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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1447.PDF
30 October 1953 601 AIR-SEA ALLIANCE: This Viking is one of eight operated on the East African, Rhodesian and European services of Hunting Air Transport. Under an agreement recently concluded between the Cayzer and Hunting shipping groups, the company will operate as Hunting-Clan Air Trans port, Ltd.; increases in its fleet and traffic can be foreseen as a result. question; from a distance of 100 miles he could see airliners circling over Orly, and a Constellation which overtook the Elizabethan en route remained in sight for 20 min although it was flying 50 kt faster. The "object"—described as resembling two shallow saucers with their rims together—was also seen by the radio officer and steward. Capt. Fletcher puts forward no theories as to the identity of the object, but gives several reasons for his belief that it was not a conventional aircraft. M.T.C.A. ANNOUNCEMENTS A LTHOUGH the combined Ministry of Transport and Civil *»• Aviation has its main headquarters at Berkeley Square House, London, W.l (Mayfair 9494), it is announced that, for the time being, the Controller of Civil Aviation Ground Services will remain at Ariel House, London, W.C.I (Chancery 3366). The information branch is now at Berkeley Square House under Mr. V. Alford, formerly chief information officer of the M.C.A., who now holds a similar appointment in the combined Ministry. HARD-WORKING ARGONAUTS MOW that B.O.A.C.'s Hermes Fleet has been dhbanded, and L~ the aircraft are awaiting sale, the Argonauts have taken over both East and West African services, in addition to their Far East, South American and North Atlantic commitments. On the basis of services flown and revenue earned, these fine Canadair transports have become the workhorse of British international air routes. Over the year 1953-54 Argonauts are intended to fly 66,000 hi —an average of 3,000 for each of the Fleet's 22 aircraft. Of the total, 3,500 hr will be flown on the African routes, entailing an additional 40,000 man-hours on maintenance duties. The period between major checks, incidentally, was recently increased from 1,200 to 1,400 flying hours; this, the B.O.A.C. Review notes, is a "great contribution to the adaptability and flexibility of the Fleet." The introduction of the cross-over exhaust system for the Rolls- Royce Merlin engines has greatly increased the Argonaut's passenger-appeal, and the bookings position is healthy. COMET CALCULATIONS IT is estimated by the manufacturers that Comet Is and lAs in passenger service—with B.O.A.C., U.A.T. and Air France— are now logging a total of 172,695 miles per week. By September 30th, the total distance flown by Comets since their introduction by B.O.A.C. 17 months earlier was some 10m miles. A point frequently overlooked is that a Comet can perform about twice as much work for a given number of flying hours as a piston- engined airliner of comparable capacity. For instance, in the period between Ghost overhauls (600 hr) a Comet can fly round the world ten times. De Havilland report that flight trials with the first production Comet 2, which began on August 26th, are now in an advanced stage. Construction of the first Comet 3, due to fly next year, is described as "well within the programme." Incidentally, the Duke of Edinburgh paid a gracious tribute to the world's first jet airliner when he observed last week that the British automobile industry would have a feather in its cap if it could produce a Comet of the car world. FRENCH DECCA CHAIN INAUGURATED AN important step towards complete Decca coverage of Europe was taken on Saturday, when M. Paul Devinat, France's Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, officially inaugurated the French chain. A brief ceremony at the "Red" slave station, Charge, was followed by lunch at the nearby Chateau de Pray. Those present included directors and senior executives of the Decca Navigator Co. and representatives of Air Ministry and the M.T.C.A.; the organizers were the Societe Francaise Radio- Electrique, the company appointed by the French Government to build the new chain. Flight was among those British guests who flew from London to Tours in a chartered Air France DC-4, in which six of the 60 seats had, for the occasion, been replaced by a Navigator and Flight Log. Although improvised, this installa tion enabled the aid to be demonstrated en route. For readers unfamiliar with the Decca system, a brief outline AIRWORK are at present the only Hermes operator, although other British independents are reported to be negotiating for the 19 Hermes now offered by B.O.A.C. This machine was pictured at Livingstone during the notable Airwork lift of passengers and freight to the Rhodes Centenary Exhibition, when the company's aircraft carried over 400 people on 17 round trips to and from Central Africa. of its operation will be of value. Each chain consists of a master station and three slave stations (designated red, green and purple) which send out continuous radio transmissions over an area of more than 50,000 sq ml. These transmissions produce a wave pattern which can be charted, and the position of a ship or aircraft at any time is found by identifying two intersecting lines. Over 2,000 vessels have been equipped with the Decca Navigator. For marine application, Decometer presentation (three dials giving the respective numbers of red, green and purple position-lines) is adequate, but for aircraft the Flight Log has been introduced. This employs a moving chart and a pen which traces the track of the aircraft with extreme precision. Decca thus provides the pilot with an aid which is equally useful for point- to-point navigation and for accurate approach and holding procedures. There are now six Decca chains—three in the United Kingdom, one in Germany, one in Denmark and now one in France. The new chain is intended mainly for aircraft, although it will also assist shipping in the Bay of Biscay and, to a limited extent, in the approaches to Marseilles. It covers the whole of France and also the busy routes between London and Switzerland. The master station, which the French have translated as maitresse, is located centrally at Saint-Angel, near Montlucon, and the "slaves" are positioned as follows: Rouge, Amboise; Verte, Chalon-sur-Saone; Viclette, Aurillac. Ways of extending the system are under discussion, and Italian, Spanish and Swedish chains are projected. As yet, B.E.A.'s Viscounts are the only airliners equipped with the Navigator and Log. Valuable experience is being gained on the Viscount routes to France, Switzerland and Scandinavia, and this will obviously stimulate the interest already shown by other airlines. The fact that the long-wave transmissions remain accurate at low altitudes is one reason for Decca's suitability as a helicopter aid; Sabena, for example, would probably find it ideal for their new network of rotorplane services between Belgium and France, Germany and Holland. It seems possible that the Allied Air Forces will make use of the Decca system now covering most of Europe. The essential simplicity of Flight Log presentation may contain the answer to one of their main problems: that of furnishing pilots of high speed aircraft with a constant, easily read and accurate indication of their track and position.
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