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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0830.PDF
832 FLIGHT, 29 June 1956 TUSHINO REVELATIONS Sukhoi Supersonic Deltas in a Great Soviet Display FLYING event of the week was the Soviet A;- Force's pro-foundly impressive demonstration last Sundi.y, vi Tushinomilitary airfield, near Moscow, attended by trie British Secretary of State for Air and British, American and other seniorofficers and officials. On the previous evening prominent personages had broadcast,among them Colonel General of the Air Force Rubanov, Lieutenant General of the Air Force Kurtsevalov, and helicopter specialistNikolai Ilyick Kamov. Col-Gen. Rubanov had said that the Soviet aircraft industry had already solved "even such problemsas the creation of V.T.O. aircraft and the design of nuclear power- plants"; and in the very near future Soviet aviation would possessa four-jet airliner. Lt-Gen. Kurtsevalov claimed that the Soviet Air Force possessed guided missiles and he also revealed that the20th Congress of the Communist Party had stipulated that during the next five years Aeroflot should increase its carriage of freightfive times and its passenger traffic 3.8 times. Many new routes would be inaugurated, and numerous airports modified to takethe latest Soviet airliners. Nikolai Kamov referred to a number of helicopters, including the tiny Ka-IOM "flying motor cycle." The great day itself was dull and gusty, with rainclouds atabout 4,000ft, but with occasional bright periods and generally good visibility. Describing the Tushino scene a Moscow Radioaviation expert said that not only was the airfield itself packed with spectators, but for miles around thousands more were seatedby the roadside, on farm wagons and on rooftops. Attendance at Tushino proper was of the order of 200,000 and in all some500,000 must have watched the flying. Seated outside the premises of the Central Aero Club ("namedafter the great flier Valery Chkalov, who brought fame to his country in 1937 by his brilliant non-stop flight from Moscowacross the North Pole to the United States") were leaders of the Communist Party and of the Soviet Government, together withMarshals of the Soviet Union and Air Marshals. Twenty foreign nations were represented—from Afghanistan(Col. Abdul Razak), through the "People's Democracies," to the United States and Great Britain (whose presence, though men-tioned, received no special comment). The British delegation was headed by the Secretary of State for Air, Mr. Nigel Birch, andhad left London Airport on the previous day, June 23, in a de Havilland Comet 2 of No. 216 Sqn., R.A.F. Transport Com-mand. The Comet had landed at Vnukovo Airport, Moscow, and had drawn from Chief Marshal of Aviation Zhigarev the comment,"It is just as beautiful as our plane" [meaning the Tu-104]. Flying time was 4 hr 2 min (it had been estimated to take 3| hr), and theroute was via the Berlin and Warsaw air corridors. W/C. Sellick, officer commanding No. 216 Sqn., was himself piloting the Comet. Accompanying the Secretary of State were Col. Konstantinov,Soviet Air Attache in London; Air Chief Marshal Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff; Air Marshal SirThomas Pike, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and A.O.C-in-C. Designate, Fighter Command; Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst, (Top left) One of the new Sukhoi supersonic deltas. (Centre) Mr. Nigel Birch and Air Chief Marshal Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman in Moscow with Marsha! Wan S. Konev and Marshal Zhigarev. (Left) The Comet 2 used by the RAJ. delegation, seen before leaving London Airport.
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