FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0163.PDF
II February 1955 MIDGET MYSTERY: A "Flight" impression of the Marcel Dassault Mystere XXVI (Bristol Orpheus), a design submitted tor the NATO light fighter/attack competition. Measuring only 25ft 4in in span the little machine seems to owe something to both the Supermarine Swift and the U.S. Nayy's Douglas Skyhawk attack bomber. of the P.I was proceeding satisfactorily, although no date couldyet be given of its coming into service. He spoke of very favourable handling reports on the D.H. 110and, for the benefit of the apparently unenlightened, explained that the selection of this aircraft by the Royal Navy was governedby the fact that the Javelin, which the R.A.F. considered capable of greater development, would have been too heavy for naval work. Guided missiles were also the subject of questions last week.That production orders had in fact been placed for air-to-air missiles of British design was mentioned by Mr. George Ward,who regretted that he could not reveal details of our programme. Some heated comments were projected in the Under-Secretary'sdirection when, in replying to the suggestion that the present state of preparedness reflected gravely on the Government, he assenedthat any grave reflections to be made should rest with the late Government for not having started work earlier. Despite- furtherinterventions, he declined to give an estimate of the date when British air-to-air missiles would be put into service. "I wouldmuch sooner be shot at across the Floor of the House," he said "than be guilty of a breach of security." Security itself was a subject of other Parliamentary questionslast week, when Mr. Frank Beswick (Lab., Uxbridge) asked to what extent official approval was given to the service informationpublished in the Royal Air Force Flying Review. Mr. George Ward replied that the review was a commercialpublication produced with the co-operation of the Air Ministry. Provided security requirements were satisfied, there was noliability on the publisher to submit articles before publication. On Wednesday a question was to be asked about changes inValiant wings and ailerons. Joining the Board at Belfast APPOINTED chief engineerL of Short Bros, and Harland, Ltd., in April last year, Mr.H. G. Conway, M.A., F.R.Ae.S., M.I.Mech.E., has been appointeda director. Born in Vancouver, B.C., and educated in thiscountry, Mr. Conway has had varied experience in the industry.From 1938 to 1945 he was chief engineer to Aircraft Equipment,Ltd., and in 1945-47 was with the Dunlop Aviation Division.After that, until he joined Short Bros., he was technical directorof British Messier, Ltd. Mr. H. G. Conway. U.S. Production '"THE aircraft industry of the United States is now producingA 91 different types of aircraft, exclusive of pilotless machines. This is revealed in a survey conducted by the U.S. AircraftIndustries Association, which shows that 28 airframe manufac- turers have a total of 65 military aircraft in production, rangingfrom light liaison types to supersonic bombers. Twenty-six civil types are in production and nine models of helicopter are beingquantity-produced for military use; another six are available for the civil market. The survey attaches due importance to the factthat America is now building more jet engines man piston engines. Stockholm Decca Chain 'THE Royal Swedish Navy announced this week that an order-*- has been placed with Decca Navigator och Radar A.B. for a Decca Navigator chain to be erected in the neighbourhood ofStockholm. The chain will cover a large part of the Baltic Sea from the island of Oland in the south to Aland in the north andalso part of the Aland Sea, the Bay of Gavle and the Gulf of Bothnia. This Ealtic chain will join up with the Danish chainalready in operation. The system consists of four transmitting stations, the wholecost of which is about three million Swedish Kroner (£200,000). Delivery is expected to take place before the end of this year,and therefore the chain can be in full operation in 1956. The stations will be operated by a company now being formed forthe purpose. Decca Navigator receivers for the ships will be hired out by 163 Decca Navigator och Radar A.B., which has offices and servicedepots in Stockholm and Gothenburg. The chain will be also of great importance for air traffic. BritishEuropean Airways are now using the Decca system—together with the Flight Log—in their Viscounts, and it seems likely thatScandinavian Airlines System will show increasing interest now that the Stockholm area will come into the Decca coverage. Forhelicopters, Decca is the only practicable navigational aid, and the new chain will be of importance for the air/sea rescueorganization. The Swedish Hydrographer's office, which purchased a smallDecca chain in 1946, will be responsible for the sea charts which will be available through normal chart suppliers. Rocket Review YESTERDAY, a Royal Aeronautical Society main lecture was-•- being read before the Isle of Wright branch of the society by Prof. A. D. Baxter, M.Eng., F.R.Ae.S., M.I.Mech.E.,F.Inst.Pet., professor of aircraft propulsion at the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield. He chose as his subject The Prospects and Problems of RocketPropulsion for Aircraft. Unfortunately anyone who attempts to present an up-to-date appraisal of this field is hamstrung bysecurity measures, and Prof. Baxter was unable to describe any of the rocket motors at present in production or under developmentin this country or America. He had, however, collected together a great deal of material on propellants, control systems, mechanicaldesign and flight performance, and his paper will be abstracted in extenso in an early issue. L. J. Brain for D.H. Australia Board AN important appointment in one of its overseas companies is•• announced by the de Havilland enterprise: Mr. Lester J. Brain, who has been chief executive of Trans-Australia Airlines since their formation in 1946, hasaccepted the position of man- aging director of de HavillandAircraft Pty., Ltd., of Australia. He will begin his new duties atBankstown, Sydney, on March 17th, filling the position vacatedat the end of 1953 by Maj. Murray Jones—who, however,continues as chairman of the Board. Mr. Lester Brain is oneof Australia's best known avia- tion personalities, having servedfor 22 years with Qantas as a pilot and as operations managerbefore his appointment as general manager of the Government air-line undertaking when it was formed after the war. De Havil-land products will be old friends to him, for of the 10,000 hoursthat he flew with Qantas more than 6,000 were on D.H. aircraft; he flew the first D.H. 86 (VH-USC) from Hatfield to Brisbanein October 1934. Mr. Brain's colleagues on the Board of the Australian de Havilland company are (in addition to the chairman)Mr D. H. McLachlan, director and general manager; Mr. L. J. Byrne, director; and Mr. R. J. Vicars, director. There is oneEnglish director, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland. Mr. Lester Brain.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
