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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 2284.PDF
• / , h****" 231 2C August 1954 R.A.F MODEL CHAMPIONSHIPS PERFECT weather, good organization, and over 200 enthusi astic modellers representing all Commands of the Royal Air Force made the first day of the two-day United Kingdom Championships at R.A.F. Station Horsham St. Faith a memor- At 0620 hr the noise of the first engine was heard as final test flying started, and although the official preliminaries were com pleted by 1645 hr flying went on well into the dusk. The Concours d'Elegance competition produced some excep tional models, and the winners in each section were up to the highest standard found anywhere in this exacting class of the aeromodeller's craft. With such perfect weather conditions high flight times were soon being recorded, and a Jetex model logged a splendid flight of over 11 minutes. The Concours model flight-tests showed that uiose two expert and experienced modellers S/L. L. E. Ellis of R.A.F. Debden and Sgt. J. D. McHard, of R.A.F. Wellesbourne, had once again constructed two most interesting experimental models, the former a delta with a flying tail, the latter a bigger and better black canard, a development of his original "Cucumber." Both models flew exceptionally well. The first flights of the Scale Model Free Flight contest were watched by a crowd of about 3,000 spectators, who were treated to some first-class flying. The Supermarine Seagull of J/Tech. Percival (R.A.F. St. Athan), after a most realistic protracted take-off from the runway, flew round at scale speed, to be fol lowed by F/O. E. H. Norman's Tiger Moth (complete with travelling Form 700 in the locker) and the intriguing Farnham Flycycle of F/L. Bowmer, which made three determined low- level beat-ups of the crowd before landing. The Radio Control event gave S. A/C. Lock of R.A.F. Martle-sham Heath a chance to show his skill with a five-year-old model of his own design, fitted with a home-made transmitter and receiver./The crowd were delighted with his spot landing which was just five yards short! S/L. Ware of R.A.F. Mildenhall gave a convincing demonstration with his twin-rudder model, ending with an impeccable landing in front of the spectators. Among the spectators on the second day were the C-in-C. Fighter Command, Air Marshal Sir Dermot Boyle; the C-in-C. Bomber Command, Air Marshal Sir George Mills, accompanied by Lady Mills; the former president of the Association, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Pugh Lloyd; the A.O.C. 12 Group, A.V-M. Crisham, and G/C. Aidcen and Mrs. Aitken. Also pre sent were the president of the Northern/Heights Model Aircraft Club, Dr. A. P. Thurston, and Mr. Houlberg, president of the S.M.AE. At the prize-giving, Air Marshal Sir Dermot Boyle said that it was quality that counted every time, not quantity, and that it Q>'. A. Fell of R.A.F. Feltwell, with his Seraph glider. He was placed second in the A.2 glider event. . ;.-•. .-•••/ F/L A. Coutts-Smith, competition secretory and contest director, launches his Luscombe Skypal in the Flying Scale event. was quality he had seen at the Championships. There were also two other things which had impressed him—the ability of a model to be repaired from what appeared to be Cat. 3 to being fully serviceable and in the air in a matter of minutes; the other the tremendous enthusiasm of all the competitors. He ended by saying that there was one thing he would noi^like to be—a model- maker's mate. For this person seemed to spend all his time running downwind and never getting back in time for anything important! Dr. Thurston, after presenting die Thurston Trophy to N. A. Gorham of the Ipswich M.A.C., said how very impressed he had been by the progress made by the Association since its forma tion in 1949; and by the comradeship and common-purpose shown by all the contestants, of all ranks. So the Championships ended, widiout doubt the best yet.—R. B. L. ' 7 NORMALAIR AGREEMENT WITH ATRESEARCH "M~ORMALAIR have concluded a new agreement with the J-* AiResearch Company of Los Angeles^ whereby they are now able to offer British aircraft manufacturers the range of the American firm's components for cabin air conditioning. Normalair are, of course, already manufacturing cabin pressure controllers, ^JiscKarge valves, air flow controllers, humidifiers and npj»"feturn valves, etc. Under the new agree ment, they haye^how taken up die manufacture of air turbine refrigerators and pneumatic temperature control. FRANK GANNON WE learn with regret of the sudden death, in Sydney on August 7th, of a well known member of the Australian aircraft in dustry, Mr. Frank Gannon. Entering aviation in 1922, he was subsequently associated with the General Aircraft Co., and when they closed down in the early 1930s he leased the factory and formed the business of Turl and Gannon, which later became a public company under the name of Turgan Aircraft. With S/L. L. J. (now Sir La.wfence) Wackett as technical adviser, the company went into-p^Sduction with the six-passenger Gannet (two Gipsy Six); "Gdhnet" was suggested by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith as bejrfg a combination of the names of both Gannon and Wackett/ In 1935 Mr. Gannon resignecUrffom the company in order to establish an aircraft materials ajifl parts section for Paul and Gray Pty., Ltd. At the outbreak ofWorld War II he had developed the only aircraft-material supply organization in Australia, with branches in the various^States. He was also responsible for the creation of the D.QA- release-note system in Australia. In 1945 he trarfsferred from Paul and Gray to their newly-formed associate's Allison Gray and Co., where he established an aircraft ageney section. He left in 1952 to form British Aircraft and Engineering Pty., Ltd., Sydney, which represented Black burn anet General Aircraft, Ltd., in mat area. We/fiad pleasure of meeting Frank Gannon when he visited England last spring and the Editor met him again in Australia early this summer, experiencing the great kindness and hospitality for which he was known. He was a keen advocate of British air craft and of large air transports to open up Australia's outback. I '-
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