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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0805.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2318 Vol. LXIII. FRIDAY, 26 JUNE 1953 EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART ED/TOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres, Sedist, London, Telephone. Waterloo 3333 (60 lines.) Branch Offices: COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams, Autocar, Coventry, Telephone, Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM, 2 King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams, Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone, Midland 7191 (7 lines). MANCHESTER, 3 260 Deansgate. Telegrams, lliffe, Manchester. Telephone, Blackfriars 4412 (3 lines)- Deansgate 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2. 26b Renfield Street. Telegrams, lliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines). SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months £3 3s. Od. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.00. BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months SI6. IN THIS ISSUE: Rhodesia's Great Air Display 802 The National Air Races 804 Britain at Paris - - - 807 French Originality - - 811 The Sharp End (Part 2) - 817 A A F C E 825 Worthy of the Occasion R OYAL reviews of the fighting Services are rare and memorable occasions, and we have heard nothing but praise and superlatives in connection with the Naval • Review at Spithead last week. There is litde doubt that Her Majesty the Queen found two nights and a day spent with her Navy among the most pleasant of her seemingly innumerable and certainly exacting official duties. For the British public, too, the Isle of Wight area became a focal point, and hundreds of thousands found their way to the coast to see the mighty concourse of ships, the fly-past of aircraft and, later, the spectacular fireworks and illuminations. The part played by the Fleet Air Arm did not, perhaps, receive fair recognition. Writers in one or two daily papers were scathing about the aircraft in the fly-past. But Her Majesty was reviewing Naval equipment in service today, whether it was new or old, and to decry on this occasion the efforts of the Fleet Air Arm on the score of the age of some of its aircraft was to miss entirely the point of the Review. During the intervening week, Flight's staff who were invited to take part in the Naval fly-past have compared notes, and here place on record their great admiration for the pilots and the organization of the Fleet Air Arm on that Royal occasion. Flying and time-keeping were exemplary. Men of less spirit and skill might have been dismayed by the great storm which came near to preventing the formations from linking-up. An impression of the weather through which these Naval airmen "pressed on" may be gained from the photograph on page 785 last week. All fair-minded people will recall the Coronation Royal Review of the Fleet and Fleet Air Arm as a proud and splendid day. And now we look forward to the Review of the Royal Air Force at Odiham next month. For some reason—unaccountable to us—the plans for July 15th seem to be on a comparatively modest scale. A mid-week day has been chosen; the airfield is rather inaccessible; a mere 25,000 of the public are to be catered for by ticket admission on one day. The R.A.F. are to be honoured with the Queen's presence for only an hour or two, at lunchtime and in the afternoon. Even the aircraft in the R.A.F. fly-past must give precedence in the air to civil machines wishing to fly in the area. That the men and women of the Air Force will bring further credit to their great Service while under Royal surveillance—as they did, we may add, on Coronation day— we do not doubt; but we trust that they will also be given the scope to do themselves justice. The Air Force is the youngest-Service, but it is not lacking in traditions and at this moment it is the most important to the country and, what is more, costs the most. There are indications that the Review planning may be judged to have been carried out with insufficient imagination or appreciation of how the occasion will be regarded by the public. We trust that events will prove our fears on this score to be groundless. Paris in View O N nineteen occasions since 1909—perhaps the most portentous year in the history of flying—it has* been Flight's pleasure to record the exhibits and happenings at the Paris Salon, and in our very first published issue we find an account of "the first real exhibition of practical flying that has ever been held anywhere." It seems almost unnecessary to add that the venue was the Grand Palais. Now, after 44 years, the scene changes, and for the next few days we shall be taking not the well-remembered morning walk along the Champs-Elysees, but a north-easterly car-ride out of town towards Le Bourget, there to behold a most engaging assembly of aircraft. And in a fine new building we shall probe the power plants and accessories. Britain's participation this year is not distinguished for its extent; but our prestige must benefit immeasurably from the late-hour decision to send over a Hawker Hunter for the two climactic displays. Nationally speaking, it will be teamed up with the Supermarine Swift, and these two pre-eminent intercepters will fly in concert with the Avro 707A, a Shackleton and a pair of Canberras. Other performers on the final days will be Canberras, Vampires, Sea Hawks and a Provost. Technical excellence and flying skill should balance any disproportion in the "Salon."
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