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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1532.PDF
688 FLIGHT, 26 October 1956 Correspondence The Editor of "Flight" is not necessarily in agreementwith the views expressed by correspondents in these columns; the names and addresses of the writers, not forpublication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Mr. A. Pearcy's photograph of a Mercator at Blackbushe. Memories of a lJ-Strutter TPHE articles about historic military aircraft appearing in Flight••• are most enjoyable and nostalgic and I read with particular interest Part II of No. 14 written by Mr. J. M. Bruce in yourOctober 5 issue dealing with the famous Sopwith l^-Strutter. One of these was carried after the formation of the R.A.F. on the for-ward superimposed turret of H.M.S. Emperor of India, 2nd flag ship of the 1st Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet, in which I was serv-ing as a midshipman, R.N. On the morning of November 21, 1918, the date on which theGerman High Seas Fleet surrendered to the Grand Fleet, on the order of the late Captain Charles Royds, R.N. (later Com-missioner of the Metropolitan Police), our Strutter was used to fly to East Fortune the dispatches of the Daily Express reporterwho was in our ship to report this historic occasion. The pilot was Lt. Bostock and his observer was 2nd Lt. Daniels, R.A.F.After the signal for knocking out the quick release pin had been given, the rotary engine dropped a few hundred "revs" andBostock and his observer nearly finished up in the sea. We took the German Fleet from its temporary anchorage offInchkeith to Scapa Flow later in November 1918, and on the voyage northwards encountered very rough seas and high winds.Our Strutter was much battered in her exposed position and was removed after arrival at Scapa. We never saw her again.Mr. Bruce refers in his article to the "battle cruisers" Queen . Elizabeth and Barham: in fact these were battleships of the 5thBattle Squadron, Grand Fleet, and were not battle cruisers. I look forward keenly to the next series of articles on historicmilitary aircraft and wish continued success to your excellent publication, of which I have been a regular reader for over40 years. Brighton 1, Sussex. J. A. LESLIE MOORE. Mach-proof Market Gardening? \4"UCH antagonism has grown up in recent years among the1TJ- ranks of market gardeners against high-speed pilots on account of the fact that the latters' efforts to exceed Mach 1appear often to result in a trail of broken cucumber frames across the country. Understandably annoyed at this sort of thing, the gardenershave complained bitterly and demanded that steps be taken to put a stop to it. They are unhelpful in suggesting a means ofdoing this without interfering with the training of the Royal Air Force, again understandably, since they are merely con-cerned with safeguarding their cucumber frames in time of peace—though possibly they might be willing to hand overthat responsibility to the R.A.F. if war broke out. In fact, the problem appears to have been thrown com-placently into the joint lap of the Royal Air Force and the air- craft industry, without anyone so much as suggesting that apossible solution lies in attacking it from the other side. Few things are impossible nowadays; it might be efficaciousat least to conduct an investigation into the possible manufacture of a glass that will withstand the shock-waves set up by an air-craft passing Mach 1. It might, at any rate, serve to obviate the dangerous possibilityof aviation acquiring a persecution complex. R.A.F. Rufforth, Yorks. M. C. HALL,Pilot officer. Not-so-Rare Bird T WAS interested to read Ch./Obs. N. R. Yates' letter aboutx sighting a Martin Mercator over Southampton. Although I did not see that particular aircraft, I was very surprised to seeno fewer than three Mercators on the ground at once when I passed Blackbushe in August 1954, for I believe that only 19were ever built. Harrow, Middx. P. M. BAGGALEY. TI7ITH reference to the letter in your issue of October 12" headed "Rare Bird," I would like to doubt very much the rarity of the Martin P4M-1 Mercator in the south of England.Indeed, during the last year its presence has increased, as the type is a frequent visitor to Blackbushe Airport, and I personallyhave seen as many as four of this type on the ground at once at this aerodrome. I am enclosing a photograph taken a few months ago atBlackbushe of a Martin P4M-1Q Mercator, serial no. 122209, from a U.S. Navy squadron based in North Africa. A closelook at the photograph will reveal another P4M-1Q parked in the background. I understand from the books that only nineteen of this typewere ever built, and several have been destroyed since in various incidents.Bovingdon, Herts. A. PEARCY. T CAN claim seeing a Mercator. These aircraft frequently visit•*- the U.S. Navy base at Blackbushe and two P4M-1 Mercarors took off from there on September 30, serial numbers 124372,U.S. Navy code PS-4 and 122209, code PS-2. Sandhurst, Surrey. A. ALEXANDER. [A number of other readers have written to similar effect—Ed.] Gallic Logic ?M AY I suggest, looking at various photographs of airline pilotsseated at their controls, that aviation engineers are mad? You shall notice that in many transport planes, the instruments,made to be watched by the eyes, and which ought to be in the line of sight, are very low at the level of the knees; and thethings which must be reached by hand not at the level of the hands, but the level of the eyes. Is it not absurd? Planes in 1956 are built with bolts, supplied by specializedfirms. And nuts, the engineers themselves. Paris, 8e. HERVE LAUWICK," Editor, Noir et Blanc. Light TwinsT HE caption to your photograph of the Aero Commander560A F-BGSD (Flight, October 5) states erroneously that this is the first of this type to be delivered to France. At leasttwo others have been delivered there: Type 510s, N4109B (which became F-BBDY) and NZ718A, both bearing American registra-tions for the ferry flights and because they both had previously been owned in the U.S.A. Both were ferried through Prestwick,as was F-BGSD. Your recent plea for a British (not "English") light twin wouldseem to be logical in view of the numbers passing through this country, via Prestwick and thence to Paris, in many cases ondelivery to owners in Europe and Asia. So far, here is this year's score: Five Commanders (one 520, two 560s and two 560As); fourTwin Bonanzas, one 310 and two Apaches. Last year, no Com- manders but one Twin Navion (in addition to the other types)were delivered to "this side." Though these numbers are not great in themselves, there would be a demand for a twin builtin this country, with no payment in dollars necessary and no long delivery flights (to Europe, at any rate). Glasgow. DUGALD CAMERON.[Our caption was based on information supplied by the Aero Design and Engineering Co., who stated that this was the first560A Commander to go to France.—Ed.] FORTHCOMING EVENTS Aircraft Electrical Society: Annual Display, Los Angeles. Aerauto Association: Dinner and Dance. Kronfeld Club: Annual General Meeting. College of Aeronautics: Tenth Anniversary Dinner, London. R.Ae.S.: Graduates and Students Section: "Nuclear Power for Aircraft," by E. P. Hawthorne. British Institution of Radio Engineers: Annual General Meeting and Presidential Address. Institute of WeWing: Annual Dinner. Institute of Welding: Joint Meeting with the Netherlands Welding Society. Helicopter Association: "Development of the Skeeter Helicopter." by T. D. Nisbet, A.R.Ae.S. R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture: "London Airport," by Air Marshal Sir John D'Albiac, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O R.Ae.S. Branch Fixtures (to November 7). Oct. 30, London Airport. "Design Problems of the Large Helicopter," by Dr. G. S. Hislop. Oct. 31, Weybridge, R. K. Pierson Memorial Lecture. Nov. 6, Boscombe Down, "High Speed Flight Problems," by "R. F. Creasey. Nov. 7, Luton, "The Prestwick Pioneer," by N. J. Copper; Bristol, "The Dawn of Aerodynamics," by J. L. Pritchard. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. Nov. Nov. 25-26. 26. 26 26. 30. 31 31 1-2 2 6
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