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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0215.PDF
THE HERON'S COCKPIT: (1) Throttles—connected to airscrew constant- speed control, (2) Positive coarse-pitch stops, (3) Engine starter pushes, (4) Ki-Gass primer and selector, (5) Fuel and oil cocks, (6) Elevator trim, (7) Rudder trim, (8) Flap control—up, 20°, 60°, down, (9) Undercarriage selector, (10) Throttle friction, (11) Carburettor hot air, (12) Compass dimmer, (13) P.12 magnetic compass, (14) Brake lever, (15) Parking-brake knob, (16) Adjustable rudder- pedals, (17) Locking lever, starboard control column, (18) Starboard rudder pedals, stowed, (19) Master air valve, (20) Landing light retraction and filament switches, (21) Fuel-pump switches, (22) Dash-light dimmers, (23) Emergency undercarriage retraction, (24) Generator switches, (25) Ground/flight switch, de Havilland HERON . . . between Stavanger and Oslo, involving nine hours' flying—but, according to Mr. Braathen, "such a utilization, which means that the aircraft would be flying continuously with only short ground stops from 9 o'clock in the morning until midnight, is quite feasible, as snags have been few and the maintenance easy." Other points arising from this operator are the authorization of the pilot to carry out A and B maintenance at stations without a qualified mechanic, and the ability of the Heron to use Oslo air port in conditions which ground other aircraft—one kilometre visibility and 100 metres cloud-base. Later in 1951 came an order from Transportes Aereos Salvador, based at the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. A T.A.S. Heron is shown on p. 102 and the company's routes serve many towns, some having only inferior landing strips; Itubera, for example, has a maximum length of 700 yd, with an approach over the mountains and take-off over the sea. The company carries heavy loads of passengers and freight, and has found that the Heron can compete successfully with Panagra's DC-3s. No service has ever been cancelled through unserviceability. Preceding T.A.S. in putting the Heron in service were Butler Air Transport, whose many services to outback New South Wales were described in our issue of November 27th last. B.A.T.'s Heron Warrawee had, from its first service in November 1952 until the end of July last year, completed 1,191 hr—an average of nearly 1\ hr per day—at a very high load factor. Herons have, since February last year, been based at Douala, capital of the French Cameroons, in the service of Union Aero- maritime de Transport. Four operate an extensive network in Central and West Africa, offering an aerobus service which carries heavy traffic; in particular, timetables are arranged to connect with U.A.T.'s Comets to France. A fact which may not be readily apparent is the ability of the Heron to do the work of DC-3s, for many of the latter were bought only because they were cheap and are operated at a low load-factor. In fact, on the Douala-Yaounde route U.A.T.'s Herons are said to have run competing D.C.-3s out of business. Five more Herons are on order. In New Zealand, N.Z.N.A.C. have worked Herons for nearly a year, particularly on the Cook Strait crossing between North (26) Circuit-breakers, (27) Magneto switches, (28) Booster-pump warning light, (29) Morse key, (30) AD. 108 receiver, (31) AD. 97 transmitter, (32) Fan-marker lamp and switch, (33) A.D.F. control, (34) V.H.F. control unit, (35) Mixing boxes, (36) Chart plotting table, stowed, (37) Direct-vision panels, (38) Cool air, (39) Warm air, (40) Standard blind-flying panel, (41) Pneumatic supply/brake pressure, (42) Flap position, (43) Vacuum system cock and gauge, (44) Undercarriage position, (45) A.D.F. bearing indicator, (46) Fuel contents gauge, (47) Air tempera ture, (48) Oil pressure, (49) Manifold pressure, (50) Clock, (51) Synchroscope, (52) Undercarriage warning light, (53) Ammeters. and South Island. Many thousands of passengers have been carried in the Corporation's four Herons, which have made a great impression of reliable service. One of these Herons has been especially honoured for it carried Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh from Rotorua to Gisborne earlier this month. The Royal crew and the interior of this Heron were shown on p. 53 of our January 8th issue. A particularly good-looking Heron is that belonging to Jersey Airlines. It is unusual practice to attempt to serve a busy i "=^^^^^3A^^^^^^^ Y^ o T" / -A-fV o O
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