FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0185.PDF
FLIGHT, 17 February 1956 OPERATION AFRICAN TOUR How No. 9 Squadrons Canberras Honoured the Queen in Nigeria 183 The six Canberras for the fly-pasts and demonstrations, plusthe reserve Canberra, landed at Ikeja Airport, some 15 milesfrom Lagos, at 1600 hr (local time) on Thursday, January 26. They came in singly, first S/L. L. G. Bastard, No. 9 SquadronCO., flying the A.O.C.-in-C, Bomber Command, Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst, and then the Force Commander, A. V-M.J. R. Whitley. An earlier plan for the bombers to fly over the city before landing had to be abandoned, for the local authoritiesfeared that the first appearance and sound of jets of any sort over this teeming city and surrounding villages and townships mighthave unfortunate repercussions upon the nerves of the uninitiated population. So the arrival was a very gentlemanly affair. The2,000 miles across the Sahara from Idris had taken 4j hr, and the previous day's flight from the snows of Binbrook to the rain ofIdris 3i hr. All aircrew and passengers were in excellent fettle, but theyfound the 90 deg of heat and a large but unspecified amount of humidity something of a shock. Iced squashes from the fourrefrigerators in the squadron tents on the airfield were welcomed. The C-in-C. and the Force Commander recorded for B.B.C.Radio Newsreel (Lionel Fleming) and for the Nigerian Broad- casting Service, which was taking a great interest in the force.The Nigerian interviewing for N.B.S. found some difficulty in understanding how aircraft could fly without airscrews, and thismystification was found to be common among the local populace. Soon, however, they were to receive some measure of indoctrina-tion by watching S/L. Bastard and F/L. D. F. B. Hall flying two Canberras over the route of the Sunday-morning fly-past, whichwas to take place near Lagos Cathedral. But the squadron's main thoughts at this time were concen-trated upon the fly-past which would take place at Ikeja just after the Queen landed in the Argonaut on the following day. SirHarry Broadhurst, with the C-in-C. Southern Atlantic, and the G.O.C.-in C. West Africa, was to support the Governor-General,Sir James Robertson, in the greeting to Her Majesty as she stepped from the Argonaut, and the Force Commander would be amongthose presented immediately after the fly-past. The ground crews, happily and hospitably housed by the Armyin accommodation at a military hospital, were having a busy time on the Friday—preparing the Canberras; despatching HastingsNo. 1 (which carried the advance parry) to Freetown and Bathurst to deliver fuel pumps; receiving Hastings No. 2 with the rest ofthe ground staff and spares from Kano; and receiving the Can- berra P.R.7 which was coming to take the C-in-C. back to UnitedKingdom on Sunday. Among those who greeted the Canberras on their arrival fromEngland were the president and chairman of the flourishing Nigeria Branch of the R.A.F.A., W/C. J. S. P. Phillips, D.F.C.,and S/L. F. Ridout. The Branch was soon providing hospitality on a most generous scale for all ranks of the visiting force. The Saturday's fly-past turned out to be successful in everyway. In perfect formation the six Canberras saluted the Queen THE account on this page is based on notes provided by an Air Ministry officer who flew out to Nigeria with No. 9 Squadron's Can- berras and accompanied them during their tour. In our issue of February 3rd we published a series of air-to-air photographs of the machines and a portrait-group of the crew. eight minutes after she stepped from her aircraft into the warmAincan sunshine and a brilliant and colourful scene. The immacu- tw? ^1CS of three were at 800 ft and 250 kt. They had im- pressed the enormous crowds on and around the airfield with amass cartridge start at 0910 hr and came in on time at 1008 hr, called by the Deputy Force Commander, W/C. A. A. N. Nichol-son, from flying control. Before landing they flew to the capital of the Eastern Region,bnugu, to demonstrate. Mist cut out some of the more spec- tacular items; but a cable from the Governor said, "All workersin Enugu downed tools for 20 minutes." Lagos had not seen a demonstration and as it was thought thatthe local inhabitants might have been deceived by the "gentle- manly" fly-past for Her Majesty, W/C. Nicholson spent 5iminutes on the N.B.S. radio newsreel on the Saturday night talk- ing about the difference and assuring listeners that, though thedisplay over the harbour on the following morning would be of a noisy character, it was quite safe. A persistent mist, with patchy thin cloud down in places to500ft, made conditions for the Sunday display marginal, to say the least, but the squadron decided to press on. Shortly afterthe Queen left Lagos Cathedral the six aircraft flew over in salute. Then, watched by Her Majesty and the Duke of Edin-burgh from the high balcony of Government House on the Marina (sea front), the CO. and F/L. Peter Thomas peeled off from thefirst fast run to do individual aerobatics, while the other four demonstrated in formation. The heat haze and the humidity,which was approaching 100 per cent, created vivid wing-tip trails, and condensation "shudders" that made a spectacular show evenbetter. The initiated were full of praise for such a magnificent performance, especially in such conditions. But the effect on theNigerians was electric. Their reactions were of joy, shouts of laughter and handclapping. They delighted in the fast low runsat 550 m.p.h., but most of all they favoured the C.O.'s superb climbs and rolls off the top and F/L. Thomas's spectacularmanoeuvres. The roar of the jets only seemed to add to the fun. It was a long time before the vast crowd on the Marina woulddisperse; they lingered, chanting "More!" The Queen was reported to have been very impressed, and shecharged Sir Harry Broadhurst to convey to the squadron her congratulations; and this he did when he went to Ikeja in the earlyafternoon to start his flight back to Benson in a Canberra P.R.7. In the afternoon the Canberras were lined up for inspection bythe public and a vast crowd descended on Ikeja to ask some sur- prisingly searching questions on the mysteries of jet propulsion.The adjutant, F/L. Gordon Rondel, delighted them anew by an excellent show as part of an air test. THE WORK OF THE A.R.C. "Aeronautical Research Council. Review of the Years 1949- 54." Published for the Ministry of Supply by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Price 5s. HTHE last published review of the work of the AeronauticalA Research Council dealt with the period 1939-48, although the Council has reported confidentially to the Minister of Supplysince then. In this new publication, which appeared at the end of last year, a survey is made of the progress of aeronauticalresearch on which the A.R.C. advises the Minister. The chief subject of study, the Council reports, continues tobe aerodynamics, with powerplants and aircraft structures coming next in importance. The Council's interests in research mattersdealing with military aircraft have been expanded; work on naval and civil aircraft problems (including operational research)has continued; and the A.R.C. has kept alive an interest in heli- copters and seaplanes. The Guided Weapons Advisory Boardreports both to the Scientific Advisory Council and to the A.R.C., and the latter's technical committees have been instructed to takean increasing interest in matters discussed by the Board. Develop- ments in materials and meteorology are being followed byappropriate committees, and a new committee has been formed to deal with computation. Following an introduction in which matters of policy, equip- ment and research are discussed, the review deals in turn withtrends in aerodynamic research; experimental techniques and facilities; aerodynamic theory; subsonic flow problems; problemsof transonic flight; problems of supersonic flight; test facilities for aircraft engines; engines for jet lift; helicopter power plants;intakes; compressors; combustion; turbines; structures; flutter of aircraft; noise; materials; aerodynamic heating in high-speedflight; vulnerability and escape; computation; civil aircraft; naval aircraft; helicopters; seaplanes; gusts; the Commonwealth AdvisoryAeronautical Research Council; and the publication of scientific papers. In appendices are listed the membership of the A.R.C.during the period under review; membership of committees, sub- committees and panels; and scientific publications. NEW CF-100 FOR R.C.A.F. A REPORT from Montreal says that rhe R.C.A.F. is to re-equipits home defence squadrons with the Mk 5 version of the AvroAircraft CF-100. The Mk 5 has an operational ceiling some 5,000ft higher than that of the Mk 4 at present in service^ A noteon this new long-span version appeared in our Aircraft Intelli- gence" page on February 3rd.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
