FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0787.PDF
FLIGHT, 10 June 1955 785 Man of the moment at Toulouse on May 27th was M. Pierre Nadot, who com- manded the S.E. Caravelle on its 22-minute maiden flight (right). The layout of the two aft-mounted Avon turbojets is well shown at the foot of the page; M. Nadot is seen emerging in this post-flight view. CIVIL AVIATION BRITAIN'S NEW MIDDLE-EAST INTERESTS T~\EVELOPMENT of air transport in the Middle East shouldJ-' be considerably accelerated by the formation of a new avia- tion company in which British, Lebanese and Arab interests arecombined. The company will be based in Beirut and will be known as the Mideast Aircraft Service Company (M.A.S.C.O.). Plans for its formation were announced on June 3rd by B.O.A.C.and Hunting-Clan Air Transport, who are jointly concerned in the establishment of the company. The announcement saidthat a second British independent airline, Skyways, was also expected to participate.The primary function of M.A.S.C.O. will be to provide air- lines in the Middle East with modern aircraft—including, it isannounced, three of Hunting-Clan's Viscounts—and also to furnish the associated servicing facilities and to train technicians.It is intended, the announcement adds, that M.A.S.C.O. will become the maintenance centre for all companies associated withB.O.A.C. in the Middle East. These companies are Aden Air- ways (with whom are associated Arab Airways), British Inter-national Airlines and Gulf Aviation. As a start, Field Aircraft Services, Ltd., the maintenance associates of Hunting-Clan, arecollaborating with B.O.A.C. to provide accommodation and equipment at Beirut.The Middle East is potentially an important market for British Civil Aircraft, though as yet it has not been fully tapped. Forma-tion of the new supply-and-service company should assist several airlines in overcoming the problems which have until nowfrustrated their hopes of re-equipment. SEVEN SEAS AND 7Bs /CONSTRUCTION of the first of the 87 DC-7C Seven Seas^-/ now on order is proceeding on schedule, report the Douglas Aircraft Co. The announcement, dated May 26th, added that thecentre wing spar had then been completed and that fuselage assembly would begin early in June. Mating of wing and fuselageis scheduled for early September, and Douglas say that the air- craft will roll out of the final assembly hangar early in Novemberto make its first flight before the end of the year. The Douglas statement does not refer to the first DC-7C as aprototype, so it is possible that it will be delivered as a produc- tion aircraft to Pan American—first of the eight airlines to haveordered Seven Seas—on completion of certification tests. Deliveries of DC-7Cs are due to begin early in 1956.Certification of the DC-7B, an improved version of the DC-7 now in service on United States domestic routes was announcedby Douglas on June 1st. The company stated that the aircraft met or exceeded all design specifications, and quoted the follow-ing examples of improvement on contractural requirements: "Actual take-off gross-weight of 126,000 Ib instead of the guaran-teed 125,000; actual take-off field length of 6,100ft, compared to the guaranteed 6,500, and actual landing field length of 5,800ft,compared to the guaranteed 5,990 (figure based on 102,000 lb maximum landing weight)." New features of the DC-7B include the use of latest-type(DA4) Turbo-Compound engines; the fitment of spinners to improve cooling and reduce drag; and a flap linkage systemgiving improved take-off performance. "Overwater" versions of the DC-7B, as ordered by PanAm and South African Airways,have saddle tanks each carrying 220 U.S. gallons of fuel; top- surface fairings of the nacelles have been extended rearwardto house these tanks, which increase the maximum still-air range of the aircraft from 4,430 to 5,120 miles. First deliveries ofDC-7Bs were due to be made last week to P.A.A. and Eastern Air Lines (who have ordered the domestic version). 'SUPER-SUPER' CONSTELLATIONS FOR FRANCE AN order from Air France for twelve L-1649A Super Constella-•** tions was announced by the Lockheed Aircraft Corp. on June 3rd. The aircraft will be delivered in the spring of 1957for non-stop service between Paris and New York. The French flag carrier is the second airline to order the newLockheed, a thin-winged, longer-range version of the Super Constellation; T.W.A.'s order for 24 of these aircraft wasannounced in April. The value of the 36 aircraft sold to date is estimated at £37.5m. Lockheeds claim that their new airliner, powered by four3,400 h.p. Wright Turbo-Compounds, will be capable of carrying 58 passengers for 6,500 miles at a cruising speed of over 350m.p.h. and that it will fly from Paris to New York in nearly three hours less time than the DC-7C when carrying the same payloadas its Douglas competitor. A detailed performance comparison of the two aircraft was published in Flight last week. THE COMET OUTLOOK > PRESENTING the annual report of the de Havilland AircraftCo. on May 27th, Mr. W. E. Nixon, chairman, affirmed that in the Comet 4 the company once again saw the possibility of earning"a foothold in the world market for mainline aircraft, from which the British aircraft industry may progress in years ahead."Summarizing progress made since the conclusion of the Comet Inquiry, Mr. Nixon said :"Flight trials of the Comet 3 began in July of the year under review and have gone on continuously. As an improved type ofthe Avon engine, the RA.29, is to be made available, we have decided to produce a superior aircraft, the Comet 4, incorporatingthe new power unit and having greater fuel capacity and other refinements. The British Overseas Airways Corporationannounced in March that in view of these developments and for reasons of standardization and the timing of their fleet require-ments, they would order 20 of the new Comet 4s for their main jet travel operations. We expect to commence deliveries in1958 . .. "The Comet 4 will cruise at 500 miles an hcur, with a degree of
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
