FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0062.PDF
60 FLIGHT, 16 January 1953 FROM ALL QUARTERS The "Offshore" Swifts THE U.S. offshore-purchases scheme involves the placmg of orders by America with firms in the various NATO countries: these firms then supply the products to the armed forces of other NATO countries, and the cost is paid in dollars by the United States. Congress, however, has laid down that all such contracts must be completed before June 1955, and this date-line has caused great uncertainty in regard to the placing of a production order for the Vickers-Supermarine Swift. Tests were carried out by the Americans on the aircraft last year, and were in general very favourable—though both British and American experts realized that certain modifications would be required. A further advantage was that production of the air craft before June 1955, on a scale sufficient both for the R.A.F. and for certain NATO countries, appeared to be possible. Now there seems to be some doubt as to whether the necessary modi fications can be made in time to permit such production before that deadline. Furthermore, the most recent evaluation of the Swift and the Hawker Hunter by General A. L. Boyd (senior test pilot of the U.S. Air Force), which took place late last year, pre sented an unusually complimentary picture of the latter aircraft. Official opinion, which once took the line that adequate modi fication of the Hunter for pre-June 1955 NATO delivery was too optimistic, now appears to have undergone a major about-face, and it seems possible that an off-shore contract for the Hunter might follow upon an offer by the British Government to make the aircraft available for this purpose. It is certainly to be hoped that some contract will be placed in the very near future. It may be that the evaluation trials already carried out show up the Hunter in an even more favourable light than the Swift, in spite of the latter's longer range—but, clearly, if no order is placed the old, old situation will arise of no aircraft at all being available. The effect of a similar lack-of-policy in the days before the Battle of Britain can well be imagined. If all Hurricane production had been stopped in favour of Spitfires, and the Spitfires had not yet arrived in squadron service when the alarm sounded. . . . In conclusion, it may be stated that $2251*1. is earmarked for off shore aircraft contracts in the fiscal year 1952-53, but that unless a very rapid decision is made, or Congress alters the June 1955- deadfine, little production of British fighter aircraft is likely to materialize under the scheme. The Air Ministry, referring to the position, has said that no change of any kind is envisaged in the production of either Swifts of Hunters for the R.A.F.; the former were due to enter squadron service in June. In any event, the extensive sub-contract ing arrangements which have now been made for the Swift will not be unduly affected, as interest in other quarters overseas appears to be considerable. R.Ae.C. Design Competition THE light aircraft design competition sponsored by the Royal Aero Club, which closed for judging on December 31st last, attracted a total of nineteen final entries. Col. Preston has been good enough to let us have a preview of the entries. The standard of presentation is very high, and —as was to be expected—the majority of the designs appear to have been developed on drawing boards within the industry. Even so, each competitor has been required to carry out calcu lations of a type normally reserved for a specialized department, namely, assessment of overall cost. Costing, in fact, appears to have given the most trouble and produced the widest range of answers. But on the score of per formance all the entries fall into quite narrow bands—about 110-125 m.p.h. cruising speed for the two-seat tourers and around 330 m.p.h. for the Turbomeca-powered racers. The majority of the designs are fairly conventional, and no particular difficulty should attach to production of any of them. Almost the only points which may be mentioned at this stage are a tendency for the adoption of a nosewheel undercarriage and a butterfly tail. The average size of the aircraft appears rather small by contemporary standards, notwithstanding the weight clause in the entry specifications. As a result, some very good little air frames have been designed around the de-rated Blackburn Cirrus Minor, and some delightful racers—more than one of Volksjager configuration—using the Turbomeca Palas. It is greatly to be hoped that the winning designs will be rewarded by the prospect of eventual production. The judging is being undertaken—in their own time—by Messrs R. E. Hard- ingham and W. Tye, and a team from the Air Registration Board. The results are not expected to be announced for at least a month; having seen the entries we find this fact by no means surprising. S-55s in Malaya LARGE helicopters, in service with the American forces, have ' proved outstandingly successful in Korea, both as troop car riers and as casualty-evacuation ambulances. In the British operations in Malaya, freight of all kinds has been parachuted to outlying troops, but hitherto no method of transporting troops in substantial numbers has been available, so that infantry have had to make long and arduous marches before they could hope to contact the enemy. General Sir Gerald Templer, on his arrival in Malaya, was impressed with the possibility of using larger helicopters than the available S-51 Dragonfiies, and now the first squadron of S-55S has arrived in Singapore. This unit, No. 848 Squadron, is com manded by Lt. Cdr. F. H. Suthers, R.N., and the ten aircraft with their flying and maintenance crews arrived on January 8th in the aircraft-carrier Perseus. One machine, piloted by Lt. R. Taylor, R.N., suffered an engine failure whilst being flown ashore, and appears to have made an autorotative descent in a sloping jungle clearing. The crew of three were unhurt. An engineer was lowered by hydraulic hoist from another aircraft to inspect the damage preparatory to salvage operations. Hawker Siddeley Appointment A NEW appointment to the board of the Hawker Siddeley Group, Ltd., is that of Mr. J. F. Robertson, C.A., a well- known member of the organization who is an expert on aviation finance and taxation. As a member of a firm of accountants, Peat, Marwick and Mitchell, his first connection with Hawkers came when he audited the com pany's books at Kingston in 1930. Eight years later he joined the company as treasurer, and ever since that time he has been respon sible for supervizing much of their financial policy and organization. Commenting on the appoint ment, Sir Frank Spriggs, K.B.E., F.R.Ae.S., Hawker Siddeley chairman and managing director, said : "Once again the board has gone down into the organization to bring up a director who knows the aircraft industry inside and out. When Mr. Robertson joined our group he came to us already 'knowing most of the answers' since he had spent 15 years with Peat's, who were auditors to several of our operating companies." Mr. Robertson is chairman of the taxation committee of the S.B.A.C., and the representative of the aircraft industry on the corresponding committee of the F.B.I. He is also a director of the Armstrong Siddeley Development Co., Aluminium Wire and Cable Co., Ltd., and Self-Changing Gear Co., Ltd. Sir Robert George's New Post LAST Wednesday A.V-M. Sir Robert George, who recently «* retired from the post of British Air Attache in Paris, was due to sail for Southern Australia, where he is taking up his appoint ment as Governor. His wife is accompanying him, and they will be followed later by their daughter. Two sons in the R.A.F., and one still at Sedbergh, remain behind. NATO Air Power Lacking SPEAKING at Fontainebleau on December 7th, General Norstad, American Commander-in-Chief, Allied Air Forces, Central Europe, said that air power available at the present time was "far short of the military requirements." The General went on: "I believe, however, that the forces we now have in process of organization and equipment represent a significant factor in the overall balance. We are reaching about this time a level where in the sad event of war we could take a toll and exact a price. We cannot, of course, achieve our full military mission by any means. But I think we have become at least a small deterrent factor." In the view of some observers, a dangerous period lies immedi ately ahead. They claim that the increase of allied air and surface forces to an appreciable size, coupled with recent statements from Mr. Churchill, Mr. Eden and others that the danger of war has to some degree receded, may give rise to a sense of complacency amongst NATO countries unless steps are taken to counteract such a tendency. Ail field-building is reported to be proceeding apace, 90 out of Mr. J. F. Robertson.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
