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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0209.PDF
PLIGHT, 13 February 1953 207 doubtedly steep price of the Convair, bearing in mind the fact that the American company's design, jigging and tooling costs are spread over an output of over 600 basically similar aircraft, com pared with (so far) 75 in the case of the British machine. Vickers- Armstrongs claim superiority for the Viscount on the scores of speed, operating cost and load-carrying ability over almost the entire medium-range band. In addition, the four-turbine-engined airliner is claimed to have more passenger-appeal from the aspects of comfort, performance and security. Events support a belief that the Convair sales-curve is well past its peak, and confidence that present and future versions of the Viscount will achieve at least comparable success on the world's short- and medium- range air routes. FUTURE OF RINGWAY TN a recent written reply, the Minister of Civil Aviation said that A the Government have decided against taking over Ringway Airport which is owned by Manchester Corporation. Having been offered the free transfer of some of the State assets on the airport, and an assurance that the M.C.A. should continue to provide technical and navigational services and pay part of the cost of future development, the city corporation are now considering whether they will retain ownership of Ringway and assume responsibility for its operation. AMERICAN JET PROJECTS ACCORDING to the Wall Street Journal the Douglas jet air liner, tentatively known as the DC-8, "may appear on the market before competing planes from Boeing or Lockheed." The same source says that the Douglas specification is for an aircraft seating "upwards of 100," with a cruising speed of 550 m.p.h. and maximum range of 2,500 miles. This machine would be 50 m.p.h. slower than the projected Lockheed jet airliner, because Douglas believe that extra speed can only be attained at disproportionate considerable cost. The Boeing plan, according to the Journal, is for a jet airliner capable of cruising at "more than 500 m.p.h.' and carrying 80-120 passengers. As reported earlier, it is hoped that this machine will be ready for delivery to airlines in some 3-i years' time. Boeing hope to interest the U.S.A.F. in a flight-refuelling tanker version of the same aircraft and, if successful, intend shortly to lay down a production line. Lockheed, however, state that they would like orders for 40-50 jet airliners before tooling up for pro duction. This company believes it will receive over the next few years orders for at least 100 aircraft—25 more than the estimated number required to break-even. MORE SCHEDULED SERVICES APPROVED APPROVAL of several more applications is announced by the • Ministry of Civil Aviation. The latest list—the third issued in recent weeks, is as follows:— (1) Internal services to and from the Isle of Man, viz.: (a) Newcastle-Ronaldsway: B.K.S. Aerocharter, Ltd., for 7 years; (b) Ronaldsway-Newcastle: Manx Air Charters, Ltd., for 7 years; (c) Ronaldsway-Carlisle: Manx Air Charters, Ltd., for 3 years; (d) Ronaldsway-Glasgow (Renfrew): Manx Air Charters, Ltd., for 7 years; (e) Glasgow (Renfrew)-Ronaldsway and Prestwick- Ronaldsway: Scottish Aviation,. Ltd., for 7 years; (/) Liverpool- Ronaldsway: Starways, Ltd., for 3 years; (g) Wolverhampton- Ronaldsway: Don Everall (Aviation), Ltd., for 7 years. (2) Internal services on the routes: (a) Haverfordwest-Cardiff, via Swansea (with later extension to London, via Bristol): Cam brian Air Services, Ltd., for 10 years; (b) Birmingham- Newcastle, via Leicester East and Nottingham: Don Everall (Aviation), Ltd., for 7 years. (3) Normal scheduled services to France: (a) Bristol-Paris (Le Bourget): Morton Air Services, Ltd., for 7 years; (b) Cardiff- Paris (Le Bourget), via Southampton on demand: Cambrian Air Services, Ltd., for 10 years; (c) Cardiff-Dinard: Cambrian Air Services, Ltd., for 10 years. (4) Colonial-coach class services for passengers and supple mentary freight to be operated by Hunting Air Transport, Ltd., and Airwork, Ltd., for 7 years on the following route: London- Nairobi, via Nice, Malta, El Adem or Benina (Huntings only) or Mersa Matruh and Luxor (northbound only), Wadi Haifa, Khar toum, Juba and Entebbe. (5) A request by B.O.A.C. for permission to include a traffic stop at Rome, until December 31st, 1959, on the route London- Tripoli-Kano-Lagos and/or Accra. It will be noticed that, in accordance with Government policy, most of the permits-to-operate cover periods of seven or ten years —giving companies the security required to attract capital for new aircraft The prospect of this security is reflected in the wording of the applications to operate scheduled services which airlines are submitting to the A.T.A.C. Against the entry "Type of Aircraft" appear such familiar names as Consul, Rapide, DC-3, Viking and York, but there is frequently a proviso to the effect that newer types—among them Herons, Drovers, Universal Freighters and Britannias—will eventually be introduced if the application is successful. The only application mentioning new American equipment is that submitted by Hunting Air Transport for the transatlantic freight service, the types specified being the DC-6A and Super Constellation. Airwork, Ltd., and B.O.A.C. have also apphed for the same route, but the Minister's decision has not yet been announced. BREVITIES JUNE 16th is announced as the opening date of the seventh session of the assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which is to be held at Brighton and is expected to last three or four weeks. * * * W/C. Bill Lawes, assistant operations manager of International Aeradio, Ltd., has just returned from a tour and survey in the South Pacific area, made at the request of the Government of Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission. The survey covered both existing radio facilities and future requirements in the Solomon Islands and Fiji. W/C. Lawes also made valuable contacts with civil aviation and radio authorities at various points along his 30,000 mile route, notably in Australia. * * * A Japanese civil aviation mission to Europe is reported to have concluded bilateral agreements with the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Norway; it failed, however, to conclude agreements with France and Belgium. The signing of an Anglo-Japanese bilateral agreement was reported in Flight of January 2nd. * * * On behalf of United Air Lines, the Radio Corporation of America is developing a new cloud warning radar system. Proto type equipment will be delivered early this summer to enable flight testing to be carried out by a U.A.L. aircraft during the period of greatest storm activity. A joint announcement by the two companies gives few technical details of the new installation, stating only that "it is expected to provide patterns on a radar scope that will give a pilot information on the depth as well as the breadth and height of storm fronts." READY FOR SERVICE: After only ten hours' fly ing, the new Bristol 170 Mk 32 (Silver City's "Super Freighter") has completed all the tests required for the award of a full Certificate of Air worthiness. "Bill" Pegg, Bristol's chief test pilot, who completed the C. of A. flying within 0 fortnight of the maiden flight, re ports that the extended Mk 32 is "just as easy to handle as a normal Freighter.'' As seen above the longer nose is com pensated for by an in crease in fin area.
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