FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1064.PDF
210 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS The Suez Emergency LAST weekend several squadrons of Canberras flew out to theMediterranean area from their bases at Honington, Suffolk, and Maxham, Norfolk, and Transport Command aircraft weredue to follow with their ground crews, equipment and spares. At certain Bomber Command stations, including Honington andMaiham, some leave was stopped. These moves, together with new Naval dispositions affecting theaircraft carriers Theseus, Bulwark and Ocean and a call-up of certain classes of Army reservists, were immediate developmentsprompted by President Nasser's decision to nationalize the Suez Canal.Theseus sailed from Portsmouth last Sunday with the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group on board; Bulwark leftthere for the Mediterranean the following day, and her aircraft— presumably Sea Hawks and Wyverns from R.N.A.S. Ford, thoughthe Admiralty would not confirm this—flew on board shordy afterwards.Meanwhile plans were made by the War Office, in consultation with R.A.F. Transport Command, B.O.A.C. and the charter com-panies, for a big airlift of troops to the Middle East, possibly involving Transport Command Comets and B.O.A.C.'s Britannias. In a recent statement on the implications of Egypt's action onBritish policy, the Air League of the British Empire says that existing economic and political threats against the Commonwealthhave as background increasing Soviet armaments, including an Air Force which is crntinually being reinforced with new types ofaircraft. In addition the Russians, during the last three years, "have trebled the number of airfields in Eastern Europe for useby jet fighters." The Council of The League consider the Suez "incident" to be"of the utmost significance" in the light of the cold war and political offensive being waged against countries where there arevital points in our lines of communication. Elsewhere it was stated recently that the Egyptian Air Forcenow depends more on the Russian aircraft it has acquired than on machines supplied by Britain. It is believed to have in serviceabout 80 British fighters, mostly Vampires and Meteors, and a squadron of Halifaxes. In July the Israeli Embassy in Londonsaid that Egypt had received 150 Mig-15s and 45 Il-28s under her agreement with Czechoslovakia; she is due to receive 200 Migs and 50 Il-28s all told. Studebaker Merger "CORESHADOWED in our issue of May 25, the tie-up between•Tthe Studebaker-Packard Corporation and Curtiss-Wright is now officially announced. The latter firm is expected to gain con-trol of the automotive corporation in about two years, until which time it will act as a supervisory overseer. For a sum reported asabout £12.5m Curtiss-Wright will take long-term leases on Stude- baker's plants at Utica (Mich., not N.Y.) and South Bend; thesum also covers purchase of Studebaker-Packard Aerophysics Development Corporation and the agreement grants an optionfor Curtiss to buy 5m unissued Studebaker shares, at $5 each. A subsidiary agreement, which should also assist Studebaker toget back on its feet, is expected to allow licence-production of major automotive developments by Daimler-Benz. In return thelatter firm will obtain rights to make certain Curtiss-Wright equip- ment in Germany. In the latter connection it is of interest to notethat Curtiss-Wright J65 turbojets power the Republic F-84F, 600 of which are being supplied to the Luftwaffe at from 30 to 50per month starting next January. Another Everest Record "CROM New Orleans comes a report that a Bell X-2 rocket-•*• powered research aircraft has flown at "about 1,900" m.p.h. This information was given at a recent U.S. Air Force Associa-tion convention. The aircraft, flown by Lt.-Col. Frank H. Everest, who is chief of flight-test operations at Edwards AirForce Base, California, reached this speed near there on July 25. The previous record for a piloted aircraft was 1,650 m.p.h.,set up by Lt.-Col. (then Maj.) Charles Yeager in a Bell X-1A on Etecember 12, 1953. According to "informed sources," the X-2did not use the maximum available thrust of its Curtiss-Wright LR25 engine during the recent flight. Engine News, Assorted _ THE Bristol Zeus turbojet has again been unofficially reported;•*• the journal Flugwelt, of Wiesbaden, suggests that it has a thrust of 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) and quotes a French report as say-ing that it is a competitor of the de Havilland Gyron. ALMOST THERE: progressive development during seven years is now on the brink of providing the Royal Navy with a pre-production twin- engined fighter/bomber capable of extremely high performance. The aircraft is the Vickers-Super marine N.I 13—it has yet to be named— and the example shown is WT 859, the second prototype. Power is provided by two late-model Rolls-Royce Avons.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
