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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1270.PDF
384 FLIGHT Whirlwinds have been adapted for special tests and duties, including anti-submarine work and minesweeping. A notable, and popular, feature of the Whirlwind is the mounting of the engine and accessories in the nose rather than on the centre of gravity as in the S-51. Access is gained through two doors which fold back on vertical hinges. The dual-control cockpit is located high up above, and slightly behind, the engine. For the B.E.A. service between London's South Bank and London Airport, S-SSs have been equipped with floats. S-51 Two basic versions of the S-51 (or Dragonfly, as it is known to the British Services) are built at Yeovil. The Series A has the Alvis Leonides engine, and die Series B the Pratt and Whitney Wasp Junior. British Service variants are the HAR.l, for the Royal Navy, having composite main-rotor blades, Leonides Mk 50 engine and equipment for air/sea- rescue and special photographic duties; the HAR.3, a Naval variant with all-metal main rotors and hydraulical servo control; the HC.2 casualty-evacuation aircraft for the R.A.F., with Leonides Mk SO engine, and capable of carrying two stretcher cases in panniers on the fuselage sides; and the HC4, an R.A.F. version similarly powered and having all-metal main- rotor blades and hydraulic servo control. Wyvern The Wyvem is the standard carrier-borne strike aircraft of me Royal Navy, and is the only turboprop machine of its class in service. The engine is the Armstrong Siddeley Python, driving a contra-rotating Rotol airscrew. In addition to four wing-mounted 20 mm guns, bombs, rockets, depth charges or mines can be carried beneath the wings. A typical load might be a torpedo, or a 2,000-lb bomb or eight 60-lb R.P.s. Features include hydraulicaily operated Youngman lift flaps, air brake flaps on the inner wings, and a wide-track, long stroke undercarriage. Although the cockpit is positioned fairly far aft, the pilot's view for deck- landing is good, by reason of the fact mat the fuselage nose slopes sharply down ahead of the cockpit. Jet-Deflection Meteor A notable Westland development of the past year was the adaptation of a Gloster Meteor to take jet-deflection units, working in conjunction with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets. Advantages to be gained from jet-deflection are: (1) an aircraft can take off and land using shorter runways than hitherto; (2) the speed range can be substantially improved; (3) it is possible to produce an aircraft of smaller dimensions for a given all-up weight (saving structure weight, cost and raw materials); (4) for the pilot, it is easier to carry out an approach without changes of airspeed or attitude; (5) rate of descent can be quickly checked, or converted to climb, with little tendency to increase forward speed. The deflection boxes themselves were designed and constructed at the National Gas Turbine Establishment at Famborough. At the R.A.E. Golden Jubilee celebrations earlier this year, the machine gave a thoroughly convincing demon- stration of its slow-landing capabilities. Below, Wyvern 5.4 Power plant ... Armstrong SiddcleyPython Span 44ftLength 41ft lOin : O
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