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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0002.PDF
FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS THE FACE AT THE WINDOW: After many years it is a treat to glimpse the hat-topped countenance of Capt. Edgar Percival, smiling, from the pilot's seat of a new Percival creation —the P.9 agricultural aircraft, fully described in "Flight" of December 30th. "Flight" photograph America's New PolicyI N a seven-page memorandum to General Twining, U.S.A.F.Chief of Staff, Mr. Donald Quarles, Secretary of the Air Force, said that a new approach to industrial readiness is essential. "Forthe first time in modern history," he said, "our nation is faced with a continuous potential threat of devastating destruction at theoutset of general war." He went on: "If, in an emergency, we are to survive and minimize the devastation to our nation, the tradi-tional concept of a prolonged industrial build-up after attack must be replaced by a 'readiness' programme." The new policy specifiesthat industrial resources will be concentrated on the most impor- tant aircraft and missiles, such as those for strategic bombing andair defence. Mr. A. G. Elliott's Retirement ON January 1st, as foreshadowed some months ago, Mr. A. G.Elliott retired from the post of executive vice-chairman of Rolls-Royce, Ltd. Mr. Elliott, who is 66 years of age, joined thecompany in 1912, when he was on Mr. F. H. Royce's personal design staff. He was senior designer on the Rolls-Royce Eagle andmany subsequent engines, and under Sir Henry Royce he was personally responsible for the design of the "R" engine; the Merlin,too, was his work. He was appointed to the Board in 1945 and became joint managing director in 1951. Mr. Elliott is succeeded as executive vice-chairman by Mr.Whitney Straight, who joined the Board on November 1st, 1955, having resigned his post as deputy chairman of B.O.A.C. Senior Officers on Tour ON January 4th Air Chief Marshal Sir Dermot Boyle, K.C.V.O.,K.B.E., C.B., A.F.C., who has recently taken up the appoint- ment of Chief of the Air Staff, was due to leave on a tour of theMiddle and Far East Air Forces, returning to the United Kingdom on February 8th. Sir Dermot's itinerary is: Nicosia, January 4th;Mauripur, January 5th; Ceylon, January 7th; Singapore, January 9th; Hong Kong, January 14th; Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, January18th; Butterworth, January 21st; Bangkok, January 22nd; Delhi, January 23rd; Aden, January 25th; Bahrein, January 29th;Habbaniya, Iraq, January 30th; Amman, Jordan, February 1st; Cyprus, February 2nd; Malta, February 6th; Binbrook, Lines,February 8th. The Air Member for Personnel, Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis J.Fogarty, K.C.B., K.B.E., D.F.C., A.F.C., left Northolt on January 2nd in a Hastings for a tour of units of the Middle East Air Force. Mr. Hanson. He was accompanied by his staff and by the Air Officer Com-manding, the Records Office (Gloucester), A. Cdre. W. E. V. Richards, C.B., C.B.E. At Abu Sueir on January 5th the air chiefmarshal was to present a squadron Standard to No. 84 Sqn. of the Middle East Air Force, Transport Wing, which is equipped withValettas. (Sir Francis was the unit's commanding officer in 1935.) The presentation ceremony was to be attended by Air MarshalSir Claude Pelly, K.C.B., C.B.E., M.C., Commander-in-Chief, M.E.A.F. Sir Francis will visit Malta, Habbaniya, Bahrein, Adenand Nicosia, returning to Northolt on January 16th. M.o.S. Appointments 1VJEW appointments announced•L* by the Ministry of Supply include that of Mr. J. Hanson, atpresent Chief Superintendent of the Aeroplane and ArmamentExperimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, to be DeputyChief Scientific Officer, Struc- tures Department, Royal Air-craft Establishment. Mr. D. E. Morris has been pro-moted to the rank of deputy chief scientific officer and will succeedMr. Hanson as Chief Superinten- dent at Boscombe Down. It is also announced thatDr. B. G. Dickins has been appointed Director of GuidedWeapons Research and De- velopment. Seamew Data Revealed IT is now possible to publish some details of the Short Seamew•*- light anti-submarine aircraft which have previously been re- stricted by security classification. There are, in fact, two marks ofSeamew, generally similar externally: the AS.l Naval anti-sub- marine version and the MR. 2 maritime reconnaissance type forCoastal Command. The structure weight for both versions is 4,260 lb, to whichmust be added powerplant, systems and 1,882 lb of equipment to make up the basic weight of 9,795 1b. The operating weight variesbetween 10,300 and 10,500 lb and the maximum weight is 14,0001b, including approximately 1,000 lb of warload. For reduced endur-ance a considerably greater weapon load can be accommodated. At 14,000 lb the Seamew with the Armstrong Siddeley MambaASM.6 turboprop takes off at 60.7 kt after a run of 495ft into a 12-kt wind. Sea-level rate of climb is l,600ft/min and levelspeed 211 kt at emergency rating at sea level, or 196 kt at maximum continuous power. Cruising at 120 kt at 5,000ft a four-hour patrolis possible with full allowances, using 326 gal of wide-cut fuel. Mr."Alfred Faddy Y\f E are sorry to learn, from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), Ltd.,T T of the death of Mr. Alfred Faddy, assistant chief designer at the Supermanne works. He was 63. Of border stock, he served his engineering apprenticeship withParsons of Newcastle. During World War I he served in the R.N.A.S., spending some time with Porte on the famous Felixstowe BEECHCRAFT MODEL 73: Photographed on its first flight (December 18th, 1955) is the new tandem-seat Beechcraft Model 73 jet trainer, subject of a news item on page 13. Immediately apparent is a family resemblance to the Mentor piston-engined trainer.
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