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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1850.PDF
FLIGHT, 25 June 1954 T HE military aircraft now in being, or in immediate prospect, form a bewildering col lection; and by reason of vast and intricate problems of design and operational aspects of their development show a consistency of inconsistence unparalleled in any other field of arms. These pages immediately disclose, for instance, the astonishing vagaries of aerodynamic design. Structures, though less diverse in prin ciple, vary widely in detail treatment, while weapons range from anti-personnel darts to thermo-nuclear bombs of titanic power. In the choice of power plants a fair degree of unanimity is observed; but even here there is restlessness. If one near-certainty emerges, it is that the manned aeroplane will not quickly be supplanted by pilotless machines; and it is clear that the guided missile, while a valued accession to the air armoury, holds no immediate promise of super seding the piloted fighter. The high-altitude jet bomber, it will be seen, is posing an increasingly difficult interception prob lem, and fighter design is being channelled into widely diverging courses in an attempt to counter the threat. "Tactical" bombers are still much in demand, though the fields and methods of their employment are not, perhaps, clearly foreseen. Deep incursions are already being made by the helicopter into the time-honoured territory of fixed-wing aircraft, notably for anti-submarine work and the assault of land objectives, while into the transport field will soon be appearing some strategic aircraft of very great consequence to the future development of military, and per haps civil, operations. It is not without significance that a naval fighter until recently held the world's speed record; and, as for naval striking power, it need only be remarked that America is developing a carrier-borne machine of much higher perform ance and with far greater carrying capacity than present-day land-based tactical bombers. The trainer picture is becoming somewhat less con fused as requirements are more clearly defined. This appraisal is wholly technical, and no where touches upon such abstractions as orders of battle, standards of training and preparedness. It is common knowledge, however, that both America and Russia have far greater numbers of modern jet aircraft in service than has Great Britain, while in the intercepter class it must be recognized that only a most gratifying influx of Canadair-built Sabres has raised our own nation to something like parity with Sweden. The merits of British military aircraft are everywhere acclaimed; yet the security of our future insistently demands more penetrative thought and more resolute action on the part of our designers and operational staffs. The pace quickens from week to week, and the most efficient aircraft here reviewed are but steps along a rising, perilous road leading no one knows where. Only a few years have passed since the very idea of a supersonic bomber was commonly ridiculed, though the possibility of supersonic fighters may have been grudgingly conceded. Now, genuine faster-than-sound intercepters are entering service, and bombers of like perform ance, if not immediately in view, are surely coming, fust as manned fighters capable of a Mach number of 2 or even 3 are coming, though vast problems continue to supervene.
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