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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0746.PDF
Bell HSL-1. MILITARY AIRCRAFT 1956 V Ship-Borne Anti-submarine submarine. It works over the point and establishes a datum. Upon receipt of contact information aboard the carrier, two or more H/K helicopters are launched; at least two with sonar equipment and one with weapons. On arrival at the datum, sonar search is conducted. The probability of gaining contact is high. Then with the contact sure, the helicopter uses the anti-submarine weapons it carries. And another submarine discovers the sentinel is fully and most destructively armed." It is appropriate here to mention the possibilities of the heli- copter as a minesweeper and general-purpose naval "tug." In 1953 the Piasecki (now Vertol) H-21 tandem-rotor helicopter proved its ability to tow standard naval minesweeping gear at speeds above those attainable by naval minesweepers, flying, of course, in a marked nose-down attitude. Its manoeuvrability for sweeping in restricted areas was also demonstrated. In "armament towing attitude tests" a Bell HSL-1 helicopter has been flown at a nose- down angle of no less than 45 deg. . GREAT BRITAIN > Fairey Gannet A.S.1 A glimpse of the Gannet's equipmentand armament was afforded at the 1955 S.B.A.C. Display. Grouped round a parked machine was a most impressive assortment of stores,ranging from rockets and practice bombs, through large air/sea-rescue containers to 500 lb, 1,000 lb and 2,000 lb mines. Sonobuoys wereincluded and there were flame-, smoke- and noise-producing floats, but no specific anti-submarine weapons other than special bombs. Itis known, however, that the Gannet can carry the most up-to-date "A.S." weapons including homing torpedoes. The Gannef A.S.1 is now thoroughly worked up in service with theRoyal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, and its essential features have long been familiar. Key to the design is die Armstrong SiddeleyDouble Mamba twin-turboprop which has a low noise-level and needs no cumbersome flame dampers. The ability of the Gannet to fly oneither half of the engine is claimed by the makers to confer these advantages: (1) the factor of double safety is introduced, since theaircraft is in effect twin-engined; (2) maintenance is reduced, since for most of its flying life only one half of the engine is in use, and thisbrings advantages concerning the overall wear and tear in the life of the engine (3) whilst sufficient power for cruising is available fromone half of the engine, full power of the double engine ensures an excel- lent take-off and a reserve of power for emergency use (for example,on going in to attack or on a baulked approach to deck landing). The Fairey company look forward to the benefits which will beconferred by new developments of the Double Mamba. They expect that even widi considerably increased weapons-loads, performance will Grumman S2F-2. at least be maintained, and improvement in consumption would makethe extra loading acceptable without sacrifice of range or endurance. In this connection this comment from Flight's "Aero Engines of the World"special number (May 11, 1956) is worth noting: "In view of the per- formance of the later Mambas, it appears that it should not be im-possible to have a 4,000 h.p. Double Mamba in service before very long." (The Mamba at present used in the Gannet is thought todeliver about 2,950 h.p.) Span, 54ft 4in; length, 43ft. Short Seamew A.S.I and M.R.I The Seamew is being builtin two forms—the A.S.I for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, and the M.R.2 for R.A.F. Coastal Command. It is one of the fewmodern military aircraft for which full loading and performance data are available, and it was the subject of a very full description in Flightof January 20, 1956. On that occasion its designer recalled that it was in 1951 that the Naval Staff, from considerations of the anti-submarinewarfare of the late war, concluded that there was a need for a simple, yet fully effective, light aircraft for anti-submarine duties. The designtarget was a four-hour patrol at 120 kt, and this was achieved. Take- off performance in a 12 kt wind is 500ft and even in still air it isonly 300 yd. The total stores load is in excess of 1,800 1b, with some stores carried on the wings and some internally, and several combina-tions are possible, including mines, sonobuoys and torpedoes. The normal level speed of the aircraft is about 200 kt, but it is cleared to therelatively high diving speed of 325 kt; this is to enable attacks to be made from altitude by diving on the enemy. The speed range betweenstalling speed and diving speed is unusually large for an aircraft of this type. The forward position of the radar scanner ensures that,even in a steep dive, the target is always in the radar view and never blanked by the nose of the aircraft. The ASV radar is fully incorporated, widi a rotating scanner housedwithin a prominent radome under the forward fuselage. With the excep- tion of the indicator and die control unit, the whole of the gear itaccommodated in a hinged bay for easy access. Other equipment includes VHF radio telephone, H.F./T.R. voice equipment, inter-communication equipment, low-level radio altimeter and a pilot- interpreted short-range navigational' aid. Alternative weapons loads of the Seamew A.S.1, in its present form,are: four 275 lb anti-submarine bombs; two 275 lb A/S. bombs, four R.P.S and eight 28 lb sonobuoys; or 20 sonobuoys and six R.P.s. Withan enlarged (17ft) weapons bay and fuel for a three-hour patrol, it is possible to carry six 275 lb A/S. bombs and three R.P.s, or one2,000 lb "weapon" (this may be assumed to be a form of homing torpedo); or 28 sonobuoys and six R.P.s. No gun armament is carriedfor anti-submarine duties. Span, 55ft; length, 41ft; typical take-off weight (A.S.1), 13,884 Ib;performance (A.S.1): starting at 14,000 Ib take off in 747ft (still air) or 495ft (into 12-kt wind) at 60.7 kt t.a.s.; initial rate of climb, 1,600ftImin;level speeds, 211 kt at sea level or 198 kt at 10,000ft (emergency rating) and 196 kt at sea level (max. cont. power); patrol at 120 kt at 5,000ft, fuelused mill be 59 Ib for starting and take-off, 64 Ib for climb, 2310 Ib for four hours' patrol, 28 Ib for descent, and 50 Ib for landing, allowingfive minutes at 100 kt with 20 deg flap (total 2,511 Ib or 326 Imp. gal of wide-cut); landing at 12,900 Ib, approach at 15 deg at 65-70 kt andtake 1,600ft over 50ft screen (no wind).
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