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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0221.PDF
FLIGHT, 18 February 1955 221 AMERICAN FIGHTER AUTOPILOT ... reached the desired bank angle he can release the stick and theautopilot will maintain that angle. To return to level flight, he simply applies centering pressure to the stick, releasing it when thewings are once more level. Alternatively, he can push a "levelling button," whereupon the aircraft will roll out and automaticallylock on to the course indicated when he pressed the button. The L-10 can also achieve the following types of flight control:It can be coupled to localizer and glide-path signals for automatic approaches; an altitude lock may be engaged to hold the aircraftclose to its existing barometric altitude; the "Mach hold" can be selected by pushing a button, upon which it will correct theaircraft's pitch attitude to maintain the airspeed at the existing Mach number value; the L-10 will accomplish automatic omni-range navigation along any beacon radial selected by the pilot; finally, it can follow guidance signals supplied either by ground or airborne armament systems, and for this purpose the rapidresponse and close-tolerance control positioning inherent in the L-10 are particularly useful. A variety of ground equipment has in recent years been designedand tested by the U.S.A.F. and the Marine Air Corps whereby an aircraft can be remotely controlled through its autopilot tobomb, rocket or machine-gun a previously ground-surveyed target from a type of mobile radar control post. Among the safety features of the L-10 is provision for prevent-ing manoeuvres which exceed the safe structural strength limits of the aircraft. Manual over-ride is included and, in the eventof malfunctioning, both automatic and manual disengagement are possible. Finally, a number of features, such as compactness, combinationof components within fewer assemblies, and the use of "versatile" components to avoid duplication, have resulted in the overallweight of the L-10 being lower than that of its predecessor, the F-5. THE TV FILM: POST-WAR AIR POWER ENTITLED The Unquiet Peace, Episode 14 (and last but one)of the B.B.C. Television film War in the Air, comprised a condensed review of world affairs since the end of the war in1945. Many events not directly connected with air power were included, presumably to give continuity and atmosphere, withthe result that matters of aeronautical interest were not covered so fully as some of us would have liked. For example, the settingup of I.C.A.O. was mentioned but, apart from a brief glimpse of a weather ship, little was explained of its aims, hopes andachievements. A sequence depicting post-war British airliners included thecurious statement that die Brabazon was the "prototype of future shapes", and the Comet shown was so presented as to give theimpression that it materialized at the same time as the Viking and Brabazon. A point of interest made in this sequence was thescheduled time of 63 hours for the immediate post-war London- Sydney journey by Lancastrian—quicker than today's services. Next, in 1948, came the Berlin Airlift. With all road, rail andcanal transport communications with the capital closed by the Russians, the combined American and British operation startedin July. For the next 15 months, in the words of the narrator, "The men who had bombed Berlin flew to save it." Americanpilots made over 370,000 flights and British over 170,000. Up to 12,000 tons of food were lifted into the city in one day; and duringthe period of the operation 100,000,000 miles were flown, and over 200,000 passengers and 2,000,000 tons of freight carried.These impressive figures were accompanied by scenes depicting activity at the Berlin terminals during the airlift, in which theshot of a Sunderland landing on one of the lakes in a suburb served as a reminder of the flying-boat's adaptability. "Air power had won the first battle of the cold war," but thelessons of the lift—the value of big aircraft and the incredible organization required to land one aeroplane every four minutes—were not the subject of comment. In a brief excursion to Malaya the statement that it was herethat the "helicopter came into its own" will have probably con- veyed a quite wrong impression of the number of these machinesin use in that country. It is, as is well known, pitifully small. On the other hand, when the film came to the Korean War, thepart played by helicopters was hardly mentioned at all. Yet it was in this campaign that the helicopter proved its utility beyonddoubt and, in the words of an American commander, "began to replace the jeep". The work of the aircraft carriers was prominently covered andemphasis given to their value when all air bases on the mainland had been over-run. Dog fights between Sabres and Mig-15swere mentioned—the baptism of fire of jet aircraft—and this sequence included some interesting shots of Mig-15s in flight andin action. (Including, surely, a shot of a "La-17" taking-off, suspiciously similar to one which not so long ago was releasedas having been obtained "from a captured Russian newsreel"?) The film concluded with the part played by air power, par-ticularly that of Britain, in sustaining NATO countries. M. F. A. FARNBOROUGH PRIZE-GIVING A SUCCESSFUL year was reported by Mr. R. D. Peggs,M.A., principal of the R.A.E. Technical College, at its annual prize-distribution at Farnborough on February 4th. The presen-tation of prizes and certificates was made on this occasion by Sir James Helmore, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., M.A., Permanent Secretaryto the Ministry of Supply, and the Director of the R.A.E., Sir Arnold Hall, F.R.S., M.A., was in the chair. Among the students' results quoted by Mr. Peggs, m his reportfor the 1953-54 session, were the award of one of the first King George VI memorial fellowships, two M.o.S. post-graduatescholarships, two technical State scholarships and, for the fourth year in succession, all the medals and prizes awarded for the finalCity and Guilds examinations in Aeronautical Engineering Practice. , , The Grinsted Prize for the best student of the year, and thePerring Prize for student apprentices, were first presented by Sir James to Mr. D. P. Hunt. The other major awards includedthe Farren Prize for craft apprentices, P. D. Taylor; the Hilda Lyon Prize for scientific assistants, W. R. Crawford; and thePrincipal's Prize for outstanding leadership, A. J. Robinson. The certificates included two B.Sc.(Eng.) degrees, 46 Higher NationalCertiacates in mechanical engineering, 19 H.N.C.s in electrical engineering, 16 H.N.C.s in production engineering, and 83 finalCity and Guilds certificates. In an amusing speech, Sir James Helmore divulged what the M.o.S. thought of the College (all of it favourable) and paid a tribute to the various people and organizations to whom the College owed a great deal. To those students who were leaving he said that, no matter what aspect of aircraft they specialized in, the fact that they were concerned with the air was the .-ey to a community of very friendly people. He wished them every suc- cess in their careers. , , . , Sir William S. Farren, C.B., M.B.E., F.R.S., M.A., chairman ofthe College Advisory Board, said in his address that the College s most important problem was not the shortage of space or of staff,but to ensure that individual students followed their own natural abilities."For four years I have sat on the floor of this hall," began Mr. D. J. Faddy, President of the Students' Union, in his voteof thanks. In less ambiguous style, he went on to record the various recent activities of the 601 "souls" who formed theUnion's present membership. Among the distinguished persons who had forsaken the safety of homes and offices to attend theprize-giving ("to entertain us with practised eloquence and the assurance that they do not know what to say"), Sir William Farrenwas regarded not as a guest, but as a very welcome installation. A pair of book-ends, made by one of the students, was presentedto Sir James Helmore at the close of the ceremony. YPENBURG 1955 ONCE again the Royal Netherlands Aero Club is to stage aninternational air display at Ypenburg, near the Hague. It is to take place on May 30th, this year's event celebrating thegolden jubilee of the F.A.I. Invitations to take part have been sent to military and civil aviation authorities in Belgium, Canada,France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Jugoslavia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the U.S.A., but nine applications toparticipate had been received before the invitations were sent. Among them was one from the 1st Air Division, R.C.A.F., Metz(Sabre individual and team aerobatics), Louis Clement, France (aerobatics in his Lignel 44), and Albert Falderbaum, Germany(aerobatics in a Lo-100 glider). There is. as yet, no news of British Service or private participation.This will be the fifth Ypenburg display, and the organizers hope to take full advantage of recent extensions of the airfield. Detailsare obtainable from Royal Netherlands Aero Club, 3, Anna Paulownaplein, The Hague.
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