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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 2280.PDF
August 1954 227 i :W HALLOO:-Right* r iters — thejHawkec, f. |, Avon-powerhdrStiffr- awaiting test at Duris- fold. The picture |s indicative of the excellent field of vision from thf pilot's cockpit and showf to advantage the porif for Aden guns. Foul Adens form the standard armament of each Huni ter. Below, the first dose-up of the Hunter's new dive-brakes. Hawker test pilots Hugh Mere- wether (left) and Frank Bullen look on. Ultra-Light Long-Distance Bid Delayed A PROPOSED attempt on the long-distance record for aircraft -f*-up to 500 kg, which was to have been made in Tipsy Belfair OO-TIC by a British pilot, was postponed last Monday. Origin ally, the flight (1,500 miles, from Newcastle to Casablanca) was to have been made by F/L. Derek „JfJempster, an Auxiliary pilot of 604 Squadron, but it was decided to try to find a lighter pilot, as F/L. Dempster weighs approximately 14 stone. The sponsors of the flight, the Britvic.Company, approached Mr. Fred Dunkerley (12 stone), but evejsfually it was arranged that F/O. John Lee (under 9 stone),, also of 604 Squadron, should attempt the flight. Last weekend Mr. Dunkerley returned from Gibraltar and Tangier, <fiaving made a quick survey of the route. After con sultation with officials of the Royal Aero Club, it was decided to postpone the flight due to weather conditions and the political situation in French Morocco. A Hawker Hunter Destroyed A SAPPHIRE-POWERED Hunter Mk 2 built by Armstrong *• Whitworth, Ltd., was destroyed while making a test flight hom Bitteswell, Coventry, on August 14th; its pilot, S/L. Martin Walton, ejected successfully at 8,Q0T)ft and escaped almost unhurt, jt was afterwards stated that the port leg of the undercarriage fell away during a high-speed run over Bitteswell. The pilot round that the hydraulic controls were unserviceable, and that the^flaps could not be lowered by manual operation. He decided to jale out, arid, while circling to use up fuel, chose an open spot "which to-direct the aircraft. After 30 min, S/L. Walton trimmed «je Hunter into a steady dive from 12,000ft and ejected at 8,000ft. Ine aircraft fell in a field about 250 yd from a cricket match at fc3-i Langton, Market Harborough, Leics., and was destroyed. s ysweeper Demonstrated ^IJ^P^CA'S replacement for the Bofors light A.A. gun, the ~~ 75 mm Skysweeper, was demonstrated for the first time in this c ntry at the Army's permaaent range, Weybourne, Norfolk, on »-gust 13th. British observers were impressed by the perform- c, : of this automatic Weapon, which was demonstrated by the ) A.A.A. Battalioi/of the United States Army. Three 12ft- target aircraft arid a towed sleeve were engaged and destroyed he gun, which fires 12 lb shells at a rate of 45 rounds per minute. The magazine holds 22 rounds and can be changed in less than a minute. Described as an "artillery machine-gjya,'r the Skysweeper incor porates search radar, computer andj*m, all of which are electronic. Approaching aircraft are detecjedup to 15 miles away and, after a target has been selected.-'Dy the operator, automatic tracking begins at 22,000 yd. When the target comes within four miles, the firing button is pressed and the gun fires automatically in whatever bursts are required. The cost of a Skysweeper is quoted as $314,000 (£112,000). U.S. Agricultural Aircraft for New Zealand A NEW top-dressing aircraft is being introduced to New Zealand. **This is the Fletcher FU-24 of which 100 have been ordered by the Cable-Price Corporation, LtcL" These aircraft will be delivered to James Aviation, Ltd., as,4dts of parts and they will be assembled by this company at Rafcuhia. The new aircraft will cost from £6,000 to £7,000. , ' The FU-24 is a low-wing monoplane, powered by a 225 h.p. Continental engine, having a non-retractable nosewheel under carriage and a specially strengthened cockpit to provide pilot-protection in the event of accident. The fertilizer hopper has a capacity of 28 cu ft. With a payload of 1,250 lb the-FU-24 takes-off with 216 yd run and has a rate of climb of 600 ft/min. Unladen and with full flap the stalling speed is 40 m.p.h. Tiltman Langley Acquisition A MAJORITY of the Ordinary shares and most of the Prefer-"• ence capital of Mid-Century Engineering, LtcL/bf Cranleigh, have been acquired by Tiltman Langley Laboratories, Ltd., research and development engineers of Redhjtff Surrey. With the exception of Mr. V. C. Jessjipt managing director of Mid-Century Engineering, Ltd., the j»mer directors of this com pany have retired; their places haye-tfeen taken by Mr. M. Langley and Mr. L. D. Neeves, managing director and secretary respec tively of Tiltman Langley,L*aboratories, Ltd. Mid-Century Engineering was formed in 1949 and has complete A.I.D. and A.R.B.jjpproval. Their principal clients were B.O.A.C., B.E.A., Lodge ^Pfugs, Ltd., and Tiltman Langley Laboratories. Tiltman L>iri"gley are extending the capacity of the Mid-Century factory, and" a battery of new capstan lathes has already been installed. Death of Dr. Eckener THE great German pioneer in airship development, Dr. Hugo Eckener, died at Friedrichshafen on August 14th^af the age of 86. He had many friends in this country and hextfas awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aeronautical Socjej^in 1936. Dr. Eckener joined the Zeppelin cQjWpany in 1906, and four years later became its manager. H&=*€tained this post during the First World War but also instruartS airship crews. Later he built two small commercial akshjptffwith one of which a successful air service was mamtamed^Between German towns. When the Zeppelin-built Los Ajtgeles flew to America in 1921 Dr. Eckener was in command^On the Allied ban on airship building being lifted in Gernjpdy, a new craft—the famous Graf Zeppelin—was laid down aufie Zeppelin works; her most notable accomplishment was a flyjrft round the world in 11 days 23 hr 33 min actual flying tijne. Programmes of regular flights to South America were successfully completed, but the Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst brought to an end further development of very large airships. After the Second World War Dr. Eckener resumed an earlier con nection with the American Goodyear company, but returned to Germany in 1947.
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