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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0220.PDF
218 FLIGHT, 20 February 1953 HERE AND THERE H.M.S. "Hermes" Launched THE aircraft carrier H.M.S. Hermes, launched at Vickers-Armstrongs' Barrow- in-Furness yard last Monday by Mrs. Churchill, gives her name to a class of four light fleet carriers which, laid down during the war years, had their construction suspended, then later renewed under the rearmament programme. The Hermes was originally designed to carry 45 aircraft, with a complement of about 1,000 men. Her equipment will include a steam catapult and the new "angled" deck. Flood Visitors LEAVING London Airport in a Viking of the Queen's Flight, H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh made an extensive tour of the flooded Eastern Counties last Friday. He flew first to R.A.F. Station Manby, whence, travelling in a Dukw, and on foot, he visited the Sutton and Mablethorpe areas; he then flew on to Martlesham, where he travelled by car and Naval launch to inspect the River Deben. On the return journey to London Airport the Viking flew low over Canvey Island and other Thames Estuary areas affected. During the week-end the Home Secretary, Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, flew to Holland and inspected the flooded areas from the air, and the Air Minister, Lord De L'Isle and Dudley, paid a visit to Canvey Island and saw R.A.F. personnel helping to rebuild the sea-walls. Korean Air Activity AIR activity in Korea flared up again last week-end, when 24 Thunderjets attacked the hydro-electric plant beside the Suiho reservoir on the Yalu River. This was the plant that was heavily bombed last June, and part of it was still under repair. In the new raid, two generators were believed LAST SALUTE : A Sunderland from the Wigtown Bay maintenance base of Short Brothers and Harland, Ltd., takes off to drop wreaths in the area in which the S.S. "Princess Victoria" foundered, with the loss of 128 lives, on January 31st. Sixteen of 24 Short Brothers' employees who were travelling on leave from Wigtown to Belfast were among the victims. Flown by FjL. Ben Ford, the aircraft circled the area while the Rev. A. L. Melrose, an R.A.F. chaplain, held a short service. to have been put out of action. The raid was covered by 22 Sabres, which, it is reported, succeeded in holding off more than double the number of Mig-i5s that took off from their base only 40 miles dis tant to intercept the Thunderjets; two Migs down, one probable and four damaged was the score claimed. Other Allied aircraft attacked widely dispersed targets. Sporting Pioneer ON February 8th, Lord Brabazon of Tara, holder of R.Ae.C. Aviators Certificate No r, celebrated his 69th birthday. A few days later, on the famous Cresta bob run, he tied for first place in the Seniors' Cup, and won the handicap event. The Princesses' Future NO announcement has been made as to the future of the already completed Saunders- Roe Princess, but it is understood that an extensive test programme is being under taken. When that is complete, the M.o.S. will have to make a decision as to how and where the big flying-boat shall be em ployed. One interesting possibility is that a charter firm might be permitted to operate COTTONING-ON: As related on page 222, a number of Brazilian Air Force pilots who will fly the "cotton barter" Meteor 8s and 7s are now familiarizing themselves with the aircraft at the makers' airfield at Moreton Valence, Clos. Standing in this group, left to right, are Maj. J. E. M. Motto; Peter Lawrence and Geoff Worral, Gloster test pilots; and Maj. J. M. de Assis; kneeling are Capt. W. C. de Miranda and Capt. B. F. Prates. the first craft—and later, perhaps, all three- In this way the Princess could be used for, say, trooping flights without Transport Command having to go to the expense and trouble of training special crews. In any event, serious operations are unlikely until Proteus 3s are available, and the other two Princesses are not expected to be de- Cocooned (see page 224) until similar engines are ready for them. Several Proteus 3s are now running under test, but the Britannias will have priority so long as these engines remain in short supply. M.o.S Senior Appointment IT was announced last week-end that A. Cdre. W. A. Opie, C.B.E., has taken up the appointment of Assistant Controller of Supplies (Air) at the Ministry of Supply, with the acting rank of air vice-marshal. He succeeds A.V-M. C. P. Brown, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C., who has been forced by illness to vacate the post. French S-55S A YEAR ago we reported that the French S.N.C.A.S.E. group was to construct S-55 helicopters under licence, and now comes news that—with the approval of the Sikor sky division of United Aircraft Corporation —an agreement has been signed between Westland Aircraft, Ltd., and the French organization for the manufacture of these aircraft. Physical Society's Exhibition INSTRUMENTS concerned with research into, and practice of, high-speed flight will be among the exhibits at the 37th annual exhibition of the Physical Society, which will be held at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, South Kensington, from April 13th to 17th. W. S. Fielding-Johnston TAKEN ill at a board meeting of his Leicester firm of worsted spinners, Mr. W. S. Fielding-Johnston died on February 10th at the age of 61. He flew in both the World Wars, and in the second he was awarded a D.F.C., at the age of 50, for his part in many Bomber Command raids; two years later he was forced to bale out over Holland when his aircraft was hit by flak. In World War I he flew S.E.5S in No. 56 Squadron, and was credited with five-and-a-half enemy aircraft; in 1918 he was awarded a Bar to his M.C. His son, F/L. Hugh Fielding-Johnston, D.F.C., who also served in the R.A.F., was killed in action.
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