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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1767.PDF
786 FLIGHT, 18 June 1954 HERE AND THERE No Joy-Ride THE world's land speed record was unofficially beaten at Holloman A.F.B., New Mexico, when Col. John P. Stapp reached 421 m.p.h. in the rocket-propelled rail-sled which the U.S.A.F. uses to test ejector seats and for determining the effect of excessive g-loads on the human body. The sled, propelled by another equipped with six rockets (12 can be used if required) reached its maximum speed, and was then brought to a standstill, over a 3,500ft length of rails. It was estimated that at one time Col. Stapp was subjected to 22 g. The test was made in March, but details were released only last week. Notes on earlier tests by Col. Stapp, and a photograph, appeared in Flight of May 9th, 1952. R.A.E. Appointment MR. L. G. H. STERNE has been appointed Head of the Naval Air Department at the R.A.E., Farnborough, following his promotion to deputy chief scientific officer. Mr. Sterne, who went to Farnborough in 1940, has been in charge of the subsonic and transonic wind- tunnel group for the past three years. New Guinea Air Survey TO decide on the best methods of agri cultural development of New Guinea, the Australian Government has started ground and air surveys which will occupy many months. The aerial work will be done by a Hudson of Adastra Airways, Ltd., 2nd its first base will be the war-time landing strip at Ironda, in the vicinity of Mount Lamington volcano. Not-so-noisy Neighbours FOLLOWING the bringing of manufac turers' airfields under protection of regula- AMERICA AT RADLETT: Mr. J. H. Kindelberger, chairman of North American Aviation, Inc., with Sir Frederick Handley Page (left) and Mr. R. S. Stafford, H.P. technical director, after visiting the H.P. factory and airfield. BUSINESS END of the rocket-propelled rail-sled in which, as reported here. Col. John P. Stapp reached 421 m.p.h. at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Twelve rockets can be fitted. tions whereby members of the public may no longer take legal action to remedy nui sance by noise (see p. 749, Flight, June 11th), Hawker Aircraft, Ltd., have stated that they do not intend to relax their efforts to reduce noise at their airfields. "It is in our interest as well as that of our neighbours to do so," they say. WORLD AIR POWER NEXT week's issue of Flight, dated June 25th, will be the special Military Aircraft of the World Number. Greatly enlarged and profusely illustrated, it will review in detail some hundreds of aircraft, classed in nearly 20 different operational categories. Readers who have not yet reserved a copy at their newsagents should do so without delay, as the demand for this valuable source of reference is certain to be heavy. Wing Loading A MAJOR operation was carried out re cently by the Bristol Aeroplane Company's transport department, when a Freighter wing 38ft long by (on edge) 16ft 9in high was sent by land and sea from Bristol to Paris. Owned by a French company, the Freighter had been sabotaged in Indo- China, but was successfully flown from the war area to Le Bourget with a badly damaged starboard wing. A replacement wing, urgently required, was loaded on to a "Queen Mary" trailer at the Bristol works and driven through the night to Dover by a route which, with necessary diversions to avoid low bridges and other obstacles, was 227 miles long. The crew—Mr. J. C. Gregory (transport manager) and Mr. H. Pople (driver) encountered many problems, one of which involved the removal, with oxy-acetylene cutters, of a large sign over the dock gates. Eventually the trailer was loaded on to the vehicle ferry (which it shared with a two-ton elephant and other curious cargo), off-loaded at Dunkirk, and driven to S.E.C.A.'s Bristol overhaul base at Le Bourget, though not without further difficulties, mainly caused by telephone and tram wires. Overall time was 76% hours. Aeronautical Art THE inaugural exhibition of the newly formed Society of Aero Artists was due to be opened last Tuesday afternoon, June 15th, by Viscount Templewood, president of the Air League of the British Empire. The exhibition, which- is being held at Guildhall Art Gallery, London, E.C.2, remains open until July 3rd. U.S. Industry Appointment FORMERLY chief engineer of the Convair Division of General Dynamics Corporation, Fort Worth, and chief design engineer on the Convair B-36, Mr. John W. Larson has joined Chance Vought Aircraft, as staff assistant to Fred N. Dickerman, chief engineer. He also was project engineer on Convair's war-famed PBY flying-boat. AUSTRALIA AT MANCHESTER: Senior production officials of the Commonweath recently visited A. V. Roe and Co., Ltd. In this group at Chadderton are (left to right) Mr. R. J. Folk, Avro super intendent of flying; Mr. R. H. Doyle, Australian Controller-General of Defence Production; Mr. S. D. Davies, Avro chief designer; Sir Roy Dobson, managing director; Mr. V. F. Letcher, Senior Representative, Australian Division of Aircraft Production; and Mr. C. E. Fielding, Avro director.
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