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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1578.PDF
FLIGHT-, 28 October 1955 695 CIVIL AVIATION An impression of the Britannia 300 LR. in the colours of Canadian Pacific Airlines, who last week signed a contract for three of these aircraft with an option for a further five. As recorded on page 668, this is the first dollar order for Bristol's turboprop airliner. PROGRESS WITH THE COMET 4 i ±s IW ITH design work on the structure of the Comet 4 nowvirtually complete, de Havilland have reported on the pro- gress made to date. Of particular interest are the precautionstaken against fatigue. A fatigue scatter-factor of 6 to 1 has been assumed in the testing of structural specimens, and to date some3,000 separate tank-tests have been made on Comet 4 fuselage seams, windows, hatches, etc. In addition, full-size wing sparshave been subjected to intensive repeated-load tests, as also have wing components on Hatfield's 100-ton fatigue-testing machine.The aim has been to ensure a life of ten years (say 30,000 hours) without cracks (involving tests to 180,000 hours) and a further tenyears during which cracks would be small and harmless. A number of components have run to the equivalent of 120 years of"operation" without failure. Full-scale tests on a modified Transport Command-type Comet2 are about to begin in a new water tank at Hatfield, together with a major test piece of the Comet 4 (consisting of the centre sectionand a portion of the fuselage) in confirmation of the individual component tests. Other full-scale Comet 4 components are aboutto be tested in the existing 30ft tank at Hatfield. A hint of forthcoming overseas flights by Comets was con-firmed recently by de Havillands. It was stated that various flights are under consideration and that arrangements are being made "tocover as many countries and operating conditions as possible." It seems probable that, with the Comet 2 due for its C. of A. by theyear's end, the Comet 3 prototype will be the aircraft mainly concerned in such a test programme, which will no doubt provideopportunities for demonstration. The Comet 3 has not yet been abroad. DECCA APPROVED TN a statement of United Kingdom policy on short-range naviga--1- tion aids, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has expressed the belief that "the maximum flexibility, expeditionand safety" of air traffic can be assured only by using the Decca Navigator system. This pronouncement—"following the publica-tion of various reports referring to the TACAN system"—is contained in Civil Aviation Circular No. 110/1955. In a general introduction, it is stated that the increased volumeof air traffic now flying over the U.K. requires more flexible and accurate navigational guidance than that obtainable with M.F.ranges and beacons. The most suitable form of short-range navigational aid for both air navigation and air traffic control, thecircular continues, is one providing an accurate, continuous and comprehensive fixing service with a pictorial type of cockpitpresentation. The conclusions of the Ministry's evaluation of the Decca system(reported in Flight of May 20th, 1955), it is stated, "have com- pletely supported the United Kingdom's view that, of all existingsystems, Decca best meets the A.T.C. requirements for navigation on the U.K. national airways and in control zones."Concerning other types of radio navigation aids, the circular states: — "V.O.R. Beacons. Since many international civil air transport air-craft are, however, equipped with V.O.R. receivers it has been decided, as an interim measure, to install a limited number of V.O.R. beaconsto provide V.H.F. airway track guidance and so fulfil I.C.A.O. obliga- tions. "Gee. This system is accepted where cover is available as adequatefor flying United Kingdom airways. "M.F. Aids. With existing Decca coverage and the completion ofthe V.O.R. installation programme, a number of radio ranges and beacons at present operating in the United Kingdom will be progres-sively withdrawn . . . There is, however, no likelihood of airborne A.D.F. becoming redundant for many years to come. "D.M.E. The United Kingdom has no plans for the installation ofany D.M.E. except a limited number of 200 Mc/s D.M.E. to meet certain B.O.A.C. requirements." LA.T.A.'s NEW PRESIDENT AT the tenth annual general meeting of I.A.T.A., held this**• year in New York from October 17-21st, Mr. Max Hymans conferred the presidency for 1955-1956 on Mr. Juan Trippe.In his opening address Mr. Hymans said: "We as heads of airlines take an active part in the world towards progress which covers notonly the technical field but also—and even more so—the co-opera- tion among the peoples. The task is not always easy and new diffi-culties arise each year. We have indeed felt them again this year but, far from discouraging us, they make us even more consciousof the necessity of our Association and of its efficiency: the work accomplished so far by I.A.T.A. is probably one of the bestexamples of the spirit of free discussion and common decision of any enterprises in the field of any organization." Presenting his annual report to the tenth anniversary generalmeeting, Sir William P. Hildred asserted that, despite reductions in international airmail payments to airlines, only a few countrieshave passed on reductions to the public in order to generate a better volume of mail or to make the services more widely avail-able. Sir William urged the 75 member-airlines of I.A.T.A. to resist any attempt to reduce compensation rates further in the1957 Congress of the Universal Postal Union at Ottawa, which will set foreign air mail rates for the ensuing five years. But headmitted that he is "somewhat pessimistic about the treatment we may expect. There is no appeal from a postal congress. A carriercannot refuse the instructions of its government and, if forced to do so, we would have to carry the mail for nothing." ONE HUNDRED HERALDS AN announcement by Handley Page, Ltd., stated last week that• the company is laying down the necessary jigs and tools for the production of 100 Heralds. Orders have been announced for35 of these four-engined, 36/44-seat transports, with first deliveries beginning in 1957. Handley Page's faith in the future of the Herald—which wasnot underwritten by a Government prototype order, and is believed to represent an investment of at least £lm—hasalready been rewarded by the fact that orders for 29 were received before the prototype first flew in August. Flight trials, whichbegan at Radlett, are now proceeding at Woodley, where the grass surface is more representative of conditions likely to be encoun-tered by Heralds in airline service. An effort may be made in the near future to obtain a limited C. of A., permitting the Herald to goabroad for tropical trials. The setting-up of a large-scale production line in anticipationof further orders should result in favourable delivery dates—an important step towards securing new customers, NEW SERVICES APPROVED THE Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, after consideringthe recommendations of the Air Transport Advisory Council, has approved the operation of the following services: — Air Charter, Ltd.—A vehicle ferry service between Southend and Ostend until June 30th, 1961. Silver Citv Airways, Ltd.—A vehicle ferry service between Lydd and Basle (seasonal only, mid-December to end of Easter period each year) until April 30th, 1961. T.A.A. PROFIT TRANS-AUSTRALIAN AIRLINES report a profit of£A221,059 for the last financial year, nearly double that of the previous year. The company carried nearly 700,000 pay-ing passengers during 1954-55, a record figure for Australian domestic air transport. Since T.A.A.'s formation in 1946 nearly4,500,000 paying passengers have been carried on scheduled ser- vices without fatality.
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