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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1165.PDF
26 August 1955 279 ME SAETA: The name Saeta (arrow) has been conferred on this new Spanish trainer, designed by Willy Messerschmitt, and referred to in a news item on page 280. "FLIGHT" NEXT WEEKTHE next issue of Flight, dated Friday, September 2nd, will be the annual Britain's Aircraft Industry Number, and itwill be the largest issue of this journal ever published. All current British aircraft and engines will be reviewed andillustrated, and new equipment described. There will, in addition, be a new form of directory to the industry, makingthe whole publication a particularly valuable work of refer- ence. A guide to the S.B.A.C. Show will be included. Priceof this issue will be 2s. 6d.; demand is heavy, and orders should be placed in advance. The two succeeding numbers will be the FarnboroughReport (September 9th) and Farnborough Review (Septem- ber 16th). Supersonic Escape DETAILS of an improved method of emergency escape fromsupersonic aircraft have been disclosed by the U.S.A.F. The system is being employed only in research machines, and the prin-cipal element is a downward-ejection seat, stabilized in an upright position by two fins. Should the pilot have to abandon his air-craft at a great height, he "rides" the seat down quickly to 15,OOOft, where separation occurs automatically and the pilot continues bymeans of a conventional parachute. Should a low-altitude bale-out become necessary, the pilot and his parachute are cleared from theseat within three seconds. The Douglas Aircraft Company, who are responsible for theseat in co-operation with the U.S.A.F. Research and Development Command, state that the scheme was evolved for the X-3 for tworeasons. First, the force required to shoot the ejection seat up and over the tail at high speeds was "beyond human endurance";secondly, an upward-opening canopy would have created a serious drag resistance. The problem of seat stabilization was compli-cated by the need for stability through the turbulence of the supersonic, transonic and subsonic regimes. The finned seat wastested on the high-speed track at Edwards A.F.B. and in wind tunnels at the Wright Air Development Centre, and it wasrepeatedly ejected from the bomb bay of a machine travelling at high speed and great height. The fins maintained the seat ina safe position (i.e., with the body upright in relation to the direction of force) until it had reached a low enough speed and BUTTERFLY BOMB: The deliberately weighted downward-ejecting seat developed for the Douglas X-3 and described on this page has, with its fins, the aspect of a wartime menace of unpleasant memory. height for separation. The Douglas announcement continues: — "Peak force from wind drag was reduced by increasing the weight ofthe seat substantially by installing on it such equipment as the ejection rails, the airplane's complete oxygen system and various other compo-nents normally attached to the airframe. Douglas engineers said trans- ferring weight to the seat resulted in a net weight saving to the airplane."Other high-speed tests revealed that air ramming into the front of a standard helmet built up pressures which would blow it from the pilot'shead, leaving him without protection from wind blasts and without oxygen, since the oxygen mask is attached to the helmet. "Douglas engineers partially solved these problems by incorporatinginto a conventional helmet a protective visor and reinforcing guard for the oxygen mask. Since it was impracticable to seal the headgearcompletely against supersonic ram pressures, air ducts were sculptured into the helmet to provide escape paths for inside air pressures andcreate a partial vacuum to help hold the helmet in place. "The standard g suit was modified by stitching a reinforcing nylonvest to the suit and re-locating the zipper from the chest to the back. A nylon collar was added to connect the helmet and suit and protectthe pilot's neck. "Building the oxygen supply into the ejection seat system eliminatedneed for a bale-out bottle, since the escaping pilot can use the airplane's regular oxygen output until he has reached a point in his descent safeenough for normal breathing. A special oxygen quick disconnect fitting, using permanent magnets to assure a firm seal, was devised . . ." Coventry Results THE final meeting in this year's National Air Races series, heldat Coventry on Saturday, decided the destination of the 1955 British Air Racing Championship, placings in which are givenbelow, together with those in the King's Cup Race. Also tabu- lated are the results of the Lockheed Trophy Aerobatic Competi-tion. The meeting is reported on pages 285-287. BRITISH AIR RACING CHAMPIONSHIP AND KING'S CUP RACE B A R C Pt*D*^%* R* *•#* rev* 71 67 61 58 58 58 5352 52 50 48 48 45 40 39 Pilot J. N. Somers J. H. Denyer T. G. Knox B. Maile C. Gregory D. Westoby P. S. CliffordR. R. Paine P. Blamire G. Marler D. F. Ogilvy J. R. Johnston P. Vanneck A. Barker J. M. Donald Aircraft No 85 23 69 21 5 9 9796 80 92 41 4322 68 24 King's Cup Place 10 11 513 7 9 16 14 4 non-fini 3 2 12 8 Speed 172 108.5 146.5106.5 115 124 213.5187 140.5 169 her 140106 143.5 109 H'cap 15.19 01.24 10.5400.51 03.15 05.54 19.2017.04 10.29 14.32 08.04 09.2900.00 10.49 01.24 LOCKHEED AEROBATIC COMPETITION Nation- ality French French French British Pilot Leon Biancotto Alain Hisler Francois d'Huc-DresslerRanald L. Porteous Aircraft StampeS.V.4A Sipa 200 Minijet Stampe S.V.4A Auster J5L Aiglet Engine Renault 4PO5 140 h.p. Turbomeca Palas 350 n.p.Renault 4PO5 140 h.p.Gipsy Major 10 145 h.p. Registra- tion F-BCFA F-BGVN F-BCFA G-ANXC Priie £500 and Lockheed Trophy 2nd (£300) 3rd (£200) 4th (£100) Note: F. C. Fisher, Tiger Moth, received £100 for the best ' iwn by places. aircraft weighing less than 1,000 kg, flown a British pilot four performance in anand not in the first British TACANI T is well known that, despite initial opposition by the C.A.A. andsome commercial airlines, TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System) is being slowly introduced as a standard navigational aidin the United States. It has now been announced that British versions of both the airborne and ground equipment used by thissystem are being developed under M.o.S. contract by Standard Telephones and Cables, Ltd. It is known that TACAN can beminiaturized for even the smallest military aircraft. Operating within the frequency range 962-1,214 Mc/s, TACAN
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