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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1587.PDF
9 November 1956 745 Three phases in the drop- ping of 24,000 Ib of steel and iron ballast from the Bever- ley at Brough. At left, the 14ft extractor has pulled the load out of the hold and the parachute containers are being drawn clear. Below, left and right, the eight 66ft G.Q. parachutes are deploy- ing and five of them detach themselves cleanly after landing near the marker. In North Carolina, the C-130 was evaluated by the 3245th TestGroup (Bombardment) from Eglin A.F.B. and the Continental Army Command Board Five from Fort Bragg, with the assistanceof the U.S.A.F.'s 3rd Aerial Port Squadron. Fast conversions were a feature of the trials, only 20 minutes being required tochange the accommodation from 30 troop seats to heavy-freight hold. Forty minutes sufficed for the change from 40-seater toheavy freight platform dropper. Other arrangements provide for 20 tons of equipment, 92 combat-equipped troops or 70 stretcherpatients. During one six-day period a single C-130 made 25 supply-dropping sorties. On one occasion a freight platform was dropped from the ramp and closely followed by five parachutists. On another occasion a 22,235 lb Marine Corps weapons carrier wasdropped; this, also, was followed by paratroopers. Some snags were revealed, but general results were satisfactory. One under-carriage unit refused to extend, necessitating a wheels-up landing, but the only damage was to the under-skin of the fuselage;formers and frames remained undamaged and the aircraft was declared fit to fly. The undercarriage was later worked down andlocked and the Hercules flown back to Marietta for inspection. A troop-carrier wing of Tactical Air Command, which willreceive C-130s in December, was represented at the trials and assessments were made of spares, maintenance and crew-trainingrequirements. Paratroopers were supplied by the 82nd Airborne Division and four colonels were among those who made jumps. N. Z. AGRICULTURAL AVIATION SHOW AERODROME, Palmerston North, New Zealand, isthe location for the international agricultural aviation show —believed to be the world's first—which is taking place todayand tomorrow, November 9 and 10. Organized by the Aviation Industry Association of New Zealand in collaboration with com-mercial organizations and government departments, the show concludes the 7th International Grassland Congress, which isbeing attended by some 200 overseas scientists and 100 New Zealand grassland experts, at Massey Agricultural College,Palmerston North. Among the aircraft scheduled to participate are productionmodels of the Auster Agricola and the Edgar Percival E.P.9, in addition to the established types (such as Tiger Moths, FletcherFU-24s and Cessnas) already used in large numbers on top-dress- ing and other agricultural work in New Zealand. A special hill-country display of top-dressing is to be staged in the Manawatu Gorge district, and (according to the initial programme) a massedfly-oast of over 100 aircraft will also be included. The gate takings are to go towards a trust fund for the benefitof dependents of pilots killed or injured in agricultural flying. HUSTLING AT FORT WORTH TT was officially announced on Oaober 29 that on that date the-*- first Convair B-58 Hustler began its taxying trials; the first flight was expected within ten days.The B-58 is America's first supersonic bomber; a photograph appeared in our issue of September 14 and an illustrated analysisof the design in our issue of September 21. Of delta layout, the wing carries elevons at its trailing edge and from it are slung thefour General Electric J79-GE-1 afterburning turbojets, each of 15,000 lb thrust. Dimensions are, approximately: span, 55ft; length, 95ft; andheight on ground, 30ft. The crew number three, comprising: pilot; navigator/bombardier; and defensive systems operator.Sixteen complex major sub-systems are fitted, and all—including the defensive system—are described as "virtually automatic andcapable of accomplishing their work with a minimum Of super- vision from the crew." The U.S.A.F. assigned Convair fullresponsibility for designing and building the airframe and for choosing and installing all other equipment apart from theengines. The total list of B-58 sub-contractors includes some 3,000 names. , -: r . *••••
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