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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0225.PDF
25 February 1955 225 ANOTHER VULCAN: Just released by the M.o.S. for publication is this pleasing (in more than one sense) photo- graph presumably depict- ing the first production Avro Vulcan. It was taken up on its first flight earlier this month—as were the prototypes be- fore it—by the company's superintendent of flying, Mr. Roly Folk, and its test flying programme is now in hand. Power is provided by four Bristol Olympui engines each giving llfiOO Ib thrust. slight performance penalty; the "wheelphibious" take-off dis-tance is 700ft. The wheeled undercarriage consists of two main- wheels and two free-castering nosewheels. The nosewheel unitsare mounted on the front bulkheads of the floats and they can be rotated up and over to lie on the float decks when not in use.The mainwheels have levered rubber shock-absorbers and they are arranged to retract into wells in the floats just aft of the steps.A hand-pump operated in conjunction with a selector control in the cockpit serves hydraulic jacks for retraction of the wheels. Burmese Viscounts THOUGH the formal contract has not yet been signed, Union-1- of Burma Airways have declared their intention to buy three Vickers-Armstrongs Viscounts for delivery late in 1956 or earlyin 1957. The announcement follows a recent demonstration in Rangoon by a T.A.A. Viscount passing through en route toMelbourne, and it is learned that the Burmese Government has approved in principle U.B.A.'s plan to buy the British turbo-prop. Vickers regard the Burmese market as an important one, in view of its influence on other South-East Asian operators. Royal Patronage for Gliding XJ R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH has consented toxx# become the Patron of the British Gliding Association. This was announced by Mr. Philip Wills, the B.G.A. chairman, afterreturning to this country last Monday from a visit to Australia and New Zealand. A B.G.A. official stated: "The Association is greatlyhonoured by this example of royal encouragement, and it is hoped that it will result in more people becoming airborne." Missing DC-6 Found N February 21st, eight days after its disappearance on a scheduled flight from Brussels to Rome, Sabena DC-6 OO-SDB was found to have crashed on Mount Terminillo (6,700ft), 50 miles north-east of Rome. All 29 occupants, including a crew of eight, were killed. The last message from the DC-6, some fifteen minutes before it was due at Ciampino, had reported its position as over the Viterbo non-directional beacon, about 40 miles north-west of Rome and 45 miles west of Terminillo. Dis- covery of the wreckage followed an extensive land, sea and air search, involving up to 20 aircraft, including helicopters; the efforts of the search parties had been considerably hampered by heavy snow, which almost covered the remains of the aircraft. L.R. Britannias: M.o.S. Order A SKED in the House of Commons last week—by Mr. McKibbin* (Con., Belfast E.)—what plans he had for placing further Government orders in Northern Ireland, Mr. Selwyn Lloyd,Minister of Supply, gave news of an order for three Mk 250 L.R. Bntannias. The announcement was foreshadowed in our columnslast week. The Minister said he was about to place the order, adding: "TheGovernment have under consideration plans for making these air- craft available on suitable terms to independent airline operatorsfor trooping." He continued: "The Bristol Aeroplane Company have informedme that on receipt of this order they will order the production of eight Britannias Mark 250 by Short Bros, and Harlands, inBelfast, with whom they are associated. The labour force needed to make these eight planes will build up to about 1,500 withinabout 18 months." Following the Minister's announcement, the Bristol AeroplaneCo., Ltd., issued the following statement: — "The Government order for three Britannia 250 L.R. aircraftfor trooping operations enables the company and Short Bros, and Harland, Ltd., of Belfast, to carry a stage further their joint plans,first disclosed a little over a year ago, for the establishment of a second Britannia production line at Belfast . . . "The Britannia 250 L.R. differs from the all-passenger versionBritannia 300 L.R. in having the fuselage forward of the wing specially adapted for the carriage of heavy freight as an alternativeto passengers. "It has been decided, in anticipation of demand, to put in handat Belfast an initial batch of eight Britannia 250 L.R. (the first three of which will be allocated to the present Government order),while the company's own works at Bristol will concentrate on the all-passenger aircraft." It has also been learned that Qantas have now asked Bristolsto make new proposals to supersede those which formed the basis of their earlier letter-of-intent to purchase six Britannias. Furtherdetails appear on page 253. Snowdrop II ""THE snowstorm which struck the north of Scotland last weekA steadily increased its severity until by the week-end its effects were thought likely to be even more serious than those whichoccasioned "Operation Snowdrop" a month earlier. Once again appeals for help from the air began to arrive at Wickand R.A.F. Station, Kinloss. One helicopter stationed at Wick made several flights to bring in medical cases and deliver spareparts for electrical supply installations. The main requests, how- ever, were for animal feeding-stuffs, particularly for starvingsheep. Shackletons and Neptunes therefore once more took off to drop bales of hay, and Varsitys were prepared to join them.The number of helicopters at Wick was to be brought up to five. Japanese Rocketry JAPAN'S first research rockets, known by the names "Pencil"and "Baby" have been completed by a Tokyo University team, working under Prof. Hideo Ogawa. They are to be launched onMarch 5th at Kokubunji, Tokyo. The purpose of these radio- controlled rockets will be—in the words of the Tokyo report,which deserves quoting—"to conduct advance studies at high altitudes through which development of radio communication,aeronautics and prevention and forecast of natural hazards are expected." According to Dr. Itogawa, another of the scientists engagedon the work, the main fuel employed is "nitro-glycerine and nitro- cellulose"; and the rockets will be made of "plastic and steel."
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