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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0161.PDF
6 February 1953 »jy Britannias. Accepted by the M.o.S., the initial power units have given satisfaction in their ground running, all of which —including two consecutive runs to the conditions of a 25-hours' Special Category Test—has been at the design take-off rating of 3,350 s.h.p. That this performance in no way deteriorates with time is indicated by the figure of 3,360 s.h.p. obtained after an accumulated time of 200 hours on the engine concerned. At these ratings the residual jet- thrust was 1,190 lb, giving a total equivalent horsepower of 3,830. Oil consumption has not exceeded one pint per hour. Combustion-chamber life has been found of a high order; one set, removed after 270 hours' running, merely required burner rectification to render them fit for further service. As reported previously, the first prototype completed its initial flight-test programme on December 1st. It was then returned to the main aircraft assembly-hall for resonance tests, which are seen in progress in the photograph opposite. The aircraft was supported at the main jacking points upon two unusual supports of Bristol design. Each consisted of a capacious tank providing an extremely low degree of damping, the frequency of the mass mounted on the tank being dependent upon a very small change in volume. The nitrogen-filled tyre at the top of each tank was included to provide a flexible support for the aircraft and each tank housed a Skyhi jack for raising the aircraft and for normal ground handling. When properly supported by the non-damping tanks, the airframe was subjected to various vibrating loads. Two moving-coil exciters were mounted on the floor to act on the nosewheel leg and introduce lateral vibration; a second pair of exciters was used to provide vertical loads. Strain-gauges were distributed at selected stations over the airframe to measure the induced vibration stress. Work on the second prototype Britannia is well advanced; at the moment this aircraft—which appears in the current civil register as G-ALRX—is in the assembly hall and, externally, it looks very nearly complete. A point of super ficial interest is the white dielectric nosecap, beneath which is a cloud/collision-warning scanner. This second aircraft will be powered with Proteus 3 engines, and will, therefore, be certificated at the full all-up weight of 140,000 lb, with internal tankage of 6,800 gallons. Of the production aircraft for B.O.A.C., the first is now in process of final assembly and the fuselage of the second is out of the main component jig, ready for assembly. These two aircraft are scheduled to fly early in 1954; G-ALRX should fly this summer. MINISTER ON GUIDED-MISSILE POLICY A GENERAL reference to the progress of research and **- development in the field of guided missiles was given to the Commons on January 26th, when the Minister of Supply, Mr. Duncan Sandys, presented a supplementary estimate of £16,000,000 for approval. He said that work on guided rockets had been intensified, and further encouraging progress had been achieved. Weapons travelling at "several times the speed of sound" were being successfully evolved for use in both defensive and offensive roles. There could be no doubt that the guided rocket was one of die decisive instruments of war which would dominate the military scene in the none-too-distant future. It was therefore the Government's view that, wherever else retrenchment might be acceptable, work on guided rockets must be allowed to forge ahead; and that to hold back our scientists or technicians in any way in this vital field would be false and dangerous economy. Mr. Sandys had stressed earlier that this country's ability, and that of the Allies, to defend themselves against the numerically stronger forces which might be ranged against them depended upon the maintenance at all times of superiority in the technical quality of weapons. It must therefore be a matter of policy to press ahead energetically with research and development to enable new and more advanced types of equipment to be brought into service as quickly as possible. Some part of the increased expenditure reflected in the sup plementary estimate was due to increases in prices and wages, but in the main it provided gratifying evidence that the progress of the technical and scientific establishments of the Ministry of Supply and of the industries which were working with the Ministry had been more rapid than was expected a year ago. This expenditure was not, of course, spread evenly over the whole of the wide field concerned, but was deliberately concen trated on the points that mattered most. A special effort had been made to accelerate development of new types of airframes, engines, electronic equipment, and improved methods of jet propulsion. This reference -to aircraft research was the subject of a question by Mr. Woodrow Wyatt (Lab., Aston) who asked if it was now a fact that no research on civil aviation or jet propulsion took place unsubsidized by the Government, or was still taking place under the auspices of and paid for by private firms. Mr. A. R. W. Low, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply, replied that a great deal of research was carried out by the aircraft industry for themselves. Research carried out by the Ministry in air matters was primarily, in fact, overwhelmingly, for military purposes. On the same day, Mr. Douglas Jay (Lab., Battersea N.) asked Mr. Sandys to state the total of public money spent by his Department on aircraft research and development carried out by aircraft companies since April, 1945; and how much was now received by his Department by way of fees or royalties for com mercial exploitation of the results of this expenditure. Mr. Sandys replied that it would not be in die public interest to give information about Government expenditure on aero nautical research and development. The commercial revenue amounted to about £1,500,000 a year. FOUR-OLYMPUS VULCANS THE announcement mat Bristol Olympus turbojets will be used to power the Avro Vulcan bomber was authorized last week end by the Ministry of Supply. Details of both the power unit and the aircraft remain secret, but die performance possibilities of this spectacular machine with the aid of four of what are probably the world's most power ful gas turbines are, to say die least, exciting. The prototype Vulcan is fitted with four Avons. The only static-thrust figure which can be quoted for the Olympus is 9,750 lb, but it is common knowledge that in its developed versions the unit will be capable of producing a great deal more. The Bristol Olympus, with twin axial-compressors, is especially not able for its combination of great thrust and low fuel consumption. Figures for the early marks are: thrust, 9,750 lb; specific fuel con sumption, 0.766 Ib/hr/lb thrust; weight, 3,520 lb. Diameter is only 40in and the length is 10ft 4in. The Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd., thus have five super-priority products in hand at this time: the Britannia airliner; its Proteus turboprop; Bristol guided weapons and the unspecified power units for these weapons; and now the Olympus "two-spool" turboject. Dimensions and consumption are given in the caption.
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