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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0913.PDF
1 July 1955 23 and A.P./incendiary (listed as having alternatively, a doubleincendiary effect). Bad medicine for naval strike pilots are the Hispano naval A.A.turrets, shown by models. Of these the HSA1 (4 x 20 mm) is electrically operated and fires at 4,000 r.p.m.; the HSA12 ismanual (1 x 20 mm); the HSA20 is electric (1 x 30 mm, firing at 650 r.p.m.); the HSA8 manual (2x20 mm, 2,000 r.p.m.); andthe HSA15 electric (2x30 mm, 1,300 r.pjn.). A turret of the last-named type can be applied to a light armoured vehicle forA.A. and land warfare. Actual examples represent the following light flak specialities:HSS831/641—1 x 30 mm, 650 r.p.m., powered mounting (petrol engine); HSS820/635—3 x 20 mm, 3x1,000 r.p.m., likewisepowered, and fed from 150-round chargers; and the simple manual HSS804/626G, firing at 750 r.p.m. Swiss armourers no less renowned than Hispano's are those ofthe Oerlikon works, who display two aircraft revolver cannon of devastating performance. The 302RK (30 mm) fires at 1,100m/sec and 1,200 r.p.m., and the 206RK (20 mm) at the same velocity and 1,700/1,800 r.p.m. Oerlikon also have their6JLa/5TG 20 mm infantry A.A. gun (m.v. 1,130 m/sec, 1,000 r.p.m.); but the guided missile, the first full description of whichappeared in Flight of January 7th, 1955, is represented only by pictures. Contrasting with all this is an historical display wherein is anappealing little nick-nack not previously known to the writer— a double automatic pistol, made by Waffenfabric Bern, of 7.65 mmcalibre, charger-fed, and having a ring sight for aerial use. Rexim S.A. present their light, open gun-carrier, suitable fordropping, by a single parachute, on a palette. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the outdoor scene atCointrin was a spotter's seventh-heaven. All the regulars were there—the Douglases, Lockheeds, Convairs and Viscountscommon to all the best airports, together with the numerous show- performers, such exotic visitors as a Savage, Neptune, Ju 52,Flamant, Noratlas, Packet and Albatross, and coteries of private machines, from the curious to the splendid. The big day for flying was Sunday, though Saturday's offer-ing was considerable. Each day the programme was integrated with the movements of convoys of airliners; and though no onecould reasonably wish this otherwise, we ourselves found it of dubious advantage, while intent upon some aerial tour de force,to be advised that M. Decapod was urgently demanded at the Air France office, or that Mile, de Wolfwisl should ready herselfto emplane. Mid-morning on Sunday saw a sombre sky, and the mountains(looming ominously near the day before) all but lost from view. After M. Dollfus, in his balloon, the first man off was Ph.Hafliger, test pilot to the Altenrhein factory which has lately produced the P-16, Switzerland's first nationally designed jetaircraft. We deplored the absence of this Sapphire-powered attack prototype, but Pit. Hafliger personally redeemed its defaultwith aerobatics of the highest order in a P-3 trainer. On Saturday he performed against a Valkyrie setting of black cloud and alpinethunder, with lightning reflected in the polished wings of his aircraft—a true epitome of Swiss aviation. Trainers of the same sort were the Beech Mentor, deftlyhandled by M. Glauser, of Compagnie Transair S.A. (Beech's Swiss agents), and a Hunting Percival Provost, flown by F/L.Taylor of No. 6 F.T.S., who included in his variegated manoeuvres -.» tourneau a facettes, as we heard an eight-pointer described. (Wealso heard it termed—with dubious aptness—a tourneau decom- pose, though F/L. Taylor's rendition was very much alive. A French Air Force Noratlas performed impartially on one orboth of its S.N.E.C.M.A. Hercules, and Col. Amores came into the ring for Spain with a C.19 Autogiro, as pioneered by his greatcompatriot Cierva. A commuting ship par excellence—a Twin Bonanza—was handled like a pre-war intercepter (M. Glauseragain), and two members of the Patrouille de France, on Dassault Ouragans, passed their own, and everyone else's time, withpleasure and profit. Michel Berlin and Major Francis Liardon pitted, respectively, a Stampe and a Jungmeister against wind-wafted balloons, with William Tell accuracy and quite uncanny sense of positioning. The grand demonstration of the afternoon was opened with acavalcade of more than usual interest, if only because the elderly Swiss participants have rarely been seen beyond their nationalfrontiers. They were a Fokker C.V (Lt. Kaiser), a generally similar C-35 (Lt. Friederich), a C-3603 (Sgt. Formenti), a MoraneD-3801 (Sgt. Mazzoni) and the Storch (Adj. Baumann). Led by the Caudron G-3 (Capt. Felzer) all proceeded at a hale-and-hearty rate—with the deliberate exception of the Storch—while a Swiss Vampire streaked in among them at the rate of Mach.Very-long-delayed parachute-openings were the heart-stopping contributions of Pierre Lard (France) and Rene Morani andGiorgio Rinaldi (Italy)—brave men all; and the German glider- pilot Albert Falderbaum finished his aerobatic session on anLO-100 with an equally unnerving inverted run at no height worth mentioning. An enthralling show. A particularly low pass by the Skyblazers (F-86F Sabres'. Visitors from the north—Saab J29s of the Royal Swedish Air Force. One of the old brigade—the Caudron G-3, sent by Franc*. The programme was now working up into the high-powerbracket; and if some of the more familiar artists receive only the merest mention, it will signify no lack of admiration on our part. Monique Caillard—the grande monitrice Francaise—gracedthe proceedings with her aerobatic elegance; but shall we be branded ungaUant if we state our opinion dial she was quite out-classed by Major Francis Liardon (Switzerland) and Michel Berlin, the French champion? These are the matchless masters of thebunt, the double-flick-roll, die "Savoy knot," the split-second pull-out above the runway, the low outside turn, and the roll-round-a-circle; and diey somehow persuade their aeroplanes to skate for lengthy periods sharply canted on their sides.Commandant Guillaume is another master hand (as well he might be, as one of the most brilliant test pilots at Bretigny), andhis presentation of the Morane Fleuret was smooth as silk. The . Fleuret is a great little aeroplane, whether considered as a traineror private vehicle; but as a specialised demonstration mount the Part of the static show, with the Hunter and Provost distant.
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