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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1630.PDF
246 The variable-sweep Bell X-5 research aircraft, flown in 1951. 247 The R.A.F.'s first four-jet bomber—the Vickers Valiant B.1, 1951. 248 A version of this Douglas Skyray 1951) holds the speed record. 249 First U.S.A.F. pilotless bomber was the Martin Matador, 1951. 250 The world's first supersonic multi-seater was the D.H.110 of 1951. THE FIRST FIFTY YEARS . . . (1951 Cont.) A research project of uncommon interest, sponsored by the U.S.A.F., the N.A.C.A. and the Bell company, is the X-5 (246), built to investigate the aerodynamic effects of changing the degree of wing sweepback in flight (simultaneously, of course, compensating for the resulting shift of e.g.). No less striking in appearance, although it is the prototype of a standard naval fighter, is the Douglas Skyray (248). This design goes back to 1945, when reports and studies of Professor Lippisch, the German delta pioneer, came into the hands of a U.S. intelligence team. On October 3rd, 1953, the second Skyray prototype established the present world speed record of 753.4 m.p.h. and more recently underwent carrier trials. A contemporary of the Skyray, in the bomber category (and no less notable in concept) is the Vickers Valiant B.l (247), featuring a moderately swept wing having roots of sufficient chord and depth to contain four Rolls-Royce Avons. The Valiant is the R.AF.'s first four-jet bomber. A Mk 2 "pathfinder" version, believed to be stressed for very high speeds at low level, lately made its appearance. Though given a normal bomber designation (B-61) the U.S.A.F.'s Martin Matador (249) is pilotless. Turbojet-propelled and rocket-launched, it is vastly more effective (and more expensive) than the war-time V-l. The massive fighters at 250 and 251 are the D.H.UO and Gloster Javelin, designed to a specification calling for extremely high performance, heavy armament and elaborate radar search and navigation aids. The first fighter of its class to achieve super sonic speed in a dive, the D.H.110 is powered with two Rolls- Royce Avons and at the time of writing is under development for the Royal Navy. The delta-wing Javelin is Sapphire-powered and by virtue of its low wing loading is uncommonly tractable at the lower end of the speed range. The maker's chief test pilot avers that its characteristics "vary but little from those of any conventional old-type plank-wing aircraft." 1952 The majestic machines at 252 and 253 are pre eminent examples of turboprop airliners. Three of the 150- ton Saunders-Roe Princesses have been built, though two have been "embalmed" and the whole project is still in the balance at the present time. The ten Proteus turboprops are mounted as four coupled pairs and two single units outboard; span is 219ft 6in, fuel capacity 14,500 gal and gross weight 315,000 lb. Bristol's Britannia has four single Proteus units, the economy of which, combined with the lowest specific structure-weight yet achieved in a transport aircraft, confer outstanding flexibility of load and range. 251 Fast-climbing and manoeuvrable—the Gloster Javelin (1951). 252 Quiet, graceful, economical—the Bristol Britannia, 1952. 253 A masterpiece of British aeronauti cal engineering is the Saunders-Roe Princess double-deck, 150-ton flying- boat, first flown in 1952.
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