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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1594.PDF
752 FLIGHT, 9 November 1956 THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME . . . critically, and it does no good in the present situation to shy awayfrom the facts. I did not go on the recent trip to Russia, but it is written plainlythat, apart from their extraordinary advances in military aviation since the war (when their aviation effort was not a serious factor),the Russians will eventually be competing in the field of civil aviation with subsidized prices and good deliveries. Something, therefore, has to be done quickly to get us out ofwhat is really a pre-war state of mind, and one feebly grappling with problems far transcending anything of that time or even ofthe war period. But the answer is not to be found by making a series of drastic cuts, apparently now being considered and,possibly, already put into effect since writing this lecture. Arbitrary cuts are of little use and, indeed, can be completely destructive toan industry which is always delicately poised between prosperity and the bread-line, and upon whose technical and engineeringability the nation's safety so much depends. The only way to avoid permanent injury to the industry is byreappraisal of the existing projects, full support of civil aviation for all well-considered projects within the industry's capability,and a stable Government (Treasury) policy which will see an agreed programme through to fruition without frequent financialhindrance. The drastic reductions which are threatened for the defencebudget, and which may result in the literal carving up of our MARTIN NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENTS A N "operations management team," headed by Mr. William G.•**• Street, has been formed by the Martin Company, Balti- more, "to push development of a nuclear-powered seaplane." This formation follows Martin's "systems management" conceptunder which each project has its own operations manager, who becomes in effect the head of a miniature company, exercisingoverall control and reporting directly to the most senior executives of the firm. For over three years Martin have been engaged on a design-study, sponsored by the U.S. Navy, for the airframe of a nuclear- powered marine aircraft. Martin are, of course, responsible for the P6M SeaMaster four-turbojet flying-boat, production models of which have been ordered for the U.S. Navy. GROUND-LEVEL EJECTION FROM F-102 HTHE Talco Engineering Company of Hamden, Connecticut, are•*• developing a ground-level seat-ejection catapult for the F-102. In order to eject the pilot to a safe height for parachute deploy-ment while his aircraft is still on the ground, the seat incorporates a rocket booster which is fired by the explosion of the normalejection cartridge. This method provides continuous thrust which will achieve the necessary altitude without initially overstressingthe pilot. The thrust of the rocket is slightly offset in order to eject the pilot in a partly rearward direction, thus moderating theviolent deceleration which he would suffer on entering the air- stream. The Talcq company, which specializes in the production ofcartridge-activated devices, has set up a large new test installation at North Branford, Conn., ten miles from Hamden. It includes200-ft and 25-ft horizontal test-tracks, together with complete instrumentation to record thrust, pressure, acceleration and strokeof the units at millisecond intervals. High-speed cine cameras capable of exposing up to 3,000 frames per second are also installed. Armed Forces to quite ineffective strengths, savour of the tradi-tional British outlook or frame of mind reasserting itself in high places—that, "war may never happen"; forgetting that the reasonfor the recent international "get-togethers and back-slapping" is that both sides have the nuclear weapon and the means of delivering it. We enjoy at least the second highest standard of living in theworld, but a Welfare State, like any other State, will cease to exist if it is not prepared to defend itself—as I think history can show.If the emphasis is on good living rather than on defending the way of living, the State is on very shaky foundations. It must be realized that, while we were as efficient as theU.S.A. in producing airframes and engines (in lesser quantity) in the war period of 1939-45, there has since been a big change inthe conception and production of the modern aircraft, which now demands all "the (new) tools of the trade"; and the equipmentpreviously mentioned is now really necessary for the production of safe, efficient and low-weight airframes of the size (capacity)now considered reasonable for long-range economic operation— also to conserve manpower. The lesson we should have learned from this past decade, albeitsomewhat late, is that aviation has grown into big business and serious business, and that it cannot be run by a few people withideas. It needs considerable foresight, first-class organization and the elaborate facilities mentioned to get anywhere at all. But wecan, and must, find a new formula in aviation by our undoubted engineering ability, always remembering that what still matters isto sell and to produce efficiently. THE MIGHTY C-132 TCURTHER details of the Douglas C-132 turboprop transport*• for the United States Air Force were recently revealed in Los Angeles. Powered by four Pratt and Whitney T57 two-spoolturboprops each rated at 15,000 e.h.p., the C-132 will weigh more than 500,000 lb, one-fifth of which will be the payload for "globalrange." For 3,500-mile stages an overload payload of 200,000 lb will be possible. The high-mounted wing will have a high aspect-ratio and acutesweepback. The tail surfaces will also be swept and a long dorsal fin will extend forward along the fuselage. The latter will havea form similar to that of the C-130 and C-133, the section being of the double-bubble type, and the total depth being at least 25ft.There will be 16 wheels in the main landing gear. This colossal aircraft, which is at present under intensivedevelopment at the Douglas plant at Tulsa, Oklahoma, is intended to be the future standard heavy freighter and tanker of theStrategic Air Command and other units of the U.S.A.F. It will certainly be the fastest propeller-driven aircraft ordered into pro-duction, since the cruising speed is specified as Mach 0.8 and the maximum speed Mach 0.9. FORMIDABLE ANTI-SUB. WEAPON CPEAKING to the Aviation Writers' Association in Washington^ last week, Vice-Admiral William Davis, U.S. Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, revealed the existence of an atomic anti-submarine weapon which could be set to detonate at a great depth and to be capable of killing submarines "within miles ofthe point of explosion." He emphasized the word "miles," as distinct from the measurements in feet usually associated withconventional depth-charges. Code-name of the device is "Lulu." SYCAMORE FOR N.A.E. ICING TESTS DE-ICING tests involving a Bristol Sycamore helicopter areto be made at the Canadian National Aeronautical Establish- ment at Uplands Airport, Ottawa. The object is to evaluate theperformance of the Goodyear rotor-blade de-icing equipment which is under consideration for the tandem-rotor Bristol 192. For test purposes, the Sycamore has been fitted with a cyclicelectrical power system which operates a series of thermal- electric mats extending along the leading edge of the outer sectionsof the main rotor blades. Fabricated in moulded rubber sheeting and covered by a stainless steel anti-corrosion sheath, the matscontain eight metal elements which are heated successively by current controlled by a cyclic switch on the rotor hub.Icing conditions will be simulated by flying the helicopter in the steam cloud from the N.A.E. low-temperature spray rig (asillustrated with a Bell 47 in Flight of August 24 last). Power required for the de-icing equipment will be provided by a groundalternator connected to the Sycamore by a trailing lead; eventu- ally a special airborne alternator will be designed. PROTOTYPE REPLICA: At Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Alberto Santos-Dumont's pioneer flight in a heavier-than-air machine (the first such flight in Europe) a convincing replica of the "14bis" is tested for airworthiness.
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