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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0572.PDF
572 FLIGHT, 6 May 1955 FROM ALL QUARTERS IN TRIPLICATE: Described in detail on pp. 582-587 of this issue, the Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.I is the first British jet basic trainer. The neat vie illustrated is composed of the second, third and fourth machines of the Service-test batch now being evaluated by the Royal Air Force. Britain's New Engines —T WO of the most important aero engines in the world at thepresent time are Armstrong Siddeley's Screamer and de Havilland's Spectre—both liquid-propellant rocket motors in-tended for installation in ultra-high-altitude fighters, either as the sole powerplant or in combination with one or more turbojets. Both the companies concerned have considerable experience inthe field of aircraft rocketry, Armstrong Siddeley with the Snarler (a 2,000-lb thrust liquid-oxygen/alcohol motor which was flownin 1950 and 1951), and de Havilland with the Sprite and Super Sprite, the latter a 4,000 lb-thrust hydrogen peroxide/kerosinemotor equipped as a jettisonable pack for assisting the take-off of V-bombers. The Super Sprite was the first rocket motor to receivea M.o.S. approved type certificate. Of the Screamer, it can be said that it uses two propellants.The company have stated that "aviation turbine fuel is an obvious choice for one," but the oxidant has not been revealed; in theSnarler, the company used liquid oxygen, owing to its ease of handling, low cost and high performance. A.S. are, however, nowworking on other propellants, presumably in addition to "lox." The Screamer has been running at the Bitteswell test-beds forsome time, and is now almost ready to fly in a Meteor. In their announcement of the Spectre (of which no fewer thanfive types, DSpe. 1 to 5, may be mentioned), the de Havilland Engine Company also refer to their Gyron turbojet, stating that"the combination of the Spectre and the Gyron type of engine will provide a mixed powerplant formula which, in addition tothe more obvious advantages of speed, acceleration, and manoeuvrability in the stratosphere, makes possible an ability toperform a very rapid take-off and to maintain an outstanding rate of climb to extreme altitudes. Considerable experience has alreadybeen gained during extensive test-bed firing. Flight trials with the Spectre are scheduled to take place in the summer of 1955." Other new engines announced are the Armstrong SiddeleySapphire ASSa.9 (of which nothing may be said, although it is pertinent to note that the Sapphire has already reached a five-figure type-tested thrust rating); a new Bristol Olympus (BO1. 11); the 2,300 Ib-thrust A.S. Viper ASV.10; and the Rolls-Royce NeneRN.6. The latter is an up-rated engine for the Sea Hawk naval fighter, and has a type-tested thrust of 5,400 lb at 12,700 r.p.m.—a rather higher speed than that of previous Nenes. Three power- ful new turboprops, principally intended for the future civil-transport market, are the Napier Eland NE1.4, the Rolls-Royce R.B. 109 and the Bristol B.E.25. All three employ air-cooledturbine blading; however, no details of this can be given. —and Aircraft MENTION is officially authorized for the first time of a newBristol helicopter, the Type 191, which may be described as a developed version of the 173. Intended for anti-submarinework, it is to be powered with two Alvis Leonides engines. Fairey's ultra-light helicopter is assigned a reconnaissance roleand is powered by a Turbomeca Palouste. The Hawker Hunter F.6 is a fighter with Avon turbojet of unspecified mark, and thetrainer version of the Hunter, illustrated for the first time on this page, is also Avon-powered. No mark number is yet allocated tothe aircraft itself. The first Fokker-assembled Hunter has flown. HUNTER TRAINER: A maker's drawing showing the new Avon-powered side-by-side-seater instructional version of the Hawker Hunter. Mention of this development, and of the F.6 Hunter variant, is now officially permitted. Note two guns and absence of external air brakes. Length is 48ft W/iin, over 3ft more than that of the Hunter fighter. Mutual Defence ContractsA REPORT on the Mutual Defence Assistance Programme forthe fiscal year 1954, issued by the United States Defence Department, shows that the U.S.A.F. in Europe contracted tobuy Gloster Javelin all-weather fighters to the value of $64,328,000 (about £23m). Mention is also made of Hunter contracts worth$10,920,000 (nearly £4m), and of orders for Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojets amounting to $8,929,000 (just over £3m). SeaHawk orders placed by the U.S. Navy amount to $5,421,920 (over £1.9m), and there is an order for Link trainers valued at $252,591(£90,000). In the period between 1952 and the end of 1954, the U.S.A.F.ordered aircraft and equipment to the value of $443,600,000 (£155m), while orders placed by the U.S. Navy amounted to$19,800,000 (over £7m). Of U.S.A.F. orders, $442,500,000 (£154im) went to European countries, including $221,100,000(£76m) to Britain, $20 million (£7m) to Germany, $91,200,000 (£32^m) to France, $39,900,000 (over £14m) to Switzerland,$39 million (£14m) to Italy, $30,300,000 (£llm) to Holland, and $20,900,000 (7im) to Belgium and Luxembourg. All the U.S.Navy orders were placed in Great Britain. Jet Pioneers IT is not, perhaps, generally known on this side of the Atlantic,that America has a flourishing organization known as "The Jet Pioneers' Association of the United States of America." The Association is holding its annual reunion next week, when the HAWKER HUNTER TRAINER
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