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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0373.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2409 Vol. 67. FRIDAY, 25 MARCH 1955 EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. and Bar ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres. Sedist, London. Telephone, Waterloo 3333 (60 lines). Branch Offices: COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams, Autocar, Coventry. Telephone, Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM, 2 King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams, Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone, Midland 719) (7 lines). MANCHESTER, 3 260, Deansgate. Telegrams, Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone, Blackfriars 4412 (3 lines). Deansgate 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2 26b, Renfield Street. Telegrams, Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines). SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months £4 10s. U.S.A. and Canada, J14.00. IN THIS ISSUE: Any Field an Airfield - 379 Level Sonics .... 382 Maintenance of Helicop- ters 383 Aspects of " Photo Recce" 386 47th Bombardment Wing (Light) - - - 388 H.P.R.S ------ 393 Gathering Momentum - 394 Subdued Thunder - - 396 The Aeronautical Book- shelf 397 New Comets . . . 'TW1WENTY Comets for B.O.A.C," read the headlines last week, and the I great majority of people must have registered the bare content of the statement but A no more. In view of the frequency of announcements about B.O.A.C.'s various airliners in operation, ordered or subject to negotiation, it is not surprising if the public, who already know that the way for the Comet's future has been cleared, find no special significance in this latest order. Yet it means that the Comet 4 is on the way, and that Great Britain can again hope to take the lead with the most modern of jet airliners. The clarification of plans for future Comets is of world-wide as well as direct national import- ance, and the way in which these plans are working out seems to us to be the most satisfactory one possible in the circumstances. No constructor likes to have large numbers of different aircraft in his shops at any one time. One variant is bound to hinder the next, and it is an uneconomical way to work. The introduction of most new models is, in general, delayed by the necessity to continue with predecessors and to see them through to the end of their development lives. This is more or less inevitable in the normal course of progress, but out of de Havillands' and the Comet's erstwhile troubles has arisen a different possibility, trans- formed into actuality by the B.O.A.C. order. As a result, the manufacturers can now concentrate their efforts on the latest and by far the most useful model of Comet so far. In spite of the interruption of airline services, development of Comets has been continuous from the start; a great deal of operating experience has been obtained; and it has been possible to build, fly and profit from a Mk 2 and 3, and then to leap ahead of stage three. The resulting Mk 4, with greatly increased power provided by Rolls- Royce Avon RA.29s, and incorporating all the latest airframe developments, can be built for B.O.A.C., with deliveries starting in 1958. At this time the machine will be ahead of any competitor and the "climate" will, without doubt, have improved for jet airliners. Preliminary details of the B.O.A.C. order appear on page 374. In the meantime, the existing Comet 2s and those largely completed (four have flown of a total of about twenty) will be modified—in fact, work has already started. They will not require re-skinning but will be stiffened, provided with a new shape of window and otherwise modified in the light of the mass of information now available. The type will be submitted for full C. of A., and then used by R.A.F. Transport Command for freight and passenger work. The R.A.F. may have as many as twelve. One of the existing machines—according to present plans—will also be fitted with Avon powerplants similar to those specified for the Comet 4, and with its aid B.O.A.C. expect to prepare the way for operation of the Mk 4, thus saving both time and expense when deliveries are made. This sensible course might well be adopted by other operators who may be considering placing orders for the latest Comets. With its rather earlier and lower-powered Avons the medium-stage Comet 2, as modified for the R.A.F., will also be available for airline use; but with the 4 in prospect in a relatively short time, and bearing in mind the re-equipment programmes on which the world's major airlines have already embarked, it does not seem likely that many 2s will be used in this way. . . . and Heralds Another encouraging event of last week, also with a special significance, was the flight of the Alvis Leonides Major engine in its Handley Page (Reading) test-bed. Details and photographs will be found on pages 376 and 393. The steady progress with the Handley Page Herald H.P.R.3 prototype, for which these engines are destined, and the very promising early results of sales activities for this feederliner, give good reason to hope that the country will have here another winner. There is a feature in its development programme which is held in common with B.O.A.C.'s RA.29 Comet 2. The two Leonides Majors of the H.P.R.5 test-bed, forward of the bulkhead, are identical with the inboard units for the Herald. Thus, in this instance also engine-flying hours will be built up rapidly, early operating experience will be gained, and some time will no doubt be saved on the final product.
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