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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0897.PDF
io July 1953 53 over-long exhibition of loops, rolls, stall-turns and inverted flying; it also snowed remarkably good aileron control at the point of stall. It was difficult to judge the qualities of the new Potez 75 „ "home guard" ground-attack aircraft, which was flown within a somewhat narrow speed-range; but with the aid of heavy application of brakes it achieved a short landing run. British participation in the display was opened by a competent, but hardly stirring, aerobatic display on a Percival Provost by a pilot of Flying Training Command. The French commentator, incidentally, mentioned that "over 100" Provosts had been ordered by the R.A.F. Proceedings became a good deal more exciting when a Dassault Flamant, which had taken off earlier in the programme, dis gorged two French parachutists at a height estimated at 10,000ft. As the tense seconds ticked past the men became visible first as tiny black crosses, each trailing a powdery white cloud, and finally as men lying with faces towards the crowd and arms and legs stretched out in perfectly controlled free descent. At no more than 700ft, after a total delay of 40-45 seconds, both men pulled their ripcords and the parachutes opened not a second too soon. The vast crowd shouted its applause when the two men landed on the grass within 100 yds from the enclosure. This increase of tempo was kept up with the appearance of the Sipa 200 Minijet, the first of several participating aircraft using one or other of the brilliant Turbomeca series of lightweight turbojets which have contributed so much to recent French aero nautical distinction. To the tune of a healthy hiss from the 35olb-thrust Palas, this attractive little two-seater turned, rolled, dived and looped like a baby jet fighter. Its pilot, M. Fischl, proved the Minuet's docility by almost violent use of rudder and aileron to the point of touch-down, whereupon he pulled it up within 150 yd by clamping on a pair of the most efficient brakes seen in the display. Consecutive demonstrations of the M.S. 755 Fleuret and the Fouga CM. 170 Magister gave us an opportunity to compare these lively and economical jet trainers, both of which are powered by two 880 lb thrust Turbomeca Marbores. The top speed of the T-tailed Fleuret is quoted as 420 m.p.h., compared with 395 for the Magister (and it certainly gave a livelier impres sion). From one of its high-speed passes it zoomed, seemingly without effort, to at least 8,000ft, and its rate of roll appeared comparable with that- of some jet fighter of far greater power. The Magister's tandem enclosure, however, was seen to have two occupants, whereas only one of the Fleuret's side-by-side seats was occupied. Making its first appearance in public was the ten-seater Das sault 316, whose two S.N.E.C.M.A. 14XS confer a remarkable climb. The 316 bears an obvious relationship to the Flamant but gives a neater, more clean-cut impression, which is heightened by the large single fin and rudder. The little S.O. Djinn helicopter, which has "cold" tip-jets fed with compressed-air by a Turbomeca Palouste, gave an enchanting performance of manoeuvrability. A favourite trick of its pilot, M. Jean Dabos, was to spin the fuselage rapidly both with and against the rotor. Three gleaming new additions to the Air France fleet—-Comet, Viscount and Super Constellation—were now to be glimpsed in stately orbit. When all three had completed a low passage above the runway a handsomely marked Comet of U.A.T. was cleared to take-off for Casablanca. Three English-based B-47B Stratojets of the U.S.A.F. should have appeared next, but only one of these machines turned up for a very sedate fly-past at over 1,oooft. This disappointment was partly compensated by the spectacle of 24 B-26 tactical bombers, sprouting guns and painted black and yellow, which flew from Laon in four elements of six. With the aid of, respectively, Jato and reverse-pitch airscrews a ten-seat Grumman Albatross The S.O.4O50 Vautour supersonic light bomber/heavy fighter, with tandem undercarriage and twin S.N.E.C.M.A. Atars. Tidy work by the Patrouille Acrobatique Francaise on their F-84s. Alone and aloof—the boeing 8-47B Stratojet, which flew from England. amphibian demonstrated both a rapid take-off and short landing. Flying light, the spidery Hurel Dubois 31 was able to take-off in no more than 500 yd, returning with one of the two 800 h.p. Wright radials inoperative. Although in many respects the Hurel is the nearest approach yet to the Dakota replacement ideal, its unconventional layout still evokes criticism—particularly on the score of ground handling. Perhaps pilot Fischl had these objec tions in mind when, after a contracted landing, he casually flew the H.D.31 down the runway to its parking position. One of the few French transports to have broken into the current commercial market is the Nord Noratlas, flown with great precision at Le Bourget by M. Chautemps. Despite its bulk—for the Packet like Nord can take 40 passengers in comfort—it flew nimbly with one of the two Hercules feathered. A first-class performance was enhanced by the simultaneous appearance of four more Nord 2501s which flew overhead in excellent formation. An even larger aircraft to be gwen the full fighter treatment was
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