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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1385.PDF
28 September 1956 537 HIGH-ALTITUDE PHOTOGRAPHER: This new air-to-air picture of the English Electric P.R.9 clearly shows the modified plan-form, which includes a further rearward extension of the "floating" trailing-edge of the centre-section (wing span is increased by 4ft to 68ft). Among details which can be identified are numerous small camera ports both fore and aft of the bomb-bay. The bay, apparently, is now in two sections, the rear section of which opens. miles, an average of 22.3 m.p.g. Estimated distance for the air-craft (via Cardiff and Perth and back via Perth to Elstree) was 1,181 miles, but bad weather increased this by 181 miles. "Although the wager was lost by a very handsome margin,"said an R.Ae.C. statement afterwards, "the Royal Aero Club is particularly pleased to be able to demonstrate that in very badweather conditions a private aeroplane can fly at an average petrol consumption of 22.3 m.p.g. against headwinds." The prize money was handed over to the winners at Goodwoodon Saturday last. Space-flight Year Minus Two? AT the closing session of the International Astronautical**• Congress, held in Rome from September 18 to 22, Dr. L. R. Shepherd, of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Har-well, was elected president of the International Astronautical Federation for the coming year. The outgoing president, Mr.F. C. Durant of the United States, was elected to a vice- presidency. When the congress opened, Mr. Durant said, "This mightbe called the space-flight year minus one—or perhaps two." He described the launching of the earth satellites as "only thebeginning" and added: "After this will come flights round the moon and before the end of the century we will have manlanding on the moon." During a discussion on the problems of weightlessness. Dr.S. J. Gerathewohl, of the U.S. School of Aviation Medicine, described experiments to produce it in the occupants of anaircraft for periods up to 45 seconds. A Lockheed T-33 was used, the same pilot flying it in experiments with 16 differentpassengers, who were in some cases held by harness and in others not. The aircraft was "made to follow a parabolic arcsuch as would be described by a stone flung by a giant to 20,000ft." But it could not be said whether the findings fromsuch experiments would still apply if weightlessness were extended from seconds to minutes Qr days or even years. FOLLAND PROMOTIONS: Mr. J. Boulger (left), assistant chief designer to Folland Aircraft since 1951, has been appointed deputy chief designer and Mr. Alan Constantine becomes assistant chief designer (development). Mr. F. J. Digby (right) is appointed assistant chief designer (research). Airborne TV THAT historic piece of Cambridge greenswaid called Parker's *• Piece, where Jack Hobbs learned to play his cricket, was the scene of an unusual activity on Thursday of last week-; for from it Bristol's well-known Sycamore G-AMWI (now finished in B.E.A. colours, though without the Corporation's name) took off for a demonstration of aerial TV with Peter Wilson at the controls and John Downes, of Pye Telecommunications, Ltd.s as camera operator."'" .. . v NEW SETTING FOR ILYUSHINS: A formation of IU2S light bombers over Bilbeis—now an Air Academy, but well known to many ex-R.A.F. pilots as a Middle East conversion unit—during a graduation parade of Egyptian Air Force cadets. It was during this ceremony that Colonel Nasser delivered one of his attacks on the Western Powers. What happened subsequently was more or less faithfullydepicted on four screens in a lounge of the University Arms Hotel (which looks out on Parker's Piece), before a mixed audi-ence of air attaches, Service and Police officers, B.B.C. and Home Office officials, and journalists. As the Sycamore cruised over Cambridge at heights varyingfrom 1,200ft to 200ft, the screens depicted a pictorial Baedeker summary of colleges and churches, plus traffic jams, the railwaystation and a train pulling out. In general the pictures were clear, though there was some interference, which may in part have comefrom the rotor blades; but such a periscopic view would certainly be helpful for police tracking criminals or controlling traffic, andperhaps have a limited military value. The camera system used was a miniature Pye industrial unit,adapted to work from the aircraft 24-volt supply, and the Syca- more carried a new type of aerial, designed to avoid rotor-bladeinterference. All the airborne equipment required was carried on a stretcher behind the pilot, with the operator sitting besidehim in a backward-facing seat. At present this equipment has a range of five miles and weighs 350 lb; but Pye are confident thatthey can increase the range to 100 miles and decrease the weight to about 150 lb. Sudan Cotton-Spraying ON Monday next, Austers and Tiger Moths belonging to CropCulture (Aerial), Ltd., are due to begin spraying 50,000 acres of cotton in the Sudan. They will be operating under contract tothe Sudan Gezira Board, which controls the national cotton- growing scheme, and the work is expected to involve 23 days'intensive flying. The aircraft are all equipped with Micronair rotary atomization equipment (described in Flight of March 23this year), which gives close droplet control, and both D.D.T. and the new chemical Anderin will be used.
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