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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0002.PDF
FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS T.C.A. Decide on the Vanguard AS this issue of Flight closes for press there comes excellentnews from Weybridge: Trans-Canada Airlines have placed a $67.1m (£24m) order for 20 Vickers Vanguards, with an optionon a further four. Deliveries will begin in the autumn of 1960. This order is the largest single doilar contract ever placed inBritain, but its implications for Vickers-Armstrongs, Rolls-Royce and the medium-haul airline industry extend well beyond imme-diate monetary values. It is no secret that T.C.A.—whose purchase of the Viscount in1952 really established that aircraft in the export market—have in the past year studied every prospective medium transport onthe market—jet and turboprop, American and European, flying and projected. That Mr. Gordon McGregor, T.C.A.'s president,has bought British is satisfying: but perhaps more significant is the fact that he has settled for the turboprop formula. Hisre-equipment problem was typical of that being faced by many other airlines who have still to choose between the two creeds. We intend to deal at greater length with T.C.A.'s Vanguardorder in our next issue. Royal Agricultural Aviation Display WHEN the Duke of Edinburgh visited Canterbury on his NewZealand tour he watched a half-hour flying display staged by the agricultural aviation industry. Despite atrocious weather, air-craft of every type used in the Dominion for top-dressing and other agricultural purposes took off at the rate of one a minute and,after climbing rapidly and turning steeply, made low runs across a hillside to drop superphosphate, lime, fencing materials, seedand other loads and to spray insecticides. The N.Z. Aviation Industry Association made the Duke a lifemember and presented him with their badge—a dart-like aircraft symbol in blue enamel, with its fertilizer trail finished in goldinstead of the usual silver. Bumper Year TN November the British aircraft industry exported aircraft,A engines and components to a total value of £7,961,692. This brought the total for the first eleven months of last year to£97,314,399, representing an annual rate of well over £100,000,000, compared with the 1955 record total of £66,200,000. Of Britain's customers during the eleven months, the U.S.A.bought £15,400,000 worth of aircraft, Australia £10,400,000, Sweden £7,200,000, France £2,800,000 and Belgium £2,600,900.Aircraft sales accounted for £67,400,000 of the total, engines £25,600,000 and components £4,200,000. The New Year Honours A/IOST gratifying to his colleagues and, undoubtedly, to the-LTA whole aircraft industry, was last Tuesday's news of a knight- hood for Mr. George Edwards, managing director of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), Ltd., and designer of the Viscount. The New Year Honours List contained several other names ofpeople well known in aircraft manufacture or its associated indus- tries. Mr. Tames Martin, of Martin-Baker ejection-seat fame, isappointed C.B.E., and G/C. R. G. Slade, Fairey chief test pilot, O.B.E. Also among the O.B.E.s are Mr. A. J. Penn, chief engineerof Napier's aero gas-turbine division and Mr. D. P. Davies, chief test pilot of the A.R.B. Those honoured in the associated industries include Mr. JohnPascoe, British Timken chairman (Knight Bachelor); Mr. O. W. Humphreys, director of the G.E.C. research laboratories (C.B.E);and Mr. E. J. Sturgess, chief engineer of Shell Petroleum (C.B.E.). Among Civil Service recipients of honours are Mr. G. F.Stedman, M.T.C.A. Deputy Secretary (K.B.E.); Sir Maurice Dean, Air Ministry Permanent Under-Secretary (K.C.B.), andMr. Peter Lloyd, Deputy Director of Research and Development at the National Gas Turbine Establishment (C.B.E.).In the military divisions of the various Orders the Royal Air Force figures prominently. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air ChiefMarshal Sir Dermot Boyle, is appointed G.C.B. and Air Marshals H. L. Patch (C-in-C. Middle East Air Force) and A. McKee(A.O.C-in-C. Transport Command), K.C.B. Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis Fogarty, lately Air Member for Personnel, is madeG.B.E. More detailed extracts from the Honours List will be given inour next issue. BOMARC BED: A Martin B-57 (Canberra) modified by Temco Aircraft Corporation as a test bed for a 17ft-long simulated nose of the Boeing . Bomarc IM-99 intercepter missile. Special hydraulic and electrical systems have been added for the guidance system, and there are ammonia and nitrogen tanks for cooling and pressurizing the nose. Short's Chairman on the Future IN a message to the workpeople at Belfast, Admiral Sir MatthewSlattery, chairman of Snort Brothers and Harland, Ltd., gives as his view that it is unlikely that in the future every major firmwill be able to engage its design staff on a project of its own conception. Mainly for financial reasons, he suggests, there willnot be enough projects to go round; moreover, the complexity of aircraft of advanced design is such that no single design team of anyone company in this country is large enough, or is likely to become large enough, to tackle a major project on its own in an acceptableperiod of time. "I visualize a state of affairs," the Admiral writes, "in whichpurely research aircraft, which are not intended to be produced in numbers, may well continue to be undertaken by single firms, butoperational aircraft (whether military or civil) will be produced by firms working in association sharing both the design and the /production. I appreciate that this makes unpleasant reading, as we all like to see aircraft exclusively of our own design going downthe production line. "In this respect we are no different from any other company of 'individuals who take a pride in their work. Let us, however, take pride in the fact that we are at present engaged on the design andconstruction of one of the most revolutionary aircraft in the world, which is to take off and land vertically. At present still purelya research project, it may, nonetheless, open up the prospect of military or civil aircraft of the future and place us well ahead ina novel and promising field. Then, maybe, other firms will be helping us with our projects. I have written in the past of thedifficulties which I foresaw ahead of us in our industry; they appear no smaller as I write, but I see no reason for despondency." Finland to Build Gnats TN our issue of November 9 news was given that the Finnish-•• Government had ordered the Folland Gnat for the re-equip- ,. ment of their country's fighter force. Twelve complete aircraft :',are to be supplied from Hamble, starting in October next year. It is now announced that a licence agreement has also been ~. agreed between the Finnish Government and Folland Aircraft, • Mr E. N. Egan (left) and Mr. A. E. Lane, whose new appointments within the Folland organization are reported on the opposite page.
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