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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0517.PDF
FLIGHT, 24 April 1953 513 AIRCRAFT [INTELLIGENCE FRENCHMEN—FIERCE AND GENTLE: The promising S.O. 4050.Vautour (top) is seen on the runway at Melun-Villaroche. Below it is the little Farfadet convertiplane, which is being flight- tested at Villacoublay. Both are referred to on this page. Great Britain Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant. The second prototype WB 215 is now back at work after a spell on the ground at Wisley. The Italian journal Alata quotes the following figures for the aircraft, and we repeat them for what they are worth : wing area, 2,000 sq ft; all-up weight, 120,000 lb; max. speed, 500 m.p.h. If they are meant to refer to production Valiants, these data are hardly likely to be accurate. France S.N.C.A.S.O. 1310 Farfadet. Illus trated on this page is the first French con vertiplane—and, with the Fairey Gyrodyne, the first such aircraft in the world to reach the flying stage. The rotor is driven by compressed-air jets at the tips—no fuel is burnt in them—which are supplied by a fuselage-mounted Turbomeca Arrius II gas-turbine 1 air-compressor of 360 h.p. The airscrew, used for propulsion in forward flight, is driven by a nose-mounted Tur bomeca Artouste turboprop of similar power. Much of the lift in forward flight comes from the small fixed wing, so un loading the rotor and increasing the cruis ing speed over that possible with a normal helicopter. Although only intended as a test-bed, the Farfadet (the name means Hobgoblin, elf or leprechaun) can, it is claimed, carry a pilot and two passengers at 150 m.p.h. for 250 miles. S.N.C.A.S.O. 4050 Vautour. Illus trated on this page, the first Vautour proto type bids fair to herald big production of the most useful French military aircraft for many years. A single- or two-seater, it is intended for all kinds of night and all- weather fighting, bombing, close-support, reconnaissance, and other duties. The air craft sits on the ground like a B-47, the bicycle undercarriage being novel in layout and—it is reported—successful in service. The outrigger wheels fold up alongside the axial turbojets. At the moment these latter are Atars, but it is hoped that the S.N.E.C.M.A. Vulcain of 11,000 lb thrust will be availabie for production Vautours, which should then be supersonic in level flight. The Vautour has thin, flexible wings with fences and double-slotted flaps. Most of the fuel is housed in the fuselage, together with the heavy offensive load. An all-flying tail is fitted and the nose houses a large scanner. Initial flight- testing has been completed, and the French Government hope that the aircraft will "get a favourable nod" from NATO. United States Convair Deltas. Our American contem porary Aero Digest has published additional facts about the Convair F-102 and XF2Y which appear to be accurate and to have official approval. The F-102, a single- seat fighter for the U.S.A.F., is a far larger aircraft than was originally assumed, the span and length being 60 and 75ft, while the tip of the triangular fin reaches to a height of 40ft. Power is supplied by two Pratt and Whitney J57 turbojets with a total of about 30,000 lb thrust. Empty and all-up weight is quoted as 25,000 and 40,000 lb and the limiting Mach number is given as 2. The XF2Y Sea Dart, hydroski fighter for the Navy, is given a span, length and height of but 30ft 6in, 41ft 2in, and 21ft iin (with skis extended) respectively, although its general con figuration parallels that of the Air Force machine. Gross weight is 22,000 lb. Sikorsky S-55. In service with the U.S. Marine Cores this familiar helicomer is known as the HRS series. The first ver sions—used for a multitude of duties in Korea—were powered by the 550 h.p. Wasp R1340 engine. Later types, like the FRS-3, have the 700 h.p. Wright Ri-;oo and it can now be stated that the HRS-4 is fitted with a Wright R1820 Cyclone of 1,025 h.p. The HRS-4 can, as a conse quence, carrv :o combat-equipped troops. REPUBLIC F-84G Thunderiet (Allison J35-A-29) Span 36ft (37ft 5in over tanks) Length 38ft
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