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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0912.PDF
22 FLIGHT "FLIGHT" photographs Canberra B.2s of No. 35 Squadron, R.A.F. Mar- ham, break for the mountains after their stirring show. Meeting at Geneva AEROPLANESARMAMENTSPECTACLE IT might be reasoned that no country, however independent,has a right to celebrate half-a-century of flying two yearsafter the rest of the world. There is ground for argument, too, that no nation which has dedicated itself to the pursuance andpromotion of peace should be developing and offering in the markets of the world weapons of high lethality. But the Swisshave done both with sublime indifference. Feeling that the fifty-year jubilee, though duly marked inAmerica, had been under-celebrated in Europe, they organized an international air display and exhibition at Geneva's Cointrinairport last week-end—remarking, in further justification of their action, that it is now 50 years since the Swiss Dufaux brothersdemonstrated their helicopter in Geneva and Paris, and con- verted the great Santos Dumont himself to "heavier-than-air."As for their preoccupation with arms, one pursues the issue no further than to remark that these are of first-class design andworkmanship, and that a selection of them made an uncommonly interesting display in the static exhibition at Cointrin. Thisshow we warmly commend to all who can organize a visit before the closing date of July 17th, for it effectively contrasts the newwith the old and the warlike with the peaceful. In the way of aeroplanes the Swiss themselves show aFokker C.V; a C-35; Morane D-3801; Mustang; Mentor; Jungmann; Jungmeister; Pilatus P-3; Storch (with skis andwheels); Vampire; and C-3603. France contributes the Dufaux helicopter of 1910; a Caudron G-3; a Nieupbrt Bebe; a Bleriotmonoplane; and the multi-deck Pescara 3F helicopter of 1925. Spain has a C.19 Autogiro, and Great Britain a Hunter, Canberraand Provost—additional to those which were in the flying display. Exhibits by makers and operators are too numerous to itemise.Perversely perhaps, we ourselves were most closely concerned with the Swiss weapons. By the entrance to the exhibition hangar are sited two pairsof the latest 34 mm fully automatic flak guns, radar laid at jet speed. Each twin-gun has a combined rate of fire of 900 roundsa minute, a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/sec and a practical range of 4,000 m. Such ordnance further imperils the future of the low-level air-support business. Within the hangar, the Hispano-Suiza stand is a completearsenal. In the rocket projectile line there is the HSS-R80, of The remotely controlled Hispano-Suiza 34 mm flak battery. 80 mm calibre, 0.65 sec burning time, 850 m/sec velocity, and14,000 m ultimate range. Functioning is guaranteed at tempera- tures between - 30 deg C and + 50 deg C, and photographs showthe rear fuselage of a Pakistan Attacker destroyed by a single hit. Also exemplified is the armour-penetration of a similarprojectile, with hollow charge, at angles of 90 deg and 10 deg. King of the Hispano guns is the new 30 mm Type 825, firingat 1,000 r.p.m., having a muzzle velocity of 1,150 m/sec and a weight of 103 kg. There is, too, a complete installation from aSwiss Vampire, comprising four HSS 804-DH guns, each firing at 750 r.p.m., with an m.v. of 840 m/sec. Examples are shownof the M.24 gun (20 mm) as built under licence in the U.S.A. and arming some of the newest American fighters; and theMk V, long familiar in the R.A.F., though not, as placarded, the weapon with which the Battle of Britain was fought. Nearbyare sample rounds of 20, 30, 34 and 40 mm ammunition— practice; H.E./incendiary, with mechanical self-destroying fuse; SII/ULtf Tier stowage of Hispano-Suiza HSS-R80 rocket projectiles. Oerlikon cannons—(upper) 302RK (30 mm); (lower) 206RK (20 mm).
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