FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1539.PDF
2 November 1956 695 MIXED-POWER INTERCEPTER. This S.O.9050 Trident II turbojet-cum- rocket intercepter—a tall-undercarriage development of the S.O.9000 Trident I—has now made over a hundred flights, many at high super- sonic speed. The makers claim that the ceiling is "at present limited only by the pilot's vulnerability at extreme altitude." The SEPR rocket now has two, not three, barrels. engineers and aerodynamicists to study new projects. He willbe responsible directly to me for this work. This now allows maximum concentration of our other staff on the freighter/coachas follows: Mr. D. A. Woodley, assistant chief designer (techni- cal); Mr. R. Dean, assistant chief designer (projec.s); and Mr.H. F. Butler (project designer, A.W.650). In addition, Mr. A. J. Troughton has been appointed chief structural and mechanicalengineer, and will be responsible for structural design, mechani- cal testing and the analysis of testing of all aircraft systems. Mr.D. L. Raffle has been appointed chief performance engineer and will be responsible for aerodynamics, performance and operatingeconomics. His duties will include direction and appreciation of the wind tunnel programme." The new A.W.A. research and design centre, announced in Junelast year, includes design offices, laboratories and experimental shops in modern buildings, which arcreplacing the company's oldproduction plant at Whitley. Hawker's New Fighter O PEAKING in the House of Commons on Monday the Minister^ of Supply, Mr. Reginald Maudling, stated that the Hawker Siddeley Group were developing a new piloted fighter as aprivate venture. It is understood that the design, by a Hawker team led by Sir Sydney Camm, was refused a development con-tract by the Ministry of Supply, although it is reported that 1,800 m.p.h. is aimed at, and that a prototype should fly in 18months. Mr. Neville Spriggs, Hawker managing director, is quoted as saying "The project is going very well. It will beremembered that before the war we undertook as a private venture the development of the Hawker Hurricane, and we believethat the same kind of private initiative should be shown in the present circumstances." Smiths Director of Research vT WO years ago Mr. G. G. Roberts, M.Sc, A.F.R.Ae.S., joinedSmiths Aircraft Instruments, Ltd., and was given charge of their guided-weapons programme. He has now been appointed the company's director of re-search, in which post he is responsible for all weapons andaviation research. Afcer gaining distinctions at two universities(Wales and London), Mr. Roberts was engaged on lectur-ing; then he joined the Ministry of Aircraft Production, in whichhe worked at the Telecommuni- cations Research Establishmenton radar development. After the establishment had moved toGreat Malvern he worked on airborne applications of centi-rnetric radar and was eventually in charge of the group respon-sible for A.I. radar in Service aircraft. Shortly after the warhe investigated cloud-and-col- lision-warning radar and for atime collected data in the Singapore area. He went over to guided-weapon work in 1947,joining the staff of the R.A.E. at Farnborough. As senior principal scientific officer he was in charge of the weapons division of theGuided Weapons Department. Beaulieu Landing Fine Reduced "THE appeal made by Mr. Norman Jones against a fine of £200*• imposed on him by Lymington magistrates for landing his Tiger Moth at Beaulieu R.A.F. airfield on March 17 was heardby the Hampshire Quarter Sessions Appeals Committee at Win- chester on October 26, and resulted in the fine being reduced toone of £50. Mr. A. C. Munro Kerr, for the respondents (the police), saidMr. Jones left Fairoaks on the morning of March 17, his flight plan indicating that he was going to Brockenhurst, where his wifewas staying at an hotel. The only aerodrome near there is Beaulieu, where the runways were marked with white crosses.After Mr. Jones had landed he was taken to the guard room and questioned. He then said: "I have had enough of this. Who do Mr. Roberts. you think you are? Do you think this is Russia? I have everyright to land here, provided I do not endanger life." Mr. Kerr observed: "Had this man (Mr. Jones) taken a sensible attitude,the justices might have taken a different view." Mr. W. A. Fearnley-Whittingstall, Q.C., for the appellant, saidthat Mr. Jones felt that in this country the hand of people was raised against those who fly privately; he considered the penaltyto be out of all proportion to the offence, having thought he would either be fined a nominal sum or discharged. It was quite wrongto suggest that Mr. Jones "always intended to land at Beaulieu"; he intended to land on a grass field—as one should do in a TigerMoth. On his map Beaulieu aerodrome appeared to be not recog- nizably either civil or military: he did not think he was going toland upon a military aerodrome. He noticed die white crosses on the runways at Beaulieu and knew what they meant, but heintended to land on the grass there—which he did. "There was no intention whatsoever by this gentleman to flout the law," saidMr. Fearnley-Whi.tingstall. "I hope you will come to the con- clusion that the penalty is out of all proportion to the offence." Cross-examined by Mr. Munro Kerr, Mr. Jones was asked:"Are you under the impression that people are hostile to those who own aircraft?" Mr. Jones replied: "Yes. I want to assertthe rights of people who do." He admitted he owned "five or six" aircraft and when asked whether he could find the money topay the £200 fine, said: "I expect I could." Giving the committee's decision the chairman, the Hon. EwenMontagu, Q.C., said that in the circumstances, including the way Mr. Jones had treated the court at Lymington, they were notsurprised the magis rates had decided he had deliberately flouted the law. But now, having seen him and heard his evidence, thecommittee did not consider his attitude was as bad as that, nor his offence as bad as that. They thought a pilot of his experienceknew Beaulieu airfield was not disused at the time, but decided to "chance his arm"."He has substantially succeeded," concluded the chairman, "but there will be no order as to the costs of this hearing, as he broughtthe necessity for this appeal upon himself by his own actions." The committee decided not to alter the order for £30 17s 6dcosts imposed by the magistrates' court at Lymington. Exports Still Increasing THE September total of British aircraft industry exports,£7,728,584, brings the aggregate for the first nine months of 1956 to £80,786,663, which is an increase of 71.5 per cent overthe same period during 1955, itself a record year. Of the £80fm total, the sale of aircraft brought £56.7m, engines£20.7m, electrical equipment £1.9m, tyres £491,000, and instru- ments just over £lm. The Minister of Supply said last Mondaythat the year's total of complete aircraft exported was expected to be 727, worth £105m. OVER AND UNDER: Although not immediately apparent, this Nagler NH-160 helicopter (the picture was received too late for inclusion in our main helicopter-review section) has twin rotors. The crankcase of the McCulloch engine drives the upper rotor, and the crankshaft drives the lower, thus eliminating transmissions and gearboxes.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
