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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1989.PDF
34 FLIGHT, 9 July 1 FROM ALL QUARTERS •>•». New Noises "D ECENT "outsize" sonic bangs heard along the Sussex coast -*•»• have coincided with the appearance of a high-flying Gloster Javelin all-weather fighter. The Javelin Was, of course, designed to have transonic capabilities, but these were not realized until recent weeks. Flight-developmeat is in the hands of W/C. R. F. Martin. Incidentally, three Hawker Hunters seen in formation over Surrey last Monday presented a most distinctive appearance, and an even more distinctive noise, quite unlike that to be expected of "one Hunter jaiultiplied by three." Congress Vetoes British Procurement^r-s. TTHE U.S. House of Representatives on June 29th deleted frpm •*- the Foreign Aid Bill a provision for financing $75m (£26,785,000) worth of aircraft procurement in tljc United King dom. By a vote of 85 to 50, the House approvqdmn amendj&nt— offered by Representative Bentley (Republican)—to strike the item from the bill. , , Mr. Bentley said that a similar item in last year's Bill, provid ing 85,000,000 dollars (£30,356,000) for British, aircraft procure ment, had not yet been spent;rthe money, therefore, remained available for that|purpt>&e. A further grant, hf claimed, would simply allow the British aircraft industry to exrknd/its competi tion with the U.S. industry, since the bill did not specify that the money must be used for military aircraft. Representative; Hinshaw (Republican) said that British competition in commercial aircraft was "already far too tough" for the U.S. industry, which had been too busy concentrating on the output of military types to concentrate on civil developments. An Administration appeal against adoption of the amend ment, on the grounds that the money would help strengthen the R.A.F., and therefore the free world, was rejected, and the amendment was carried by a standing vote. Road to Rio 'THE chairman of the English Electric group, Sir George H. •*• Nelson, recendy completed a 20,000-mfle tour of Central and South America and the Caribbean,. The tour, which was sponsored by the Treasury, the Board" of Trade, the Ministry of Materials, the Foreign Office and the Federation of British Industries, included a large nuarfber of official visits intended to explain the British industrial-situation and to explore the market for British goods. jr In one of his addresses to various groups Sir George said: "I am here because Brkain can now respond to the demands which may be made upon her." He was able to report on his return that there were vast resources Still to be exploited in the areas he visited and that the opportunities for efficient British salesmanship were legion. New U.S.A.F. Command TT is reported from Washington that the U.S. Air Force i. to •*• establish a new command in the Pacific next moifth to strengthen its ability to meet any emergency in the Fa*r East. The command, part of Admiral Stump's unified P|cific Theatre Command, is apparently being set up in preparation for planned re-deploytnent „-6f forces now concentrated in the tJapan-Korea area. The action also coincides with the announce!! movement of Strategic Air Command units from the United States to Pacific bases for rotational training. The new organization, whieh will be called the Pacific Air Force, and/ which will have headquarters at Hickam Air*Force Base, Hawaii,vwill have two jnain duties—helping to prepare joint emergency planning at Admiral Stump's Pearl Harbour headquarters, and funning the pacific air supply and commun-cation lined \ P \ The new command will .cover'"* vast group of Pacific air bases now pperated by several units, particularly those of the Military Air Transport Service, which will thus be freed for its main taste -©f"flying military personnel and supplies. The command's area stretches from the U.S. West Coast to Asia and includes the U.S.-occupied Pacific islands, U.S. bases in the Philippines and military assistance/groups in Indo-China and Formosa. The command is not expected to operate tactical units other than certain defence units of its own; combat units are apparently to remain under control of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Command. S.A.A.F. Reserve Pilots T HE South African Air Force has a sound reserve of trained pilots, the members of which, in the event of an emergency and after a short training period, would be available for war service, said the Air Chief of Staff, Brigadier H. G. Wilmott, in a recent interview in Pretoria. All pilots who served in the last war and who were not older than 36, as well as other officers who served in the different branches of the South African Air Force, were eligible for the reserve. The number of pilots trained to "wings" standard under the post-war pupil pilot training scheme since it was started in January 1948 was 300; many of them had served with No. 2 Fighter Squadron in Korea. The scheme, however, had been discontinued, and all SouuV African Air Force pilots now received their training through the Air Force Gymnasium. Those pupils under training when the Minister of Defence announced the closing of the scheme would continue tuition until they received their wings. The last group qualify early in 1955. The training would be done at Durban, Wonderboom, Baragwanath, Germiston, Bloemfontein, Youngsfield and Port Elizabeth. THE DUKE AND THE DJINN: During his recent visit to Paris, as recorded last week, the Duke of Edinburgh visited Bretigny, France's Boscombe Down. He is seen (left) inspecting the Palouste- turbine-powered S.N.C.A.S.O. Djinn helicopter, now going into production (it is to be marketed in the U.K. next year, at about £7,000, by Helicopter Sales, Ltd.). In the group are, on the left, M. Geoxgat-Gi"asser, S.N.C.A.S.O. president, and Ihg. Gen. Mazer, technical and industry director of """ the French Air Ministry; on the right, M. Diomede Catroux, Secretary of State for Air. FOUR GENERATIONS: The unique picture below, showing three types of North American fighter— an F-86 Sabre, F-51 Mustang and F-100 Super Sabre, flying past a reconstructed Spad, was secured at the U.S.A.F. "gunnery meet" at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nevada. Respective maximum speeds of the aircraft, in the order mentioned, are 670/700 m.p.h.; about 460 m.p.h.; over 750 m.p.h.; and 120 m.p.h. I
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