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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0283.PDF
16 March 1956 281 FROM ALL QUARTERS RJTV Flies High ; VfERY little has been published about British ramjets and stillT less about supersonic ramjets. It was quite a surprise when visitors to the National Gas Turbine Establishment last Septemberwere shown a test vehicle for a supersonic ramjet by Napier This vehicle was described and illustrated in our issue ofSeptember 30th last. For several years, in fact, D. Napier and Son, Ltd., of Acton,have had a team at the propulsion division of the company's flight development establishment at Luton Airport working on diedesign and manufacture of this vehicle. A direct pitot intake is used, bifurcated by a knife-edge which is developed in formto provide a central space in which accessories can be mounted These include telemetry transmitters, fuel system equipment-developed by Napier—and various experimental gear There is no guidance, the vehicle being ramp-launched by rocket boosters,and thereafter allowed to climb freely. The ground-handling trolleys, transporter and ramp are all ofNapier development. Fuel in the vehicle can be any normal hydro- carbon fuel, and it is supplied under the influence of nitrogenpressure or, at full speed, by a ram-air turbo-pump. This system, and the fuel control unit, have been extensively developed inground rigs. Early this year one of these RJTVs was fired from Aberporthto a height greater than any previously attained in the United Kingdom by a ramjet-powered vehicle. As no previous figureshave ever been revealed the statement is only relative, but it seems fair to assume that heights over 30,000ft must be involved.Napier say that the ramjet was still burning when the vehicle had to be destroyed to prevent possible danger to shipping. A photo-graph of the firing appears on p. 285. Avro Delta for Australia AN Avro 707A delta-wing research aircraft is to be loaned by1 *• the Ministry of Supply to the Australian Government for research work on boundary-layer control. The work will be under-taken by the staff of the Australian Department of Supply's Aero- nautical Research Laboratories, Fishermen's Bend, Melbourne.Pilots will be supplied by the R.A.A.F., and the cost of the research programme will be borne by the Australian Government. Theaircraft is at present being prepared at Manchester. Federal Republics TATER this year the former Weser aircraft factory in BremenJ-' is to start assembling Republic F-84F and RF-84F aircraft from American-made parts supplied under M.D.A.P. A spokes-man of the Weser Finance Company—reportedly backed by Krupps—said that tooling up and general preparation was alreadyin hand. The aircraft are destined for the German Air Force and during the final stage of the scheme (late in 1957) a productionrate of from 30 to 50 aircraft per month has been scheduled. There is no question at present of Germany making such aircraft fromscratch. Hunting-Clan Go Mining "pOR the first time since 1947, when Hunting Air Travel operated-*- Proctors, Hunting-Clan have renewed association with single- engined aircraft. Approached by the Sierra Leone Selection Trustfor advice on operating an aircraft over 150 miles of mountainous and wooded country between Freetown and the trust's YengemaMine, they entered into full and practical co-operation. A 700-yd airstrip was constructed, with provision for a 300-yd. extension, ahangar built, and V.H.F. radio installed. A D.H.C. Beaver was then obtained from Canada, fitted by Hunting Aerosurveys atElstree with a Williamson F.24 camera for geological and topo- graphical work, and flown out to Sierra Leone. The crew havesince been transferred to the permanent staff of the trust, and will operate and maintain the Beaver on a full-time basis. Theli-hour air trip between Freetown and the mine saves a two-day road journey. The launching tower. Date 16.7.53 7.9.53 25.9.53 3.1O.S3 29.10.53 20.8.55 RECENT WORLD SPEED RECORDS Pilot Lt. Col. W. F. Barnes S/L. Neville Duke Lt. Cdr. M. Lithgow Cdr. J. Verdin Lt. Col. F. K. Everest Col. Horace A. Hanes Type of Aircraft North American F-86D Hawker Hunter Supermarine Swift Douglas Sky ray North American F-100A North American F-100C Speed 715.697 m.p.h 727.6 m.p.h. 735.7 m.p.h. 752.944 m.p.h 755.149 m.p.h 822.135 m.p.h Geophysical Rocketry 'THE Ministry of Supply has•*• released some further details of the high-altitude rocketswhich the Royal Aircraft Estab- lishment has been developingin collaboration with the Royal Society for the latter's pro-gramme of high-altitude re- search during the Internationa]Geophysical Year. The rockets are to be of the single-stage,solid-fuel type, weighing 2,500 lb at take-off and measuring25ft long by 17in diameter. About 100 lb of equipment willbe carried in the nose of each vehicle and it is hoped to reachaltitudes in excess of 120 miles. It is possible that the Woo-mera range will be chosen as a launching site, though some of the rockets may be sent up fromthe British Isles. Test firings are expected to be made in about a years time (the International Geophysical Year, which willactually last 18 months, begins in July next year) onfif- r°ck<rts wiU be launched from a lattice-steel tower oversun high, pivoted near its centre from a triangular mounting in order to allow a limited degree of elevation and traverse. Thetower is triangular in section, and part of one face hinges out- ward and downward from the bottom to allow the rocket to beloaded in. When this operation has been completed the "door" is winched back into position, so that the rocket is then readytor launching up the continuous rails in the tower. Aeronautical Entente XJELD this year in Paris, the ninth Louis Bleriot lecture andAA its accompanying social functions were attended by many prominent members of the aeronautical research and productionorganizations of France and Great Britain. M. Jarry, president of the Association Francaise des Ing^nieurs et Techniciens de1 Aeronautique (under whose auspices, alternately with the Royal Aeronautical Society, the annual lecture is arranged) opened thisninth meeting and welcomed the speaker, Mr. E. T. Jones, Director-General of Technical Development (Air), Ministry ofSupply. After introducing his lecture in French, Mr. Jones handed the reading of it—in excellent French translation—to M. MauriceRoy, director of O.N.E.R.A., the French national aeronautical research bureau. (Points from the lecture are given under the titleResearch—a Philosophy on p. 288 in this issue.) After the lecture the Rolls-Royce colour film Jet Lift showing the Flying Bedsteadin flight was presented. Subsequently there was a banquet in the French Aero Club,under the presidency of M. Jarry. The guests of honour included Mme. Louis Bleriot, the widow of the great airman; M. Laforest,French Secretary of State for Air; M. Roy; Mr. E. T. Jones; M. Maurice Heurteux, president of U.S.I.A., the French equiva-lent of our S.B.A.C.; Gen. Vallin, Inspector-General of the French Air Force; Capt. C. F. Uwins, Bristol Aircraft chairman; A. Cdre.F. R. Banks, director of Bristol Aircraft, Ltd.; and Dr. A M Ballantyne, secretary of the R.Ae.S. Many well known membersof the French and English aircraft industries were also present. M. Jarry, speaking after the banquet, welcomed every guestby name, most kindly mentioning Flight's representative, and made the desirability of Anglo-French co-operation in researchthe main theme of his discourse. He advocated an exchange of information and opinions between all countries this side of theIron Curtain on a considerably larger scale than at present, and suggested that aeronautical research effort should be pooled be-tween western countries in order efficiendy to keep pace with Russian development. He praised the fine work of the Frenchresearch establishments such as O.N.E.R.A. The desire to pool resources was echoed by Mr. Jones in his reply—and it had, indeed,been one of the main themes of his lecture. A. Cdre. Banks then proposed a to'ast to die French, whichwas drunk by all Englishmen present and answered by the traditional French rhythmic hand-clapping. The final speechwas by M. Laforest, who praised the pioneering work of Louis Bleriot and linked it in spirit with the work which was todaygoing on in Britain and France. Finally M. Jarry, with the agree- ment of Dr. Ballanryne, suggested that children of members ofdie Royal Aeronautical Society might spend holidays with the families of members of A.F.I.T.A., and vice versa,.
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