FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0884.PDF
400 FLIGHT, 2 April 1954 AIRCRAFT INTELLIGENCE LONG RIFLE OF THE AIR AGE is an American description applied to the Boeing B-52 eight-jet bomber, the first production model of which is seen on the occasion of its "roll-out ceremony" at Seattle. The B-52 has a wing span of 185ft, is 156ft long and 48ft high. The gross weight is more than 350,000 lb. Note the folding fin—a characteristic Boeing feature. Great Britain Marathon 2 with Leonides Majors. It is learned that the Marathon 2 airframe formerly used for the testing of Armstrong Siddeley Mambas is being experimentally fitted with two Alvis Leonides Major 14- cylinder radials. It should appear at the S.B.A.C. Display this year. Canada Canadair-built Sabres. Mr. J. Geoffrey Notman, president and general manager of Canadair, Ltd., has disclosed that the Canadian Government recently ordered an additional quantity of North American F-86 Sabres from his company. The contract will mean $24 million worth of new business. The machines will be Orenda-powered and will be supplied to R.C.A.F. squadrons in Europe. It is pointed out that Canadair-built Sabres hs.ve enabled Canada to meet her commit ments to the NATO forces on time, and there are now four fully operational wings (i.e., twelve squadrons), comprising more than 300 Canadair-built Sabres, in Europe. In all, the Canadair have built more than 900 Sabres. United States Robertson SRX-l. This 5/8-seater mono plane, reports Aviation Week, is serving as a prototype in the development of a "zero-length take-off" aircraft, to be powered by two Continental turboprops geared to contra-rotating airscrews. High- lift devices include extensive leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps. The proto type SRX-l, otherwise known as Project Skylark, has a 260 h.p. Continental piston engine and has attained 163 m.p.h. in level flight. The minimum power-on speed is given as 24 m.p.h., and take-off and land ing runs of 100ft have been recorded. Estimated top speed of the turboprop- powered SGTC development is 335 m.p.h. Boeing £-47 with J51s. High-altitude tests are in progress with a Boeing B-47 bomber powered with four Pratt and Whitney J57 split-compressor turbojets instead of the standard six General Electric J47s. A "phenomenal" performance is reported. Remote-controlled B-47. The Boeing company has made successful take-offs, flights and landings with a B-47 under remote control. The human safety pilot did not touch the controls. Guidance problems are said to have led to the suspension of the project. Lockheed XF-104. This straight-wing, supersonic, light fighter, which is believed to have a downward-ejection seat, has made its first hop at Edwards A.F.B., covering about a mile. France S.O.4050 Vautour. One of the two proto types of this twin-Atar multi-purpose aircraft was recently flown by two officers of the U.S. Flight Test Services. Although the makers cannot disclose the results of the tests (which have been conveyed to U.S. and French authorities), they do say that they have every reason to be satisfied with the American pilots' appraisal of the Vautour's qualities. Holland Dutch-built Scandias. In Fokker's Amsterdam-Noord factory the six Saab 90A-2 Scandia twin-engined . transports which are being built under a Saab con tract are approaching final completion. Fuselage construction and final assembly is Fokker's responsibility, while wings, tails and other components are built by the Aviolanda and De Schelde companies. The latter factory is also producing the Saab 91B and C Safir. Four of the six Scandias have been ordered by the Braz ilian VASP line, and the remaining two will be delivered to S.A.S. The Scandia is powered with two Pratt and Whitney R-2180 El Twin Wasp engines, each delivering 1,400 h.p. at 7,000ft. The gross weight is 35,280 lb. and the cruising speed 242 m.p.h. at 10,000ft.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
