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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1488.PDF
598 FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION As reported below, the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer recently made the first official departure from the new runway at Prestwick. The essential features of this promising 16- seat transport are emphasized in this take-off view. PRESTWICK'S NEW RUNWAY pRESTWICK Airport's new runway, 6.000ft in length and-*- capable of extension to 8,000ft, came into operation on September 30th. The first "official" landing was made on it bya M.T.C.A. Dove carrying Sir Alfred Le Maitre, Controller of Ground Services, and A. Cdre. J. G. Murray, Scottish DivisionalController. The official party was greeted by the airport com- mandant, Mr. J. Jeffs, who joined them aboard the Twin Pioneerprototype to make the first take-off from the new runway. At present the runway has no approach aids and can be used onlyin V.F.R. conditions. It is expected to be available for unrestricted use from April 1956. In the past, B.O.A.C. Stratocruisers havesometimes been forced by cross winds to overfly Prestwick, an occurrence which should be eliminated when the runway is infull use. COMET OFF TO THE TROPICS /^OMET 2 G-AMXD flew from Hatfield to Khartoum on^ September 30th to complete performance measurements in "I.S.A.-plus" temperatures. Although unmodified structurally,this particular Comet 2 is representative of the fully modified aircraft now being completed by de Havilland for R.A.F. Trans-port Command in the matter of all-up weight (120,000 lb) and engines. These are the Mk 117 version of the Rolls-Royce Avon,of 7,300 lb static thrust each, an increase of 150 lb over the Avon 503 with which initial tropical trials were carried out inFebruary 1954. The present tests are, of course, a part of the programme forthe full-category civil certificate of airworthiness with which the Comet 2 will enter service with the R.A.F. early next year. The Comet 2 flew from Hatfield to Khartoum, with a stop atAthens: for the record, journey times for the two sectors were respectively 3 hr 26 min and 3 hr 42 min, appropriate averageblock-to-block cruising speeds being of the order of 440 m.p.h. and 430 m.p.h. The aircraft was flown by Mr. John Cunningham,de Havilland chief test pilot, and Mr. Peter Bugge, with a crew of nine engineers and observers including representatives of Rolls-Royce and the A.R.B. The tests, which include a full programme of take-offs and cruising performance at various weights, wereexpected to be completed within two weeks. A HELIPORT FOR HARLOW— /^\BVIOUSLY, it is easier to provide a helicopter landing-place ^-' in a new town than to construct one in the average existing urban area. Harlow New Town, appreciating this, has "got in on the ground floor" by planning for a heliport from the outset.At present, the site is close to the town centre and comprises a level grass "L," each arm being 100ft by 150ft with a concreteraft in the centre of each arm. No buildings are yet provided, but office, shelter, cafeteria or other accommodation is envisagedif future development justifies it. During the present (experi- mental) period, no landing fees are being charged. On October 5th the Harlow heliport was due to have beenformally opened by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, who was to have arrived, with Lady Douglas, in aB.E.A. Bristol Sycamore. They were to be met by representatives of Harlow Development Corporation, including Alderman T. H.Joyce, deputy chairman, Dr. Stephen Taylor, Mr. Eric Adams, Mr. Frederick Gibberd (architect planner for Harlow and alsoarchitect for London Airport) and Mr. O. W. Gilmour. —AND FOR WILLESDEN PRIVATE enterprise has given London its first permanent heli-port. The Borough Council of Willesden has granted to Helicopter Services, Ltd., of Gatwick Airport, the concession(initially for a six-month trial period) to operate a municipal heli- port on Twyford Tip, the former refuse dump near the NorthCircular Road, almost opposite Stonebridge Park station (Baker- loo). Twyford Tip stands some 50 to 60ft above the surroundingbuilding development, and is in the centre of a very important industrial region. It is already in use by Helicopter Services,Ltd., for the regular delivery of film material to the nearby B.B.C. television processing laboratories. The site already has M.T.C.A. approval, and it is understoodthat a full airfield licence will be applied for. Helicopter Services are expected to establish passenger and maintenance buildingsand night-flying facilities. Helicopter Services, Ltd., the concessionaires, were formedrecently by Mr. David Brown and Brig-Gen. A. C. Critchley for private helicopter work. It has a capital of £100,000 and incor-porates Rotor Films (London), Ltd., previously operated by Capt. John Crewdson, formerly of B.E.A. and Autair, Ltd., and Capt.T. M. Clutterbuck, both of whom are directors of the new com- pany. Other directors are Mr. A. D. Worton and Mr. J. B. P.Williamson, chartered accountants. The company has four Agusta-Bell 47 three-seatcr helicopters,with a further two on order. The company's present operating and maintenance base is Gatwick Airport though it is planned toset up a forward operating base at the Willesden site which will be developed as a public heliport to serve the North West London area. r~- •-.-.•.- B.O.A.C.'s WINTER SCHEDULE ANNOUNCING details of their winter programme, B.O.A.C.**• say that savings of the greater part of a day on two first-class flights from London to Tokyo will be made when the new time-tables come into force in November. A night-stop at Hong Kong on the eastward-bound flights will be eliminated and, as on mostother Eastern routes, transit stops are to be reduced from one hour to 45 min at many places. Thus, one London-Tokyo service—which calls at Rome, Beirut,Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok and Hong Kong—will take 45J hr on the new schedules against 63 hr at present. Similarly, the timeof a service which flies the same route—but calls at Zurich instead of at Rome and at Rangoon instead of at Bangkok—will be reducedfrom 66 hours to 45| hr. . ,... Latest Viscount off the Hum production line, and the 74th to be delivered, is YI-ACK, the first of three V.735s for Iraqi Airways.
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