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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0436.PDF
ICS FLIGHT FLAT OUT: A Gloster Meteor adapted by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whit- worth Aircraft, Ltd., for research into the possi bilities of the prone- piloting position, incor porated in the nose. The revised fin leading-edge is now standard on late-mark Meteor night fighters. The prone-pilot Meteor was first flown— from the back seat—on February 10th, the pilot being S/L £. G. Franklin, D.F.C., A.F.C., A.W.A.'s chief test pilot. FROM ALL QUARTERS The Avro Fighter/Bomber THOUGH it has often been remarked that the Avro 707 research aircraft appears to have the makings of a first- rate fighter, it will come as a surprise, even to many who share that view, that this fascinating little aircraft is, at last, being developed into a lightweight fighter/bomber. As yet unnamed, the new machine has been designed to meet NATO requirements as laid down by General Norstad; its rivals appear to be a ver sion of the Folland Gnat (Bristol Orpheus turbojet) and France's trolley-launched, skid-landing S.N.C.A.S.E. Baroudeur. Sir Roy Dobson, managing director of A. V. Roe and Co., Ltd., puts forward the comment that the delta plan form offers such easy landing characteristics that it is "ideally suited" for use for temporary airstrips. "Our aircraft," he says, "can land without trouble on a minimum NATO P.S.P. runway with room to spare, and can take off in half the minimum requirement." He goes on to claim that the delta offers not only low cost but great strength. The new Avro will carry a heavy mixed load of rockets, guns and bombs and, according to Sir Roy, General Norstad has written into his specification exactly what he needs in speed and range. "We can deliver more speed and greater range than these requirements," he asserts. Students of fighter design will learn with interest that Sir Roy is emphatic that the new fighter will not have a tail. Per formance characteristics he describes as "astonishing," adding that the price is less than a third that of "the conventional fighter." Another Air-sea Merger THE acquisition of a major shareholding in Britavia, Ltd., the independent group which owns Silver City Airways and Aquila Airways, was announced on Monday by the General Steam Navi gation Co., Ltd. This long-established company (it was founded in 1824) has a fleet of about 70 ships operating mainly in European and Mediterranean waters. It is an associate of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., which, with a fleet of passenger and cargo vessels whose gross tonnage is over 2,300,000, is one of the largest shipping concerns in the world. The issued share capital of Britavia is £200,000, and the shares have hitherto been held by British insurance companies and by Cable and Wireless (Holding), Ltd. Cable and Wireless retain their investment; it is understood that the insurance companies' majority shareholding has been bought by the shipping company for an undisclosed sum. Brita^ia was formed in 1946 and, although the company lost heavily for the first two or three years, its results have improved to a spectacular degree. The present chairman, Mr. M, C. Mekie, took over 3j years ago, and he will remain chairman of Britavia and its principal subsidiaries. The share capital of Silver City Airways, Ltd., bulwark of Britavia, was taken over in 1948, at which time the airline was making the first tentative experiments with its now celebrated cross-Channel vehicle ferry services. It is expected that one in three of all vehicles crossing the Channel this summer will be carried by Silver City's fleet of 14 Bristol Freighters and Super- freighters. Ferry services account for about 50 per cent of the flying time of this fleet and an expansion of charter operations is likely to result from the merger with G.S.N.C, with its widely dispersed facilities for attracting and handling freight. Another Britavia subsidiary is Ferry Airports, Ltd., which was formed recently to operate Ferryfield, the private airport under construc tion as a terminal for Silver City Airways. The only British flying-boat operator, Aquila Airways, Ltd., became part of the Britavia group in March 1953. In November last year, speaking as chairman of Aquila, Mr. Mekie said that he had offered the Ministry of Supply substantially over Elm apiece for the three Saunders Roe Princess flying-boats. At the time he emphasized their value as aerial troopships. Aquila's present fleet of Solents and Hythes have been used on trooping flights as well as on scheduled passenger services to Madeira and the Canary Islands. A. Cdre. G. J. Powell and W/C. Barry Aikman, managing directors of Silver City and Aquila respectively, retain their present status. Mr. Mekie and Mr. D. Anderson, deputy chair man of P. and O., were reluctant to discuss detailed plans for the future at last Monday's Press conference held to announce the merger. They emphasized, however, that the agreement is intended to accelerate the development of Britavia, and is not merely a means of consolidation. This is the third air-sea alliance to be announced this year; the others concerned the Hunting Group and the Clan Line and Air- work and Fjmess, Withy. Neither involved a controlling interest. Towards Radar Perfection "D ADAR problems that were still unsolved formed the subject AV of a lecture given to the Radar Association in London on February 10th. The lecturer, Mr. K. E. Harris (director of development, A. C. Cossor, Ltd.), dealt mainly with the applica tion of radar to ground-controlled interception of enemy aircraft in war-time and to airfield approach control in peace-time. From the beginning, one of the greatest functional shortcom ings had been a variable time-lag in the interpretation of the intelligence, in other words, the delay encountered when trans ferring information from the cathode-ray-tube display to the plotting table. The display had also left much to be desired. Many technical improvements, such as plan position indication and the "nodding" height-finder, were incorporated to improv? the visual display, and the time-lag was reduced. Furthe attempts were made to improve the visual display, among then a "3-D" type of presentation. Various optical systems using stereoscopic and pantographic techniques were used. With th former, operators experienced considerable accommodatic difficulties. With the latter they had to become determine- hybrids, using all four limbs simultaneously. Another interesting development was the system in which tfo P.P.I, display was continuously filmed, the film being immediate! TANDEM TUTOR; Briefly discussed on this week's "Aircraft Intelligence page, the Lockheed jet trainer developed from the T-33 is hardly a thit; of beauty. This photograph emphasizes the hump-backed appearam resulting from the elevated instructor's seat. The port wing is hiddi by the huge tip-tank.
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