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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0822.PDF
820 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS The Duke Flies a Helicopter TN view of the Duke of Edinburgh's experience-*• as a pilot of fixed-wing aircraft—both singles and twins—and of his frequent use of helicop-ters to fulfil official engagements, it is not sur- prising that he has decided to take a course ofinstruction in flying the latter type of aircraft. He had his first lesson last Monday, at WhiteWaltham, under the tutelage of Lt-Cdr. M. H. Simpson, who is Chief Flying Instructor toNo. 705 Squadron at Gosport. The helicopter was a Dragonfly. Ultimately, it is expected, the Duke will con-vert to the Whirlwind, the type in which he has made most of his recent journeys. On theseflights No. 705's CO., Lt-Cdr. John Jacob, has been the pilot. ....... Up-Rated Eland AIR-COOLED turbine blading has been introduced by D.**• Napier and Son to permit higher gas temperatures in the Eland turboprop. At the NE1.5 rating the engine delivers no lessthan 4,200 e.h.p., comprising 3,765 s.h.p. (the NE1.4 figure) plus a considerably increased jet thrust from a smaller propellingnozzle. It can also be revealed that the Oryx NOr.2 is a shaft- drive Oryx, with a free turbine and reduction gear in place of the750 gas h.p. NOr.l auxiliary compressor. The NOr.2 delivers 700 e.h.p. (650 s.h.p.). . It Never Rains ... /"JJ2TTING ready for an exhibition is always a trying business,^-* and when the display is overseas and our railways near- paralysed, the difficulties mount fast. Yet in spite of the strike,British participation in the 21st Paris Salon is greater than in any previous year and far surpassing that of any other non-Frenchnation. A little story emphasizes the sort of obstacles overcome byBritish participants. The firm concerned is Armstrong Siddeley Motors, but many a British company could tell a similar tale.A.S.M. got things in hand early, and their display engines together with stands, cleaning materials, tools, overalls, slings and THREE-PRONGED: The S.N.C.A.S.O. Trident supersonic research aircraft, expected to be seen at the Paris Show next weekend, is well named. It has three main power units—an S.E.P.R. rocket in the tail and two tip-mounted Armstrong Siddeley/Marcel Dassault Viper turbojets; the rocket has three barrels and the airbrakes are in three parts. This striking view is symbolic of France's technical progress, epitomized this week at Le Bourget. a mountain of literature were soon packed away into three ten-toncovered railway trucks. Owing to the strike these were positioned at Newhaven a week earlier than necessary.Perhaps this was a fundamental error, for, as they were appar- ently not "urgent," the trucks were ignored while perishable car-goes were handled with all speed. By Friday, June 3rd, the situation was hopeless. The trucks were in the middle of 250 other itemsof rolling stock, packed so closely that no tractor or crane could even approach. Their contents had to be written off as far asParis was concerned. After lunch on that day the decision had to be taken to reprintevery brochure locked up in the trucks. While this was put in hand, a search began for replacement exhibits and crates. Anexhibition Double Mamba and the new Sapphire 7 were in a hangar at Ansty (the car-production and rocket plant) and atten-tion was directed to getting these to France. An exhibition finish was obtained by enlisting the aid of three car-finishers; crates, too,were found. Duty-free Customs labels, however, were another matter, for the first lot were in the marooned trucks. To makematters harder, a labourer's pick had found an electric power cable, and, as the Ansty hangars have doors which can only beopened with electric power, the engines had to wait inside for repairs. Eventually a lorry, the engines and their crates werebrought together and prepared. Even Customs labels were obtained, in amazingly quick time, and the cargo was on the road WATER TORTURE: On the left is an aerial view of the Bristol Britannia in its test tank at Farnborough; in the foreground is the water supply tank. On the right the fuselage is seen from the floor of the tank itself. A complete pressurization cycle is applied every three minutes.
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