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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0945.PDF
8 July 1955 55 A Turbomiea Artowte II 90s turfcine lor tfce SUjCiLSf. AJoMttc //. head. Conventional tail surfaces suggest that this machine willhave some form of jet power applied to the blades for take-off and landing, and may cruise in a condition close to that of anautogyro. Fairey Rotodyne The model on the Fairey stand does not changebut, as the expected time for flight trials draws nearer, the interest shown in this machine progressively increaser.Hiller UH-12B A rotor head and gear box assembly were dis- played on the Hiller stand as, also, were photographs of the ram-jet driven Hiller Hornet and the m.v vertical riser designed by the company. Hiller machines are widely used throughoutEurope on both civil and military applications. Nord 1750 This machine is to be powered by a TurbomecaArtouste II gas turbine, but no further details have been released by the S.N.C.A.N., the manufacturers. Results of flight trialsare expected in the not too distant future. Piasecki HUP-2 Nineteen HUP helicopters are operated by theFrench Navy at Toulon. A flying demonstration by one of them provided convincing proof of the maker's justly proud announce-ment that they have "planted their flag in Europe." During the 18 months the French Navy have been operating the Piaseckihelicopters, they have completed over 4,000 flying hours and trained some 50 pilots. The HUP is fitted with a modified Sperry A. 12 Gyropilot andfull blind flying equipment. Practice autorotational landings at night are a regular feature of the training programme. For rescuework and plane-guard duty, a hydraulic hoist enables a rescued man to be lifted up through an electrically-operated door in thefloor of the cabin. It is of interest to note that an advanced version of the HUP-2 is in course of development which will be poweredby a Wright R-1300 engine of 750 h.p. as distinct from the present Continental 525 h.p. engine. The new machine, to be knownas the HUP-4, will have a considerably improved performance over the present HUP-2. Sikorsky S-55 and S-58 For the first time, a model of the civilS-5S helicopter had been shown. Internal seating arrangements are for 12 passengers, carried on four bench-type seats, the twocentre benches being placed back to back in die centre of the cabin. Access to the passenger compartment is by means of twowide sliding doors on the starboard side of the machine. That this machine is certainly a step in the right direction is clearly indi-cated by the cost figures from which it is apparent that the operating cost per ton/mile of the S-58 is only 58 per cent of thatof the S-55. Taking part in the flying display was a French-assembled WS-55built under licence by the S.N.C.A.S.E. Up to the present time, 5 machines have been assembled by the company from importedAmerican parts and 10 machines from imported British parts sup- plied by Westland Aircraft, but no local manufacture has yetbeen undertaken. Skeeter 6 Vying with the Djinn to spend the greater time in theair throughout the week, the Skeeter 6, flown by Ken Reed, gave a number of remarkable demonstrations. The new 200 h.p. GipsyMajor engine, first demonstrated at Farnborough last year, gives it an excellent vertical climb performance and developments areon the way to increase the available power still further. A small production order was recently placed by the Ministry of Supplyfor this type. DX-50 Simulator As an exhilarating conclusion to a most instruc-tive week, the writer had the opportunity of operating the DX-50 helicopter flight simulator developed by Giravions Dorand. Muchhas been written on this subject recently but the attributes of the simulator have, in the writer's opinion, never really been shown upin their true value. Indeed, it would be difficult to appreciate from any written description just how excellent and faithful is the simu-lation of helicopter flight with this device. Even with only the cyc'ic-pitch control operative, as it is at present, it is difficult torealize, on switching off, that one has never moved from the starting point. When the collective-pitch and yawing controls havebeen added, the effect should be as near perfection as it is possible to achieve. It will be remembered that it was by using this simulator thatcertain design modifications were made to the S.N.C.A.S.E. Alouette II, to improve its handling characteristics, before theprototype had ever flown. When it did make its first flights the actual helicopter needed practically no further modifications inthis respect. Reproducing so faithfully, as it does, all those singular characteristics so well known to the helicopter pilot, the DX-50simulator has, without doubt, a significant part to play in future helicopter development and flying training. In addition to the helicopters themselves, helicopter enginemanufacturers were well represented at the Salon, exhibits by Alvis, Curtiss-Wright, Napier, Turbomeca, United Aircraft andothers being included. The Alouette II. Fire machines of this type have now been built.
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