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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0325.PDF
FLIGHT, 13 March 1953 323 COCKNEY CANBERRAS : English Electric Canberra B. Mk 2 bombers for the Royal Air Force are now rolling off the production lines at Handley Page factories. Seen here are three production aircraft. It was expected that the first would be delivered to the R.A.F. this week. who was unfortunately not well enough to attend. The Grinstead prize for the best student of the year was won by J. B. Gilder, and there were quite a number of individuals who gained more than one award. When all the prizes had been distributed, Mr. Low handed on one or two messages from the absent Minister, and then made some remarks of his own, in which he stressed the vital need for production engineers and craftsmen in the aircraft industry at the present time. A vote of thanks was finally moved by Mr. A. F. Halstead, president of the Students' Union, in an interesting and—at times —supremely amusing address. B.G.A. London Week-end 1AST week-end, representatives from the clubs forming the -' British Gliding Association met at Londonderry House to review progress. At the annual general meeting on Saturday the chairman (and world gliding champion), Mr. Philip Wills, recorded that the year had been a successful one, not only in the air but also financially. Viscount Kemsley and Sir David Brunt were re-elected president and vice-president, and Mr. Wills himself was re-elected chairman. In another part of the building an all-day conference between the B.G.A. technical committee and the Association's approved inspectors was in progress. Under the chairmanship of Mr. Frank Irving, the procedure was reviewed by which the Association grants Certificates of Airworthiness under authority delegated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It seemed that the scheme was working well, and much useful information was exchanged on experiences with various fabrics, paints and other glider materials. Among the week-end's events, undoubtedly the most wholly enjoyable was the Victory Ball held at Londonderry House on the Saturday evening. The victory being celebrated was, of course, that of the British gliding team in last year's World Champion ships. Guest of honour was Mr. J. D. Profumo, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, who presented the Association's 1952 trophies to the year's outstanding pilots. The de Havilland Cup, awarded to S/L. A. A. J. Sanders for an absolute altitude of 16,050ft and gain of height of 13,830ft, obtained in an Olympia, was received by the pilot's parents in his absence abroad. Lt.-Cdr. Tony Goodhart received the Manio Cup for the best nominated-goal flight, made in a Meise from Basing stoke to Lympne, a distance of 93 miles. For the longest flight, Mr. Walter Kahn was awarded the Wakefield Trophy, having flown 138 miles from Lasham to Coningsby in a Weihe; while Mr. Geoffrey Stephenson's out-and-return flight of 104 miles between Lasham and Dunstable, in a Sky, won for him the Volk Cup. The Seager Cup for the best two-seater* performance went to F/O. TO THE MEMORY OF GALLANT MEN. . . Situated on a wooded hill overlooking the Thames at Runnymede, this dignified memorial is to be unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen on October 17th next. Above the three-arched entrance will be the inscription: "In this cloister are recorded the names of 20,456 airmen who have no known grave. They died for freedom in raid and sortie over the British Isles and the lands and seas of northern and western Europe." The memorial was designed for the Imperial War Graves Commission by Edward Maufe, R.A. E. J. Meddings and F/L. J. W. Reilly who, in a T.21B, had flown 91 miles from Detling to Chilbolton. Referring to this last flight, Mr. Philip Wills expressed the belief that it was the longest flight yet made in "this device," the T.21B. Also on view during the evening were the impressive World Gliding Championship Cup, and an attractive new club award, the Douglas Trophy for cross-country achievement, given by the Surrey Gliding Club. Following the presentation of the trophies, an excellent cabaret was staged by the London, Cambridge and Surrey clubs, with the solo-act help of a well-known gliding journalist, who cycled on to give, vigorously if precariously, his own bicycle-bell rendering of "Coal Black Mammy." Dancing then continued until midnight. Col. R. Preston, secretary-general of the Royal Aero Club, and Mr. E. Bowyer, director of the S.B.A.C., were present, together with a large number of other supporters and pioneers of British gliding, representing many of this country's gliding clubs. Peter Brooks was seen earnestly discussing points of sailplane design over a scrawled envelope, Mr. Profumo enlarged to Philip Wills on the advantages of landing gliders in his constituency, and the kings, czars and inadequately-dressed ladies looked coldly down from their frames and pedestals on to the crowded ballroom. On Sunday, March 8th, a conference was held of club instruc tors, 50 of whom have now been categorized by the instructors' panel of the B.G.A. The panel chairman, Mrs. Ann Douglas, presided. G/C. Christopher Paul gave an analysis of accidents which occurred in 1952, and a comparison with those of previous years. It was stated that the careful study of all accidents and the implementation of the recommendations by qualified instructors was having a good effect on gliding safety, although avoidable accidents still cost the movement £4,000 a year. Representatives of the Air Training Corps took part in the discussion, and a useful comparison of the various training methods was made. The number of clubs still using the solo training method is now very small, and it was generally agreed that the introduction of dual training led to better gliding. More Target Tugs ANOTHER batch of Fairey Firefly target-towing aircraft has L been ordered by Svensk Flygtjanst of Stockholm, a civil organization which operates aircraft of this type for the Swedish armed forces. The present order brings up to 14 the number operating in Sweden. Powered with early marks of Rolls-Royce Griffon, the Firefly target tug will tow a 16ft glider target continuously at 259 m.p.h. at 3,000ft; for 1 hr continuous flying the speed is 275 m.p.h., or 298 m.p.h. can be held for a short spell. The aircraft—which is used in Sweden with both 16ft and 30ft winged targets—is equipped with the standard B. Mk 2b windmill-driven winch carrying 7,000ft of cable • ^MMM
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