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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1036.PDF
148 FLIGHT COMPARISON between the Folland Gnat (left) and Midge is facilitated by this photograph, taken at Chilbolton, where—as we reported last week—the Gnat landed after its maiden flight on July 18th. Test-pilot Tennant expressed himself "highly delighted," as the inset picture, taken two minutes after touch-down, confirms. Four days afterwards, as related here, he was to have a less happy experience. FROM ALL QUARTERS . . . down to Chilbolton, he found the runway obstructed. He immedi-ately decided on a wheels-up landing on the grass and brought it off successfully. Then he was taken to hospital, but not detained.The Gnat suffered damage to the underside of its fuselage, but it was back at the Folland works at Hamble within a matter ofhours. The makers are confident that it will be flying again within a few weeks, and will certainly be ready for the FarnboroughShow. "... on the Air Ministry Roof" A DECCA Type 41 radar has been installed experimentally onthe roof of Victory House, London, the Air Ministry building occupied by the Meteorological Office. Although by no meansthe first of these sets to be put into service—several are located in Africa and India—its use in London marks a further steptowards the development of weather-watching, as opposed to recording and forecasting. Information thus obtained will besupplied through the normal channels to such agencies as the B.B.C., and also to private enquirers. The use of the Type 41is still, however, purely experimental, and the efficacy of both the equipment and the technique remains to be proved in this par-ticular application. Those sets which, in conjunction with the earlier Type 40, first installed some years ago at Entebbe, Uganda,are already in use have given excellent results. Heavy precipitation and thunderstorms can be located up toabout 100 miles (depending on their height) from the scanner and their progress watched, enabling the users to forecast local condi- SCANNER of the Decca Type 41 weather radar mounted on the roof of Victory House, Kingsway (see accompanying news item). tions some three to four hours ahead. The exact extent of a stormcould be located and an opinion given as to whether it would be likely to move across, say, cricket grounds. In the light of experi-ence during the next twelve months the usefulness of the set will be established.The Decca Type 41 has the same 14ft parabolic aerial as the Type 424 airfield radar, with a horizontal beam of 0.75 deg and4 deg. It rotates continuously at five to six r.p.m. and can be tilted between minus 2 deg and plus 12 deg. Peak power is 25-30 kW.Extreme range is 250 nautical miles, but in practice the earth's curvature limits the use of this range to some 150 miles.The display is on a 12-in long-afterglow screen with controls for varying ranges, range-ring setting, Deccaplot plotter and dif-ferentiation against clutter. Frequency is in the X-band, between 9,320 and 9,500 Mc/s. APPENDAGES under the wings—bomb containers?—were apparent in H.P. Victor silhouettes (from which these G.A. drawings have been made) published in the July issue of the official publication of the U.S. Navy, "Naval Aviation News." Avon-Sabre Simulators '"THE Royal Australian Air Force has placed an order with-*• Redifon, Ltd., for a number of simulators for the Common- wealth Avon-powered Sabre Mk 30. Two types are involved, onefor installation in a special permanent building and the other mounted in an air-conditioned trailer. Redifon simulators forseveral marks of Sabre have already been delivered to the R.C.A.F., most of them in mobile form.Australian pilots now preparing to take over Sabres in squadron service will complete some 20 hours of simulator flying, includ-ing complete emergency procedures, before they make their first flight in the actual aircraft. In the mobile trainer full air-con-ditioning ensures proper operating temperatures regardless of climate and temperatures actually experienced in flight are pro-duced. Lighting is also adjusted to give the effect of night, day or twilight and the sounds of tyre-squeal and gun-firing are heardin the cockpit. The computing section of Redifon simulators is electronic. The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation recently approvedthe use of another type of Redifon simulator for air-line-crew training as a valid subsitute for actual flying time. It allows thesimulation of emergencies which would not be feasible in an actual flight, offers more concentrated training per "flight" hourand saves considerable aircraft operating costs.
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