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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0152.PDF
i5o FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION BY VISCOUNT TO WAHN A FELLOW-PASSENGER in the B.E.A. Viscount which flew from London to Cologne and back on January 22nd was Col. R. L. Preston, secretary-general of the Royal Aero Club, who explained before take-off that the flight was not to be a point-to- point record attempt in the normal sense. About two years ago, the F.A.I, instituted new regulations enabling airlines to set up speed records on regular routes. The speed is based on the time between unstick and touch-down, and the usual official observation is not necessary; the pilot simply has to ask the control tower at each terminal to record the exact times of departure and arrival. Feeling that passengers might be dismayed by the prospect of record-breaking, the airlines have so far not taken advantage of these rules. Fare-paying passengers are not carried on route- prov'ng flights, however, and B.E.A. have decided to set up "transport" records during a series of pre-service flights with the Viscounts during the next few weeks. The flight to Wahn— the terminal for Cologne—established the first of these records; it also enabled Mr. Peter Masefield to open a new B.E.A. office in the city, and to renew acquaintance with executives of the proposed German airline. Unfavourable weather was responsible for the slightly disappointing speeds of just under 283 m.p.h. (outward) and 263 m.p.h., which are certain to be bettered on other flights. Viscounts are not yet a familiar part of the London Airport scene, and G-ALWE Discovery, flagship of the B.E.A. fleet, attracted much attention when the whistling-kettle noise of its Dart turboprops announced its arrival on the apron. The 18 passengers took up vantage-points in the 40-seat cabin, and the crew awaited permission to taxi and take-off. Just before 1400 hr the engines were started; Discovery taxied quickly out to Runway No. 2 and was airborne by 1407 hr. Capt. Johnson at once made a steep climbing turn to'convert the south-westerly take-off into an eastward climb-on-course. About ten minutes later we levelled off at cruising height (14,000ft), but there was little let-up in the urgent whirr of the four Darts, running at 13,800 r.p.m. and giving a T.A.S. of 330-340 m.p.h. This is 500 r.p.m. faster than the Dart's normal cruising figure, which gives a speed of 291 m.p.h. at 25,000ft (although Darts installed in B.E.A. Dakota freighters have been run for many hours at 13,600 r.p.m., and this speed will probably be confirmed for all Darts). At 13,800 r.p.m., noise-level in the galley and forward cabin of Discovery was higher than one would expect in a machine with such a reputation for smoothness and silence. The extra revs produced a definite buzz around the seats nearest the engines, although near-normal conversation was still possible. Farther back it was much quieter, and the coin-balancing trick could be performed. Just aft of the trailing edge there was evidence of aerodynamic burble beneath one's feet—a cobblestone effect caused by the cabin-blower intake; slight modifications to smooth out airflow are now in hand. But passengers will not be dis appointed by the Viscount in regular service. Not only will lower cruising revs be used, but an extra 200 lb of glass-wool insulation is being wrapped round the first 10ft of the cabin interior, further to improve the sound-proofing. The great-circle distance from London to Wahn is 331.371 statute miles. Peter Masefield had hoped to complete the trip within the hour, but the weather decided otherwise. Word came through en route that cloud-base and visibility at Wahn were near the minima, and diversion to Dusseldorf was considered possible. About 50 minutes out of London Discovery dipped her nose and, with Darts slightly throttled, headed for the overcast at a true air-speed of 400 m.p.h. The Wahn controllers, accustomed to talking-down Meteor N.F.ns, quickly picked her up over the airport, but the G.C.A. procedure cost a 30-mile diversion from the straight-in approach path originally planned. Discovery swept into the circuit and turned on to the ground-guided final approach, breaking cloud at about 300ft above the approach lights. Visi bility was little more than 400 yd but, despite the conditions, Capt. Johnson made a perfect touchdown on the greasy runway. In Cologne, Mr. Masefield formally opened B.E.A.'s attractive new town office, expressing hopes for a steady increase in the frequency of services (at present Wahn is linked to London by daily Viking nights via Brussels and to Berlin by a daily Pionair service), and for continued co-operation with the German authori ties. Speeches of welcome were made by Herr Adenauer—Mayor of Cologne and son of the Federal German Chancellor—and by "Flight" photograph A view which will become increasingly familiar to European air travellers: two of the Viscount's four Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops, as seen from the forward starboard window during the record flight to Cologne. Herr Steinmann, commandant of Wahn Airport. Also present was Dr. Bongers, former business manager of Lufthansa and pros pective chief executive of the proposed German airline. Although most airlines today would welcome the chance of equipping from scratch, one gathered that executives of the future Lufthansa regarded the problem of selecting equipment as a complex and difficult responsibility. It was some encourage ment to learn that, despite reports to the contrary, they have not yet definitely accepted offers of Convairs and Constellations and, possibly other American types, and are still weighing the merits of Comets and Viscounts. (At the time of going to press, Professor Heinkel was reported to have put in a strong plea for the purchase of Comets). A Comet is expected to visit Cologne on March 2nd. B.E.A. have offered Vikings as interim equipment for the short-range services, and are also willing to provide crews and training and engineering facilities while the Germany company gets into its stride. This would pave the way for acquisition of Viscounts by about 1955. On the other hand, there is no doubt that there have been tempting American offers, not only of supplying competitive aircraft but of supplying them for German currency. The return flight, which began at 2150 hr, was made in the face of a 15 kt headwind which reduced the block speed to just below 263 m.p.h. The same cruising power was maintained as on the outward leg, but height was only 12,400ft. Peter Brooks, technical assistant to the chief executive, told us that the Vis count's normal cruising procedure for stage-lengths of around 300 miles would be a steady climb to 25,000ft followed imme diately by a gradual descent. The higher r.p.m. and lower altitude used on this occasion to get the best speed performance were responsible for a 20 per cent increase in fuel consumption. Official times and speeds for the journey, subject to F.A.I, confirmation, were as follows : London-Wahn—1 hr 10 min 17 sec, 282.887 m.p.h.; Wahn-London—1 hr 15 min 41 sec, 262.703 m.p.h. The crew consisted of F/Capt. A. S. Johnson, Capt. S. E. Jones, R/Off. J. Whittaker, Eng. F. Lockwood, Steward T. Cable and Stewardess Pat Lindsay. R.B. B.C.P.A.'s COMET ORDER ADEFINITE order for three de Havilland Comet 2s has been placed by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines. To be delivered towards the end of 1954, they will be used on the trans- Pacific route linking Australia and New Zealand with the North American continent. A further order—for Comet 2s or 3s—is likely; negotiations began in December 1951 on the basis of an order for six Series 2s, but the prospect of the larger, longer-range Series 3 caused the airline to reconsider its plans. B.C.P.A. is owned jointly by the Australian, New Zealand and British Governments, with holdings of, respectively, 50, 30 and 20 per cent.
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