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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1285.PDF
FLIGHT, 7 September 1956 433 THE SEVENTEENTH S.B.A.C. DISPLAY . . . described on another page, development flying of these engineshas already been started by the RA.29 Canberra.) Disappointment at the Comet 3's absence is, however, assuagedby the appearance at this year's display of a Royal Air Force Comet C.2. The particular machine displayed, in the businesslikesilver, blue and white colours of Transport Command, bears the serial XK 695. Actually the eighth Comet 2 (No. 06030), it will,immediately after the display, be the fourth to be delivered to No. 216 Squadron at Lyneham. Close inspection of the aircraft—it is in the static park—revealsconsiderable structural reinforcement of the pressurized fuselage, in particular a full-length strip incorporating the windows, whichare now elliptical instead of square. The nose is a dielectric cap, conforming closely in shape to the original, housing the Ekcocollision-warning radar. The interior is arranged for the accom- modation of 28 passengers, in full airline luxury (the trimmingsare, in fact, to the B.O.A.C. style), including galley. The whole of the floor between cabin and flight deck has been restressed totake freight up to 11,200 lb at floor loads of 120 lb/sq in. de HaviUand D.H.I 10 (XF 828). Now highly developed, theD.H.I 10 has undergone important modification since last year. The example at Farnborough is the prototype which completedcarrier trials in April. It was built at Christchurch, where full production is now under way. A Mk 20X, it still has provisionfor four Aden guns, though the troughs ahead of the barrels are covered over. The wings of XF 828 do not yet fold. The baseof each fin now has considerable reinforcement and a sprung skid (which shows signs of having been scraped on runways).This will be raised six inches in future. A large brass fitting close by the radar observer's compartmentis a combined dynamic and static pressure-sensing head, electric- ally de-iced, presumably serving a "feel" device. A panel under each wing is marked as an Avtur pressure-refuelling point and two similar unmarked panels farther aft indicate additional nozzles. The machine has the new F.A.A.colours, grey-white underneath and dark grey on top. An orange light on the forward-facing nosewheel door lightsup to show the control officer that the hook is extended and wheels down and locked. Large metal strakes running fore and aft alongthe edge of the "barn-door" airbrake are designed to make the curved panel as effective as a flat panel of the same frontal area.Maxaret brakes are fitted. de Havilland Dove. Now in its twelfth year of production,and still selling steadily, the Dove appears this year (in the static park) in Series 5 executive form. The aircraft shown is actuallyD.H.'s own demonstrator, G-AMZN, in a new crimson-and- white paint scheme. A total of 480 Doves have now been built. de Havilland Heron. One of two Heron 2s for the Iraqi AirForce, a standard 14-seater, is this year's representative of de Havilland's best-selling four-engined light airliner. The secondIraqi aircraft will be furnished to the executive pattern. The air- craft displayed (serial No. 393) bears the traditional green, white,red and black insignia of the I.A.F., which has appeared on D.H. aircraft of various typss for 25 years. The aircraft has the newfeathering D.H. airscrew—now a feature of nearly all new Herons. English Electric Canberra P.R. 9 (WH 793). This very-high-altirude photo-reconnaissance Canberra differs from earlier P.R. marks in having more-powerful (200-series) Rolls-RoyceAvons, a slightly extended wing span, an increased wing chord inboard of the nacelles, a larger tailplane and—in its eventual pro-duction form—an asymmetric nose similar to that of the B(I).8. Perhaps surprisingly, the development of the Mk 9 has raisedseveral major problems, but these are now solved and deliveries of service-cleared aircraft—from Short and Harland at Belfast—will soon begin. The machine at Farnborough is the original prototype, dis-tinguished this year by several superficially evident changes, including still-further-extended span and inner-wing chord andthe addition of a row of 33 "turbulators" along the upper surface of each wing, together with larger vortex generators on theempennage. A particularly interesting feature is the manner in which the rear (extended) part of the inner wing is cantileveredfrom the rear spar by chordwise gaps. English Electric P.I. Due to unforeseen circumstances neitherof the two P.I As at present flying is at Farnborough, but a model is exhibited on the English Electric stand. This gave no indicationof armament or internal layout, though one of the P.I As has fired its guns at supersonic speeds at various heights. Work is nowprogressing on the construction of the 20 pre-production P.IBs. Fairey F.D.2 (WG 774 and 777). This year, for the first time,both the supersonic research deltas are at Farnborough, and Fairey have worked out the impressive demonstration describedon page 456. On Sunday both took off for a practice run, Peter Twiss (holder of the world speed record at 1,132 m.p.h.) flying Three single-seat Hunters superbly flown by Hawker pilots; from the top: the Mk 6 with tanks and rockets; the converted Mk 4 with Fireflash missiles; and the Mk 6 with four 100-gol tanks. the record-breaking WG 774 and his chief, G/C. Gordon Slade,flying 777. About ten minutes after take-off two groups of sonic boomswere heard on the airfield, although the presence of six-eighths cloud made it impossible to see anything of the speeding con-trails. Returning, both machines delighted in giving a brief exhibition of their flashing performance with afterburner—although, as Twiss told us, the essence of the demonstration was that the sky had to be clear so that the contrail-height displayshould be seen as well as heard. On touch-down G/C. Slade's machine was unlucky enoughto burst its port tyre. The Fairey chief test pilot did well to keep the fast-moving, narrow-tracked delta running straight and true. Fairey Firefly U.9 (WB 257). Unlike the Firefly U.8,which was the final mark to be built (the last machine was delivered from Stockport earlier this year) the U (unmanned)Mk 9 is a radio-controlled conversion of the original two-seat Mk 5. With the U.8 it is (say Fairey) the only type of targetaircraft to be used in this country for all forms of guided-weapon trials; both were developed in collaboration with the R.A.E. The machine on view (but not flying) was the first U.9, and itfirst flew on April 6 of this year. The Mk 5s are first ferried to Fairey's Hamble works, where they are stripped of unessentialequipment. Then the Stockport plant takes over and carries out structural modification, installation of the autopilot, "blackboxes" and the Stockport-designed wing-tip pods each holding five cameras for recording the proximity of missile bursts. Finallythe U.9s are painted in the scarlet-and-cream finish specified for pilotless targets and test-flown (with a pilot). Fairey Gannet A.S.4 (XA 462). Assumed to have a morepowerful version of the Armstrong Siddeley Double-Mamba turboprop engine, the A.S.4 is externally identical with the earlierAS.l. The first prototype A.S. Mk 4, made its initial flight during March 1956. Two production machines, XA 462 and XA 425, arebeing exhibited. The former—armed with eight red-painted rocket projectiles with high-explosive heads and eight yellow-painted projectiles with tracer heads, a rotary sonobuoy dispenser under the port wing, an air-sea rescue pack under the starboardwing, 1,000 lb mine in the bomb bay and sonobuoys in the bomb doors themselves—is taking part in the flying display. An even more impressive array of stores surrounds the A.S.4in the static park. A two-ton load may be selected from eight practice bombs, 10 sonobuoys, 16 rocket projectiles, two air/searescue packs, six depth charges, two rotary sonobuoy dispensers, four 500-lb mines, two 1.000-lb mines or one 2,000-lb mine. Fairey Ultra-Light Helicopter. Of the four Fairey Ultra-Lighthelicopters that have been built, G-AOUK (the fourth machine), E
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