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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1521.PDF
£36 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS Vanguard and Tyne /"\N Monday, October 17th, British European Airways, Vickers-^"' Armstrongs and Rolls-Royce jointly announced the V.900 Vanguard, a completely new machine powered by four Rolls-RoyceTyne turboprops. The design is the outcome of years of close co-operation by the three organizations, and more than 60 studies—"everything but a biplane," as Mr. George Edwards, Vickers Aircraft managing director, put it—preceded the finalizing of thepresent design. All three firms are certain they have reached the optimum solution to the requirements of B.E.A. for the 1960s, andthe Corporation are now working out "a substantial order." Deliveries will be made straight from prototype drawings, begin-ning in 1960. Details of the aircraft are published on pages 650-651, and ofthe Tyne (previously known by the works number RB.109) on pages 638-639. Both have grown up together, and form what isconfidently believed to be a world-beating combination. At its initial rating of 4,020 s.h.p. the Tyne can easily handle theVanguard at slightly over 100,000 lb, and provide a cruising speed of approximately 400 m.p.h. Later it is hoped that considerablymore power will be forthcoming, and the next stage of V.900 cruising is placed at 425 m.p.h.—with still higher speeds inprospect. In the later Vanguards, routes with 2,500-mile stages will be capable of operation at almost .full payload. Referred to elsewhere in this issue, the Rolls-Royce DartRDa.7 provides for a maximum take-off power of no less than 2,105 e.s.h.p. This is rather more than the Viscount (as atpresent conceived) requires, and the RDa.7 can be derated to some 1,800 h.p. for later Viscounts. Equipped with such an engine,the V.806, a development in the long-fuselage V.800 family, will be able to cruise at some 365 m.p.h. British European Airways are expected to place an order for20 V.806s, in addition to their present fleet of 22 V.802s, which will start to be delivered next year. They will thus have an ultimateViscount fleet of some 70 aircraft. At the same time, news has been given of a Rolls-Royce Darteven later than the RDa.7, the latter being described on page 638. With the new engine—presumably RDa.8—the present types ofViscount could be developed to cruise at some 400 m.p.h. This hotted up (in more ways than one) Dart will be brought into theViscount picture when commercial considerations are right; with the Tyne it will make for an unbeatable family of turboproptransports. In 1958, the erecting-shop space available at Hum and Wey-bridge for production of the V.700-800-900 series will be in- creased from 547,000 to 765,000 sq ft. The ultimate rate ofoutput might be 20 aircraft monthly of all three types, provided that sufficient orders are attracted. To date, Vickers have sold239 Viscounts, and negotiations now in progress should bring the total to 300, although 500 may well be the ultimate total. It isnot yet possible to assess fully the size of the Vanguard's potential market, but Mr. George Edwards, leader of the Vickers design-sales team, tentatively suggests a figure of 175-250 aircraft. In view of the general healthy trend of Vickers/Rolls-Roycetransport development, there seems every reason to expect the Viscount and Vanguard families to dominate many of the world'sbusiest air routes to an increasing extent. For operators of routes capable of generating sufficient traffic, the Vanguard will be theobvious choice; for routes where a machine with 60 seats is adequate, the 400 m.p.h. Viscount will be hard to beat. Organization for War ADDRESSING the Royal United Service Institution on**• October 12th, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery, Deputy Supreme Commander, Allied Forces in Europe, said that it wasessential to bring the three Services closer together and, if neces- sary, to combine them into one. The present committee system,he said, should be replaced by a Minister of Defence with real powers of decision and action within the limits of Cabinet policy.The Minister should have a Chief of Staff to the Armed Forces to advise him. Viscount Montgomery maintained that the dominant factor inglobal war was air power, which should be organized in the Western Alliance as "one single mighty weapon." The Naviescould help to save us from complete disaster after a heavy surprise attack. He disagreed profoundly that the Navy's days were over.Of aircraft carriers he said that there might always be a need for vessels from which to operate aircraft, though with progress invertical take-off and landings we should aim to design something smaller and cheaper than the present carriers. U.S.-built Britannias? "DEPORTS from Montreal that discussions have been takingA*- place between Bristol, Convair, Canadair and Curtiss Wright about the possibility of building Britannias in the U.S. were con-firmed earlier this week by Bristol. Reports referred to a new, thin-wing 500 m.p.h. Britannia powered by Bristol BE.25 turbo-props. It is clear that the talks were of an exploratory nature and it is unlikely at this stage that any decisions would have beenreached. A Bristol statement said: "The object of the talks was to make an initial study of the possibility of a three-nationcollaboration in the production of a derivative of the Britannia to meet foreseen demands for a high-speed turboprop in the1960s." There is already a licence agreement between the Bristol engine division and Curtiss Wright, while Canadair are engagedin producing a maritime-reconnaissance version of the Britannia for the R.C.A.F., with the designation CL-28. _- Going Far South AN illustration opposite shows one of the two S-51s which,**• as described on page 658, are going to Grahamland as part of the flying equipment for the survey that Hunting Aerosurveysare making on behalf of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The photograph emphasizes the point, made on the later page, thatlandings may sometimes be tricky, owing to the narrow beam— about 30ft—of the expedition ship, Oluf Sven. There is also news of the Canso amphibians which will take part.While the helicopters play an indispensable part as ship-to-shore ferries, and on general communications duties, the amphibians, BETWEEN DECKS: Secured by our representative aboard H.M.S. "Ark Royal" during the visit described on pages 648-649, these pictures are among the tew released by the Admiralty showing the hangar accom- modation. Especially revealing is the uppermost, wherein Sea Hawks are seen stowed in upper and lower hangars. The lower shows Gannets.
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