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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0419.PDF
419 13 April 1956 Jfe (Opposite page, top) Some of No. 70ffs varied types outside a 1917 hangar at Ford. (Above, left) The Gannet armament electrical test rig (rear view) being subjected to a T.R.U. evaluation. (Right) F.24 camera mounted in the bomb bay of the Fairey Gannet A.S.Mk 1. years in the squadron, and thus there is a constant but notunwelcome movement of personnel, providing a continual influx of new blood and fresh viewpoints. The role of the newly constituted T.R.U. is today very com-prehensive and covers more than merely trying out new arrivals. As ordered by the Admiralty (Director of Air Warfare andDirector of Air Organization and Training) through the Flag Officer Air (Home) the squadron is required to investigate andreport on all tactical flying of new aircraft other than anti-sub- marine, and to investigate new tactical methods put forward,e.g., interception techniques. The unit also carries out inten- sive deck-landing trials of all new aircraft and of aircraft fittedwith new equipment. Carrier trials cover such requirements as proving arrester gear and modifications thereto, and catapultsin new aircraft-carriers and in carriers emerging from refit. The programme of the Service trials carried out on the FaireyGannet last year by the now-assimilated 703 Sqn. provides a fair example of the job of the T.R.U. A special flight wasformed to evaluate the Gannet's general suitability for its role and to assess its mechanical and structural reliability. Air-crew were given full opportunity to criticize the machine's flying qualities, equipment and instruments under operational condi-tions. Similarly, ground crews were required to keep con- tinuous record of the life of every part. Four Gannets wereused, each being given a minimum of 25 flying hours per week. The total flying time scheduled for each aircraft was some 200hours. Twenty-five sorties, using all four aircraft, were made onmaximum-endurance search, with targets to be found; full search and communication equipment, including V.H.F. relay,was employed. Five sorties per aircraft, used singly or in pairs and operating near sea level, were made to test ease of handlingand the effects of pilot fatigue. Another five sorties per aircraft, singly or in groups, were»made against a target which had to belocated at night. Fifteen sorties per aircraft, on two aircraft operating singly, were made, during which several dummyattacks with high-g conditions were executed. Twenty sorties on each aircraft followed, during which eight dummy deck land-ings had to be made, the last few being controlled heavy landings. In order that pilots might test the windscreen-wiper installa-tion and comment on the view from the cockpit as many sorties as possible were made in rainyconditions. Ten flights by single aircraft to drop sonobuoys andother stores were made to check ability to fly accurately for stores-dropping. Lastly, several sorties were flown to investigate range,using varied conditions of "single" and "double" powersfrom the Armstrong Sidcieley Double Mamba engine. Whensingle-engine flying was carried out engines were run alternatelyfor half-hour periods and the ease of relighting noted. On alloccasions when four aircraft were airborne together formation flying was practised to test ability tokeep formation in various configurations. Carrier arrester-gear trials, both in new ships and in vesselsafter refit, call for a series of landings to check the pull-out of wires by aircraft at standard deck-landing weight under condi-tions of maximum down to minimum wind speeds. Maximum is about 50 kt over the deck. It is seldom that the wires break,but occasionally a hook pulls out. The T.R.U. are the first to use new catapults as they areinstalled in carriers. The catapults are tried out with light dummy shots at first, then up to the tested load. Finally theT.R.U. aircraft is itself catapulted. The minimum number of such trials is twelve per aircraft. Gannets, Venoms, Sea Hawksand Wyverns are all used in carrier trials. In 1950, when the development of the steam catapult wassufficiently advanced for testing, Lt-Cdr. J. M. Glaser, then CO. of the Service Trials Squadron, flew-off the first pilotedaircraft, a Firefly, by this means. He followed this with the first jet, a Vickers-Supermarine Attacker. Other pilots of the squad-ron took part in the trials, and later went to America in the carrier Perseus to demonstrate the new catapult to the U.S.Navy. The future programme of the unit will include trials of thelight fleet carrier Warrior, now undergoing modernization to include fitting the angled deck, and they will also do the flyingtrials for Bonaventure, the new carrier nearing completion for the Royal Canadian Navy.Much of the work of the T.R.U. is also concerned with trying out new landing aids such as the angled deck, mirror landingdevice, and the "Audio" A.S.I. The last-named is now being tried out in the unit's Wyverns. When such a trial is orderedLt-Cdr. Turral selects a co-ordinator from the squadron to take charge of the project. Brief details of the equipment or apparatusto be tested, the name of the co-ordinator, priority of the trial, and the aircraft allocated are then entered up on the trials board.Priorities are noted as A*, A, B, and C according to importance or urgency. A meeting is then called of the co-ordinator, the senior airengineer and electrical officers, and all appropriate tradesmen of chief petty officer or petty officer rating who will be concerned.The CO. of the unit presides. The project is explained and a general directive issued on the conduct of the trial. The This photograph of the frigate H.M.S. "Hardy" was taken with the F.24 camera fitted in a Gannet.
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