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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1594.PDF
28 May 1954 709 CIVIL AVIATION AQUILA TO CAPRI ON Friday last an Aquila Airways flying-boat—Solent G-ANAJ City of Funchal—made a proving flight over the company's new Southampton-Capri route. Forty passengers were given a foretaste of the luxurious service, to be inaugurated on June 3rd, which provides the Mediterranean island with its first-ever air link. The Solent flew direct to Capri, completing the 1,200-mile journey in six hours. Scheduled services will call at Marseilles (where Aquila have full traffic rights) for a luncheon-break, as on Sunday's return flight. Fares for the service are £66 12s return (Southamp ton-Capri), £30 12s return (Southampton-Marseilles). There will be two round trips monthly in June, August and September, and weekly return flights during July. We hope to describe the proving flight in next week's issue. DOUGLAS DEVELOPMENTS INITIAL flight-testing of the Douglas DC-7B, which is the "overi-water" version of the DC-7, has now been in progress for som£ weeks and final C.A.A. certification trials will begin in September. Douglas state that the most significant design change is the incorporation of a new flap-linkage system providing greater lift and reduced drag. In addition to an improved take-off and climb performance, the DC-7B carries additional fuel in "saddle" tanks located on the upper wing surfaces as part of the engine nacelles. Normal fuel capacity has been increased from 5,512 (U.S.) gallons to 6,400 gallons, and an additional 90 gallons can be carried in the centre-wing trailing edge tanks. Its makers claim that the improved DC-7 will be the first air liner capable of regular non-stop service from London to New York against winter head-winds. The engines are DA.4 versions of the Wright Turbo-Compound, each delivering 100 h.p. more (M.E.T.O.) than the DA.2s fitted in the existing DC-7. Passenger capacity of the DC-7B will range from 40 seats in the "de luxe siesta" version to 95 tourist seats. Pan American have ordered a fleet of seven, at a total cost of about £5m, for transatlantic service next year. There are now 35 DC-7s in service with four different airlines. It is reported that examples delivered to date have averaged 1,500 to 1,800 lb below the empty weight guaranteed by specification. Another Douglas news item concerns the DC-6A Liftmaster. Although designed as a freighter, the aircraft can be adapted to carry passengers (as in the New Zealand race, when one of K.L.M.'s two DC-6As flew 76 people from London to New Zealand to win first place in the handicap section). The maximum seating capacity authorized by the C.A.A. has been increased from 88 to 105. The Flying Tiger Line, which has just taken delivery of a new DC-6A, employs "Burns Aero" lightweight seats which enable me aircraft to be converted from a freighter to a 105-seater in three hours. THE AMERICAN VIEWPOINT ENTITLED Where do we Fly from Here, a paper presented to the Society of Automotive Engineers earlier this month by Mr. William Littlewood, a vice-president of American Airlines, comprised an excellent "plain man's guide" to some of the ma;or problems facing airline operators today. Discussing the subject of medium-range airliners, the speaker hinted that the Viscount may see service on American domestic routes. He said: "Whether such an airplane should be built around two power plants of large size or four smaller ones is subject to debate and study. ... It seems inevitable that within the near future we on the North American continent—and even here in the United States—will be faced with direct competition in this category from some four engine aircraft of reputedly smooth operating characteristics with high passenger appeal. The air plane in question is apparendy excellent in many respects but does not appear to be as satisfactory as might be built with the avail ability of slightly larger power p'.ants, and the modification of some design characteristics. Subject to the availability of suitable power plants, I think we must give most serious thought to the probability that our next American transport in this general category will be benefited by being of four engine type." Mr. Littlewood's analysis of the long-range situation, from an American operator's point of view, was as follows: "There seems to be pretty general agreement that by about 1965, in long range, domestic and international transport we should expect to cruise close to 600 miles per hour. This is entirely consistent with the GOODBYE to the Isle of Capri; a final glimpse of the Mediterranean holiday resort as Aquila Solent "City of Funchal" turns on course for Marseilles and Southampton. Scheduled services to Capri will being on June 3rd, in tially on a fortnightly frequency. past rates of development and appears quite possible with known techniques. It is not quite so apparent exacdy what propulsion devices we will use to achieve such speeds, but if we are to accept the assurances of the respective enthusiasts it can easily be done with jets; it can reasonably be done with by-pass type engines; or it can possibly be done with the use of turboprops. To the jet enthusiasts, with already noted accomplishments far into super sonic performances, it is largely a question of economics and noise. The thrusts can readily be developed, but the fuel consumption will be high and the noise, apparently, will be great. The by-pass enthusiasts, of course, stress the considerably better fuel consump tion, the improved low speed thrust available for good close-in performances, the highly desirable somewhat decreased noise level at equivalent thrusts, and minimize the comparative size and weight factors, the problems of accessibility, and most important of all, neglect the fact that such a power plant is not yet available in the current American planning! The turboprop enthusiasts stress the equally good, or perhaps better, fuel consumption, the substantial flexibility and low speed thrust characteristics, the proven reversing advantages, the low noise level possibilities, but de-emphasize the high weight penalties required for such desirable noise characteristics, and the complex and serious problems of propeller control and operation, particularly under conditions of power failure. "It is perhaps not my duty to accept or reject any of these positions—maybe you engineers can work them out to a most desirable conclusion—but I can't help expressing a great regret that there are not, in this country, under intensive development, more suitable types of engines to power possible future transport and long range military aircraft. Neglect of such possibilities points up a serious deficiency in our national aviation technical development programme since the war. Indeed, we, in America, have had no such national aviation development programme as our British cousins have had. The results have been disappointine and discouraging in this area of vaunted American superiority." S.L.A.E. MEETING AT the annual general meeting of the Society of Licensed Aircraft L Engineers, held in London on Saturday last, Mr. A. C. Jack, engineer-in-charge of Avro's technical department, was installed as president. He takes over from Mr. N. H. H. Luke. The Society's premier annual award, the Gold Badge, was awarded to Mr. T. C. E. Tringham, chief inspector of Aquila Airways, for a paper on corrosion published in the October 1953 issue of the S.L.A.E. Journal. The Dorothy Spicer Memorial Prize for 1954 was awarded to Mr. W. T. Truscott, an instructor with A.S.T. at Hamble, for a paper on high-speed aerodynamics. The annual address to the Society was delivered by Mr. M. H. Curtiss, vice-chairman of the British Independent Air Transport Association and managing director of Hunting-Clan Air Transport. I
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