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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0286.PDF
6,000 FEET A MINUTE is the rate of descent being recorded by this Boeing RB-4JE Stratojet six-jet bomber as it lets down, with undercarriage and air brakes extended, to penetrate a traffic control area from high altitude. East German Build-up THE East German Air Force, accordingto a West German Intelligence apprecia- tion, is likely to receive 1,200 Russian-madefighters of the Mig series by about the middle of 1957. The force is said to haveabout 600 trained pilots, but many have not yet received jet training; a number areexpected to start this month. A Record Breaker's End BRISTOL Aero Engines, Ltd., were un-lucky to lose WD 952, the famous Olym- pus-Canberra, through an apparent power-loss immediately after take-off from Filton on Monday last. The aircraft collided withelectricity cables and trees and lost its port wing before coming to rest in a nearbyfield. Neither the company test-pilot, Mr. Paul Falconer, nor his observer, Mr. IanLittle, was hurt, but the aircraft appeared to be a write-off. In 1953 WD 952 set upa world altitude record of 63,668ft, and raised this to 65,890ft last year. Canada and Missiles SPEAKING at an Ottawa Press confer-ence, Dr. O. M. Solandt, former chairman of the Defence Research Board, criticizedCanadian scientists for being content to adapt American guided missiles, ratherthan develop dieir own. He expressed the opinion that missiles would soon replacefighters in the Canadian defence system, and that the CF-105, which has not yetflown, would most likely be the last manned fighter produced in Canada. Ground for Argument THE long dispute between the U.S. Armyand the Air Force over the use of asphalt or concrete for runways is flaring up again.In December, Mr. Charles Wilson, secre- tary of Defence, cancelled a Congress orderthat the Air Force must use the cheaper asphalt for all except "critical" runways.A House sub-committee claimed that this would save $50m. Mr. Wilson backed theAir Force when it maintained that concrete was necessary because asphalt could notJQeet the requirements of usage by jet air- HERE J-'i AND THERE craft. (Asphalt producers claim that, with proper compaction of sub-base materials, asphalt will stand up indefinitely.) R.Ae.S. Lecture Cancelled SINCE our "forthcoming events" list(page 303) closed for press the Royal Aero- nautical Society has announced that Mr.J. E. Harper's "section" lecture on Aircraft in Pest-control Agriculture, fixed for March27th, has had to be cancelled. R.Ae.C. Film Show THE next (and last of the season) filmshow for Royal Aero Club members and their friends takes place next Thursday,March 22nd, at 6.15 p.m., when the 20th Century-Fox film The Big Lift will bescreened. Intending visitors are reminded that the Londonderry House restaurant isnow closed. International Mechanical Handling AN international convention, the first of itskind, is being held in conjunction with the Mechanical Handling Exhibition at EarlsCourt, London, from May 9th to 19th. Making long journeys specially to attendare Mr. D. A. Gillespie (Canada), past national chairman of the American MaterialHandling Society Inc., who will discuss The Field for British Equipment in Canadaand the U.S.A. and also talk about materials handling developments andplanning generally; Mr. H. E. Stocker (U.S.A.), whose paper will be entitledMechanical Handling in International Commerce—Conclusions from 35 Years'Experience; Dipl. Ing. Gert Salzer on The Solution to Materials Handling Problemsin Germany; Dr. F. Hegner (Switzerland), who will discuss Modern Methods of Inter-plant Handling; and Lt.-Col. Hernu, who will deal with Handling Problems in Cey-lon. Representing Great Britain will be Mr. Frank G. Woollard, M.I.Mech.E., thewell-known authority on automation, whose subject will be Mechanical Hand-ling—its Prospects and Problems. Orenda Innovations AMONG the duties of Leonard Hobbs,who has just joined Orenda Engines, Ltd., as a test pilot, will be a share in the flyingof the B-47 which has been put at the company's disposal for flight-testing a newturbojet—the high-pressure, two-spool, PS-13 with a design thrust of 15,000 lb.On loan from the U.S.A.F. to the R.C.A.F., the aircraft is at present at Canadair's Car-tierville plant undergoing modifications for its new role; it is likely to fly at about theend of the year. Mr. Hobbs, who is 34 years of age, has seen 15 years' service inthe Royal Air Force; at one period he was test-flying Vickers-Armstrongs Valiants.He is an "A" category flying instructor and a qualified examiner in instrument flying,and has flown over 4,000 hours on many types. Death of Blackburn Veteran A LINK with the early days of Britishaviation business has been broken by the death, at the age of 74, of Mr. Mark H.Swann, who was Mr. Robert Blackburn's original employee. He helped to build the1909 Blackburn monoplane and went with it to Saltburn. He was the outside repre-sentative responsible for his employer's aircraft and any queries were always chan-nelled through Mark Swann to Mr. Black- burn. In 1915 he was given the task offinding a site on the River Humber for the testing of Sopwith seaplanes, and it wasalso Mark Swann who found and recom- mended the present Brough Aerodrome.In 1925 he joined the inspection staff at Brough and remained with them until hisretirement in 1947.
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