to 20 miles, and within four years we can have a chain covering the whole of Germany." Their rocket—progress of which is being carefully watched by the British occupying authorities—is stated to carry a payload of 660 lb and to be capable of guidance to a target "the size of a postage stamp." (!) Continental Introductions FOUR civil aircraft types well known in their native lands, but new to this country, are likely to be seen here before very long. Aerocontacts, Ltd., of Gatwick Airport, Surrey, hold the British Commonwealth agency rights for the Piaggio P. 136 twin- pusher amphibian and the P. 148 two/three-seat tourer and trainer. Both these pleasant machines may be over here this year, together with two other aircraft which Aerocontacts are in a position to distribute: the DC-3 witn a Palas booster turbojet under the fuselage and the S.O. 30P Bretagne transport. And Pastures New FROM Field Aircraft Services, Ltd., Croydon, comes news that Mr. F. C. Cooke, M.I.P.E., has been appointed their general production manager. Mr. Cooke started his engineering career as an apprentice in the motor industry, went on to the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School in 1930, and later joined the de Havilland Aircraft Co. at Hatfield. In 1935 he transferred to the Bristol Aircraft Co., and his last appointment was with Folland Aircraft, Ltd., where he served during the war, ending as chief planning engineer. Mr. Cooke served for four years, from 1931 to 1935, in No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Sqn., R.Aux.A.F. Field Aircraft Services have works at Croydon, Nottingham and Bovingdon. At Nottingham, work at present in hand includes the overhaul and conversion of Dakotas for East African Airways and British European Airways, while the production division is work ing on components contracts for a number of leading British constructors.
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