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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1267.PDF
2 September 1955 381 Below, Valiant B.I * Power plant Four Rolli-Rojrce AvonSpan 114ft 4in Length 108ft v; Abon, V.IOOO increase to six next year and—if the order-book warrants it—to ten monthly in 1957. A smaller production line is also being set up at Weybridge. Valiant Indicative of the range potential of this V-class bomber were the planned stages for an England-New Zealand flight which, in the event, did not take place. They were: London-Karachi (4,192 miles), Karachi-Cocos Islands (3,255 miles), and Cocos Islands- Christchurch (4,929 miles). As for speed, a production Valiant recently flew to Australia, setting up two records on the way. From London to Baghdad it averaged 523 m.p.h.; from Singapore to Darwin, 518 m.pJh. For the New Zealand flight, the aircraft was to have carried auxiliary tanks in the bomb-bay, though with a full bomb load, the Valiant would be capable of operating over very great distances by virtue of flight refuelling. As now in pro- duction for the R.A.F., the Valiant is designated B.I; the B.2 was a special "one-off" develop- ment with a lengthened nose and trailing-edge fairings housing a twin-four-wheeJ ed-bogie main undercarriage. This version is capable of remarkably high speeds at low level. The B.1 is essentially a high-level machine, and is powered with four Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets, probably each with a five-figure thrust rating. These units are housed in the inboard sections of the wing and beneath the outboard sections provision is made for large auxiliary fuel tanks. The flaps are of the double-slotted type, extending outboard almost to the ailerons. A member of Flight staff who was present at the departure of a production Valiant B.I for the Woomera bomb-ballistics range wrote recently: "Both pilots have the Martin-Baker Mk 3 ejector seat and wear the leg-restraint garters associated with this equipment. None of the crew appeared to wear pressure-breathing waistcoats, but the new British pressure-demand mask was in evidence. The other crew members (four on this occasion, though there are normally three) wore the new ankle-length boots, Mac Wests and a new type of back-type parachute with quick-adjusting harness straps and barometric release capsule in addition to the normal rip-cord. They sit side-by-side in rearward-facing seats . . ." Production Valiants, lightly loaded, have taken off in under 600 yards. V.1000 Designed as a military transport capable of carrying 120 troops with full equip- ment, the V.IOOO is a larger aircraft than the Valiant and has four Rolls-Royce Conway by-pass turbojets. A production order has been placed on behalf of the R.A.F., and a civil version could carry 90 passengers, first-class, from Paris to New York. A military prototype is well advanced. , . • ~ Wmt
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