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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1616.PDF
774 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS Egyptian Lessons WITH the return to their bases in this country last week of someof the R.A.F. Canberras and Valiants which had been engaged in attacks on targets in Egypt, those operations may be said to haveofficially ended, and it is possible to summarize the lessons gained. Probably the chief is that our post-war Bomber Command, inaction for the first time apart from small-scale deployment against Malayan bandits, is a weapon of great flexibility. The aircraft wereoperating from far-distant bases within a few hours of leaving their home stations. Thus, in addition to giving their crews first-handoperational experience, the home commands have proved they can swiftly reinforce the R.A.F. overseas at short notice. Another lesson from the operations as a whole has been theimportant part played by carrier-borne aircraft, both fixed-wing and helicopter. The Admiralty has stated that the landing ofparatroops at Port Said was probably unique in being the first such operation—as far as is known—to have been supported from theair solely by carrier-borne aircraft; and a large part of its success "must be attributed to the preliminary offensive by carrier-borneas well as shore-based aircraft against the Egyptian Air Force and its airfields." The Admiralty pays particular tribute to the controlteams who landed with the first "drop" and subsequently directed the air support. On this day (November 5) over 370 sorties wereflown from the carriers, the targets engaged being tanks, self- propelled guns, A.A. gun positions, troop concentrations, motortorpedo boats, aircraft on the ground and their hangars. Three Naval aircraft were lost, but all the pilots were saved. Helicopters played a remarkable role in the Port Said operations.For the first time in British military aviation history, carrier-borne helicopters—operating from Ocean and Theseus, and reinforcedby R.A F. and Army helicopters—were used in operational land- ings, putting ashore some 500 men of the Royal Marine Com-mando within 91 minutes. A helicopter rescued the pilot of a Sea Hawk who had been forced to bale out 30 miles inland andsome ten miles east of the Suez Canal; another, within 4,000 yd of shore batteries, picked up a Wyvern pilot; others performed themore routine duties of flying in medical supplies and evacuating wounded. Whirlwinds used for these purposes had to fly overabout 100 miles of open sea on each round trip. In all, carrier-based aircraft flew over 2,000 sorties. During thePort Said operation, on the evening of November 5, the Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers (Vice-Admiral M. L. Power, C.B., C.B.E.,D.S.O. and Bar) received a message from the Army Commander ashore which said: "Many thanks for your magnificent support tous this day, which thrilled all ranks. Its timely effectiveness and accuracy were beyond praise and doubtless saved many casualties." After the cease-fire, which became effective at 2358 hr onTuesday, November 6, reconnaissance and defensive flights con- tinued. During the next three days the Navy flew 56 such sorties. Commenting last weekend on Col. Nasser's claim that Egyptianaircraft destroyed on airfields had been dummies, a Royal Air Force spokesman said that reconnaissance had established theirreality ''beyond all doubt." The most significant fact, however, was that the Egyptian Air Force had flown only two or three sorties—all ineffectual—against an air offensive designed to destroy it. MARK OF APPRECIATION tor S/L. Neville Duke on his retirement from Hawker test-flying: a silver Hunter model, presented by Mr. Neville Spriggs (managing director) on behalf of the Board. The obvious inference was that the day and night attacks hadneutralized the E.A.F., more than 100 of whose aircraft had been destroyed during the first two days.An authoritative estimate given in Nicosia last Monday of the results of the bombing and ground strafing said that about 400 ofthe Egyptian Air Force's 500 aircraft had been destroyed. Only ten Il-28s were believed to have escaped to Saudi Arabia. Russian Arms in Egypt r\ETAILS of a build-up of Russian arms and technical man-••-' power in Egypt and Syria over a period of more than a year were given by a British Government source in London [on Sun-day last]. Military equipment to the value of £150m, it was estimated, had been sent to Egypt by the Soviet bloc, togetherwith £20m of such equipment to Syria. The Egyptian arms in- cluded 50 11-28 bombers and at least 100 Mig-15 fighters. The bombers were s:ated not to have been used in the recenthostilities, and the fighters "only to a very limited extent." Most of the bombers appeared to have been flown out of Egypt, butmany remaining aircraft had been destroyed on the ground. More than 1,000 technicians and instructors were believed to have beensent to Egypt before the outbreak of hostilities. Aircrews and mechanics were said to have been among about 300 Russians andCzechs who reportedly made for the Sudan from Egypt shortly after the Anglo-French intervention. A New Bedstead /"\N Monday of this week it was reported that an improved^J "flying bedstead" v.t.o. test rig had started its flight trials at Rolls-Royce, Hucknall. The machine is stated to have risenvertically and hovered for "several minutes," and to have made a second flight a short time later on the same day. Rolls-Roycedecline to comment on the report. That such a machine had been built was announced nearly ayear ago, but no details are yet available of the improvements which have been incorporated. It is stated that the improved rigis generally similar in appearance to the original device. Hollow Aluminium Blades ON November 12 it was announced by the Hamilton StandardDivision of United Aircraft that a C.A.A.-approved type certificate has been granted for a new design of propeller blade.Erie Martin, HamStan general manager, described the blade as "one of the most important steps forward in the past ten years."In the past designers have had the option of using a hollow steel blade or a solid aluminium-alloy blade, the former beingconsiderably more expensive but preferable in the very largest sizes. The new development will make available propellerscapable of absorbing more horsepower per pound of weight than any previous pattern. The blades are extruded from light-alloybillets and are then flattened, twisted and partially filled with a ASSAULT FORCE: Aboard the carrier H.M.S. "Theseus" troops and Whirlwind helicopters stand by as the smoke of distant fires streams over Port Said. Helicopters played an important part (see Col. 1).
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