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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0470.PDF
470 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS New Supply MinisterF OLLOWING the retirement of Sir Winston Churchill, anumber of Cabinet changes were announced on the eve of the Easter recess. Among them was the appointment of Mr. ReginaldMaudling as Minister of Supply in succession to Mr. Selwyn Lloyd, who in turn succeeds Mr. Harold Macmillan (appointedForeign Secretary) as Minister of Defence. Mr. Maudling was formerly Economic Secretary to the Treasury. Mr. F. J. Erroll is appointed Parliamentary Secretary to theMinistry of Supply. Further reference to these changes will be made in our nextissue. Air-to-air Atomics A NUCLEAR weapon exploded over the Nevada Desert onApril 6th was intended to simulate the effect of a guided missile fired into a bomber formation by a defending aircraft. Said to have been six feet long, and apparently rocket propelledand electronically guided, it was released from an aircraft and directed towards a target consisting of a smoke-trail pattern pre-viously laid by jet aircraft. The missile exploded, reportedly above this target, "with ablinding orange and white flash." The usual mushroom-shaped cloud was absent; instead, there was a gigantic smoke-ring whichhung in the sky for twelve minutes. Dramatic Helicopter Rescue ONCE again the efficiency of the rotating-wing aircraft as alifeboat was demonstrated when, on Saturday last, a Dragonfly from R.N.A.S. Ford effected a series of rescues from a yacht indistress a mile off Worthing, Sussex. Four of the vessel's crew— which consisted of a man, two women and three children—weretaken from the water by the aircraft, which made four trips between ship and shore. One of the children was picked up by the newscoop-net device—the second time in a month that it has been thus effectively used. The pilot was Lt. J. Walden. The remaining two members of the yacht's crew—the man andone of the children, a boy—were rescued by boat after the heli- copter had been disabled through its tail rotor striking anonlooker on the beach. The onlooker, a youth, was killed. B.O.A.C.'s Easter Egg DESPITE the setbacks which afflicted B.O.A.C. during thefinancial year 1954-55, the Corporation achieved a profit of approximately £1,360,000 and a net surplus—after payment ofinterest on capital—of £260,000. This encouraging news was given by the chairman, Sir Miles Thomas, on April 4th, in amessage to employees. Adding that in recent weeks the "forward fleet pattern has clarified almost dramatically," Sir Miles outlinedB.O.A.C.'s plans for operating Britannias, Comets and DC-7Cs: "Firstly, the Comet situation has been settled in what I regard as amost satisfactory way. Technical advances made by Rolls-Royce to the Avon engine by what amounts in effect to raising the compression, anddevelopments in the structural design of the airframe by de Havillands, have resulted in the evolution of a Mk 4 design of Comet. The engineshave 500 lb more thrust and 9 per cent better specific fuel consumption and this, with the increased pod tankage, more than counterbalancesthe extra weight that will be built into the airframe to increase its strength. "The outcome is an aeroplane of longer range, better economics andstill greater passenger attraction. The "droop snoot" leading edge on the wings and the larger flaps improve its handling characteristics bothat take-off and landing. In other words, there are distinct credits to offset the time lost as between the Comet 1, and delivery of the Mark 4towards the end of 1958. "To expedite the entry of these aircraft into our fleets when theybegin to be delivered from the factories in 1958, we are taking the THE MASTER PILOT: This officer could plot a course better than the best and fly it with something more than skill. He inspired by example and reassured by devotion. His log is no bare record but a noble work. As he goes off duty and steps aft we wish him ease. Mark 2 airframe with the new engines and built structurally to the newstandards for crew familiarization and the accumulation of engine hours. "The contract for the ten Douglas Seven Seas has been signed, a fleetnucleus is being formed under the management of Captain M. J. R. Alderson, and arrangements are well in hand for these aircraft to beavailable for use on our transatlantic services early in 1957, thus securing our competitive situation. "The Britannia Mk 100 has done very well on her African trials.The recorded performance figures are very encouraging. Our aircrew and observers report well on her high-altitude performance at Johannes-burg and tropical trials at Khartoum. There is a good backing of pro- duction effort in the Bristol factory. We hope to be able to introducethe Britannia Mk 100 into service next year, first on the South African route and subsequently on the Australian and Far East routes. "Progress with the Mk 300 and the Long Range Mk 300 Britanniacontinues to be encouraging, and they can be expected to reproduce the attractive operational characteristics that the Mk 100 is demonstratingon her tests." The message paid tribute to the way in which the ArgonautFleet have "held the fort" during the past 12 months, noting that in 1954-55 their aircraft achieved a daily utilization of 9.4 hr. Sir James Barnes Retiring IT has been announced that Sir James Barnes, K.C.B., K.B.E.,Permanent Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry, is retiring from the public service at the end of June. He is to besucceeded by Sir Maurice Dean, K.C.M.G., C.B., who is at present a Second Secretary to the Board of Trade. When he retires, Sir James Barnes will have spent 36 years atthe Air Ministry; he joined the department in 1919, a little over a year after its inception. During this period he has workedclosely.with every Chief of the Air Staff. Born in 1891 and educated at Manchester Grammar School andMerton College, Oxford, Sir James was appointed Director of Civil Aviation Finance in 1937, and Deputy Director-General ofCivil Aviation in 1940. He became Assistant Under-Secretary of State for Air in 1941, and Deputy Under-Secretary in 1943. Heis one of only three civilians ever to be admitted to member- ship of the Royal Air Force Club, having been accorded this dis-tinction in 1947 in recognition of his valuable services to the R.A.F. Although now with the Board of Trade, as mentioned above,Sir Maurice Dean is no stranger to the Air Ministry. He joined it in 1929 as an assistant principal on his entry to the Civil Serviceand remained in the department until 1946. His association with Air Staff matters began in 1934 when he was made private secre-tary to the C.A.S. Two years later he became head of the Air Staff Secretariat and held this post until he was promoted toAssistant Under-Secretary of State in 1943. In 1946 he left the DEPARTMENTAL DRESS: Delivered at the end of March to the Canadian Department of Transport, this Vis- count features an unusual and effec- tive colour-scheme. Details of its ferry flight are given opposite.
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