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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0148.PDF
146 SABRE . . . floor space are the two warehouses covering a total of 274,000 sq ft- In addition, there are a number of hangars and other buildings which can be described as small only in a relative sense. At present, Plant No. 1 handles production of the Sabre and houses the machine tools, presses and other equipment necessary to its manufacture. All assembly operations on the Sabre—minor, major and final —are performed at Plant No. 2, which has been described as one of the most efficient aircraft assembly plants in the world. In all, almost 1,250,000 sq ft of space are now devoted to the F-86. Additional to the 2.\ million-odd sq ft of space soon to be occupied, approximately a quarter as much is being utilized by sub-contractors to carry on their portion of the work. In Plant No. 1 is the machine shop and the sheet-metal and tooling departments. Milling machines, lathes and grinders of every type and size necessary for aircraft production are housed here. There are more than sixty milling machines of various types—universal, horizontal and vertical—ranging from three to 60 h.p. The machine shop includes 35 engine lathes and 24 turret lathes, as well as grinders of every description. While many processes at Canadair are standard for large industrial concerns, others are of special interest. Two impressive machines in the sheet-metal working department are the 5,000-ton and 4,000-ton hydraulic presses. One large machine which never fails to catch the eye of the visitor is the Hufford stretch former of 150-ton capacity which grips a sheet of aluminium up to 66 X 144m at either end, stretches it slightly to remove all resiliency, then wraps it over a die. This department also contains smaller stretch formers as well as 21 punch presses, providing a complete range. Then there are such specialized departments as that for heat- treatment, with furnace capacity for all types of dural and steel and copper furnace-brazing; the plastic shop, with all facilities for die-making in rezolin, plaster and kirksite; and the welding depart ment—with a complete range of flash, spot, seam and tack welding. Many machines—i.e., the stretch-former and skin-millers— were purchased expressly for F-86 production, while others were acquired to duplicate similar machines already in the shops in order to ensure the proposed production rate. To keep these and the many other machines in operation requires a large labour force, and at present more than 11,000 are employed. Of these, about 3,500 work directly on the F-86. Thus, a great company is playing its part in Canada. Sabres in Britain.—Here, too, famous names are linked with the Sabre programme, notably that of the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd. In recent years this company has followed a policy of progressive expansion of its Canadian interests and it is a particularly happy arrangement, therefore, that it should be responsible for the repair and overhaul of all Canadair Sabres now in Gt. Britain. Negotiations between Bristols and Canadair, Ltd., regarding overhaul arrangements had begun some months before the first R.C.A.F. Sabres arrived in England—in November, 1951. The first approach had been made in August of that year by, appro priately, an old friend of Bristols, Mr. Tim Sims, who piloted a Bristol Freighter on its 41,000-mile demonstration tour through North and South America in 1946. To acquire the necessary technical background, a team of Bristol engineers and technicians was sent to the Canadair plant towards the end of 1951. They were joined by Mr. R. Ellison, the company's assistant chief test pilots who happened to be in Canada at that time. From the first moment of contact between personnel of the two organizations, it was clear that there was an admirable spirit of co-operation on both sides—a cordial relationship which has been maintained ever since and has greatly facilitated progress. In North Luffenham's early days as an R.C.A.F. base, the volume of work was comparatively light, but it was clear that as further squadrons arrived and the wing approached its complete establishment, the demands on the Bristol service organization would be considerably increased. Work was divided into two categories—repairs which could be handled on site, and extensive overhauls which, it was decided, would be handled at Filton. As the first preparatory step, a Sabre was sent to Filton for examina tion by servicing personnel, shortly after the first squadron's arrival at North Luffenham. A little later, two Bristol test pilots went to North Luffenham to take a conversion course. The first Sabre to be serviced was accepted on March 10th, 1952, by the team of Bristol technicians at the North Luffenham base, and within 15 days was once again airworthy. Since then, work on site and at Filton has increased steadily, ranging from minor to extensive repairs. The major overhaul period for Sabre aircraft in this country has yet to be decided. When it is settled, a regular flow of work may be expected. The Bristol company is well equipped for the task. The supply of spares from the material base at Langar is prompt and comprehensive, and a large stock, ranging from small parts to major components, has been established near Bristol, under the FLIGHT, 30 January 1953 supervision of an R.C.A.F. Supplies Officer. In addition, a Canadair representative is stationed permanently at Filton. The company is also responsible for the overhaul of the Sabres' J-47 turbojets. Planning and shop layout is proceeding in the Engine Division and deliveries of engines for overhaul are expected to begin in the spring of 1953. The task being undertaken by Airwork, Ltd., at Speke entails the storage, rapid servicing and modification of Sabres on behalf of Canadair, Ltd., and to the instructions of the various Wings of the R.C.A.F. stationed in Europe. Technical liaison is controlled from the R.C.A.F. Station at Langar, which unit is also responsible for Nos. 2, 3 and 4 Wings in Europe. The wide experience of the Airwork organization has enabled it to undertake tasks of this nature without much inconvenience, and it is hoped that early this year the whole organization at Liverpool will be working smoothly. Most of the staff to be employed at Liverpool will be engaged from local sources, with the exception of a few key personnel transferred to Speke from other of the company's branches. A large number of Airwork personnel have been to Canada for training during the past year and the experience they gained there is proving invaluable. Airwork will also have working parties positioned with the various Wings in Europe—an arrangement which is unique in entailing the employment of large numbers of British personnel in European countries, working in close collaboration with the Fighting Services. An R.C.A.F. ferry service for aircraft spares is being organized from this country and will eventually be flown daily. The inconvenience of working in Europe will be con siderably lessened by the regularity of this air lift. The arrival of Sabres at Speke has roused considerable interest in the Liverpool area; these are, in fact, the first jet fighters seen at close quarters in that district. Whether the local residents will continue to put up with their noise without comment remains to be seen, but most of them look upon the development as a useful one for the neighbourhood. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has been most helpful in getting this scheme under way at Speke and without its help such rapid progress could not have been made. Airwork hopes that in build ing up this useful unit as a contribution to NATO it will be able to extend these activities to many of a similar nature now being contemplated by the United Nations Forces in Europe. Care and maintenance of the electronic equipment of R.C.A.F. Sabres in Europe has been entrusted to Vicom and Co., Ltd., of Bourn, Cambs, and Redifon Ltd. is producing a special F-86E flight simulator to R.C.A.F. specifications. FLYING THE SABRE By F/O E. A. Seitz, 439 Fighter Squadron, R.C.A.F. ON first sight the Sabre appears to be a rather large aircraft for a fighter, but its dimension's are actually slightly less than those of a Meteor. Its undercarriage is long and is largely respon sible for the impression of hugeness. Entering the cockpit and strapping into the safety harness is probably the most awkward operation of an entire flight. Being strapped, one finds that the cockpit is quite roomy lengthwise but rather cramped for a pilot with broad shoulders. Just behind eitiier elbow is an impressive array of circuit breakers, as practically every electrical circuit is represented. The console on the right side of the cockpit carries the controls for navigation lights, emergency ignition switch, generator reset switch, master switch, and the battery starter switch. On the left console are the drop-tank on/off handle, cabin pressure and heat controls, flap lever, and throttle. Incorporated on the throttle are, A straight-wing deck-landing FJ-1 Fury (/eft) with an FJ-2 (also known as Fury). The FJ-2 is a "navalized" version of the Sabre which, as related on an earlier page, was itself descended from the FJ-1.
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