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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1763.PDF
782 FLIGHT, 18 June 1954 FROM ALL QUARTERS the Italian Air Force by General Siro Fossati, Deputy Chief of Air Staff. On arrival in the city the R.A.F. party went to the Unknown Warrior's tomb, where, accompanied by General Carlo Unia of the Italian Air Staff, their commander laid a wreath. For the demonstration at Ciampino the following day, under a broken sky, the six Canberras put up a polished performance: the tight turns of F/Sgt. G. S. Kerr "with everything down" and the spectacular climb of F/L. P. J. Carty up through a convenient patch of blue in die cloud layer impressed the spectators as much as did the formation-flying evolutions by the other four Canberras —the first jet-bomber formation-flying seen in Italy. There was an unrehearsed addition to the demonstration when F/L. Eric Chalk arrived in a Canberra just after the formation team had completed their first run. Some onlookers assumed that one of the team had encountered trouble and had come in to land. Actually, Chalk had been sent out from Scampton when it became necessary to call for a spare so that a seventh crew could take advantage of an exercise in rapid reinforcement. In Canberra WJ 619 he demonstrated the rapidity by crossing over London at 0855 B.S.T. and arriving at Ciampino at 1036, having covered the 950 miles in 1 hr 41 min at an average speed of 564 m.p.h. The Canberra's overall time from Scampton was 1 hr 55 min for the distance of 1,060 miles. After the flying display the crews found themselves enjoying a week-end of relaxation, then a day of official functions, before leaving for Athens on June 8th. The Athens visit—some notes on which we hope to publish next week—brought the crews the honour of an inspection by King Paul of the Hellenes, himself a pilot and technically very knowledgeable. After studying the interior of A.V-M. Whitley's aircraft the King watched the team's demonstration, and con gratulated them warmly on their proficiency. H. P. Smith WE regret to record the death of Mr. H. P. Smidi, manager of the experimental department of Rolls-Royce, Ltd. Mr. Smith was one of several people who were injured by molten metal while watching a demonstration of centrifugal casting at the Sheffield factory of Firth-Vickers Stainless Steels, Ltd., on May 21st; although he appeared to be making a fair recovery, complications set in and he died on June 3rd. Horace Percival Smith had completed 43 years of unbroken service with the company, which he joined in 1911 as an office boy. A year later he became an apprentice fitter and worked in the car chassis test department. During World War I he was in the engine test department, working on Falcons and Eagles, the first aero engines to be made by Rolls-Royce. At the end of the war he joined the experi mental department, where he was to remain for 34 years. In 1928 he was appointed foreman of the fitting section and in 1936 manager of the department, a position he held for 18 years. In the inter-war years Mr. Smith worked on the development of such famous engines as the "R" which powered the Schneider Trophy Supermarine S.6; and during World War II he was responsible for the manufacture of all prototype aero engines as well as for the Meteor engine which powered the Cromwell tank. He was also in control of the Rolls-Royce experimental establish ment at Barnoldswick, Lancashire. In 1946 he visited the United States to investigate American methods of gas-turbine production. Mr. Smith. LIGHTER-THAN-AIR LATEST IT is not often, in these heavier-than-air days, that the oppor tunity arises of publishing details of an airship. Considerable interest, therefore, attaches to data lately released by Goodyear Aircraft Corporation concerning their new ZP2N non-rigid for the United States Navy, who will add it to their already large fleet of anti-submarine blimps. The ZP2N, which is the first production model in the N-type classification (the prototype, the ZPN-1, first flew in 1951) is very little different in appearance from die U.S.N, airship which recently remained airborne, without refuelling, for 200 hr 4 min, and a photograph of which we published on June 4th. It carries what are guardedly described as "latest developments ... for locating and attacking enemy submarines." It can be refuelled from a surface craft, and can take up water from the ocean surface for re-ballasting. The power-plant consists of two Wright engines, of unstated type, mounted in an engine-room within the car. They drive two three-bladed Curtiss controllable-pitch, reversible airscrews mounted on outriggers each side of the car. A series of shafts and gears transmit the power and, when desirable, one engine can drive both. The car has two decks, with all operational stations on the lower deck and crews' quarters on the upper. Six bunks and compact crew-lockers are in one compartment; in another is an electrically operated galley; forward is a small compartment with two additional bunks for the ship's pilots; and aft are compact tables and seats where crew members may eat meals and relax during off-watch periods. Also provided in die crew quarters are a washroom and toilet facilities. The tricycle landing gear, comprising a nosewheel and two mainwheels, one under each air screw outrigger, is retractable. The nosewheel retracts into the bottom of the forward end of the control car and the mainwheels into the nacelles on the outriggers. Flight controls have both manual and automatic operation. The pilot may control both vertical and horizontal direction alone, or may share these duties with a co-pilot. All controls can be operated dirough a single column, duplicated for die stations of the pilot and co-puot. There are four stabilizers and control surfaces at the rear of the envelope, mounted at 45-degree angles from the vertical and horizontal. As the surfaces are all operated in unison for either vertical or horizontal control purposes, they are known as "ruddevators." The control car is constructed of aluminium alloy sheet forming a sandwich with a balsa wood core. The envelope is of Neoprene-coated cotton. Goodyear provide this table of comparative dimensions for the series of ships preceding the ZP2N, the proportions of which are not yet disclosed: — Type "L" "G" "K" "M" "N" Gas Volume (cu ft) 123,000 196.700 456 000 725,000 875,000 Length (ft) 129 192 253 310 324 Height (ft) 55 62 79 91 94.5 Width (ft) 47 53 65 72 73.5 Car Length (ft) 23 30 43 117 83 The ZP2N at a mobile mooring-mast at the Goodyear field at Akron, Ohio. The company has built numerous airships for the United States Navy; during the war it produced over 200. :
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