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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0224.PDF
224 FLIGHT FOR LAND AND SEA: Recently the subject of successful trials, this amphibious D.H.C. Beaver, to which refer- ence is made in a para- graph below, is equipped with standard main- wheels and brakes in addition to floats on which are carried free- swivelling nose-wheels. FROM ALL QUARTERS FormosaI T appears that, up to now, the Chinese Nationalists have enjoyedair superiority in the immediate area of the offshore conflict, owing to the fact that they are able to bring to bear the full weightof their American-supplied air power, even though this consists of a comparatively small number of ageing types of fighters andlight bombers. The fighters principally involved are thought to be about 500 F-47 Thunderbolts and F-84G Thunderjets, thesebeing in process of reinforcement with a number of F-86 Sabres. The Chinese Communists have numerical superiority inMig-15s, but they have not yet been able to bring them to bear, because of a shortage of suitable airfields in the area. Thisthey are now reported to be taking steps to rectify by modernizing a series of air bases in Fukien province opposite Formosa and theinshore Nationalist islands of Quemoy and Matsu. The largest of these bases, when complete, will probably be at Luchiao, 200miles north of Formosa. When they are ready they will be able to operate both Mig-15s and Il-28s (Falcons and Butchers, by thenew American nomenclature) for direct attacks on Formosa. Night Fighters at Westminster PARLIAMENTARY critics of the Government's aircraft-production programme have lost little time in returning to the attack, re-armed with ammunition collected from the White Paperon The Supply of Military Aircraft. On Monday, Mr. George Wigg (Lab., Dudley) asked theMinister of Supply what type of British night fighter was capable of equalling the performance and fire-power of the United States'F-86D. Mr. Selwyn Lloyd replied that it would be wrong to give a detailed comparison between British and American air-craft which would involve disclosing secret matters. In any case, the F-86D was a single-seater night fighter, and we did not usethis class. Mr. Wigg said that the Minister ought to read the Americanand British technical Press, in which he could establish that the F-86D had a speed of 660 m.p.h., compared with our fastest all-weather fighter's 600 m.p.h. Also, he remarked, the American aircraft had "a double-disc radar". To this Mr. Selwyn Lloydsaid it was quite profitless to draw comparisons between single- and twin-seat night fighters. He did not believe that the single- seat night fighter could operate in the climatic conditions of thiscountry. After a brief exchange of fire when Mr. Wigg referred to "thedishonest statement in the White Paper that our night fighter defences were the best in the world," Mr. Shinwell (Lab.,Easington) pressed home the attack by asking if the claim was true in comparison with the U.S.A.F. To this Mr. Selwyn Lloydreplied that it most certainly was. Was the Minister, persisted Mr. Shinwell, now saying cate-gorically that our night air defence was superior to that of the United States? Mr. Selwyn Lloyd: "I am saying it quite definitely. I amsurprised that the right hon. gentleman, who himself was respon- sible for ordering many of these aircraft which he now seeks todeprecate, should want to do so." In reply to a further question by Mr Wigg, the Minister saidthat production was not yet completed of any of the four marks of Venoms, though the great bulk of the existing orders for theF.B.ls and the N.F.2s had been completed. In addition to orders placed previously, over 1,000 Venoms were ordered in the firstnine months of 1951. Since October 1951, about 750 had been cancelled and 280 changed to later marks. No compensation hadbeen paid, but materials and work done which were no longer required were being paid for at a total estimated cost of about£3,300,000. Editorial comment, p. 223; Statement on Defence, p. 227;White Paper on Aircraft Supply, p. 233. Amphibious Beaver "EXTENDING still further the usefulness of the versatile Beaver*-> now in large-scale production at Toronto by the de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Ltd., Edo 4580 floats are to be offered inassociation with the normal wheels and brakes of the landplane version. The resulting amphibious Beaver is now to be madeavailable this summer following the satisfactory completion of recent trials. The fitting of amphibious floats is said to make no measurabledifference to performance as compared with the normal seaplane version. The take-off distance in still air at maximum all-upweight is 900ft. By comparison with the landplane there is a R. Pedder, R.N. (Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers)and Lt-Cdr. 5. F. Berthon, R.N
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