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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0126.PDF
128 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS Supersonic Coalition ON Friday of last week, the Ministry of Supply issued thefollowing statement: "The Ministry of Supply, in conjunc- tion with the aircraft industry and the national airline corpora-tions, have < embarked on a research project with a view to thepossible development of a supersonic airliner. Details of the project are not at present being disclosed." The aircraft firmswere later named as A. V. Roe, Bristol, de Havilland, Handley Page, Rolls-Royce, Short Bros, and Harland, and Vickers-Armstrongs. It is no secret that for the past year or more each of the Britishfirms listed above, as well as others, have had small teams engaged on initial project work on supersonic airliner designs. The possi-bility that all these firms will co-ordinate their design and research work would seem, at the moment, to be remote; but it may havebeen brought nearer by the multilateral discussions with the M.o.S. There are as many conflicting ideas on supersonic transportas there are firms who are studying the problem. If it is decided that the British industry's next big step in thecommercial field is the supersonic airliner, then the M.o.S. needs to be quite clear about the technical problems involved, and howthe necessarily heavy Government financing shall be directed. These, presumably, are the objects of the present talks. Reports earlier this week that the Government has "scrapped"its plans for the subsonic D.H.I 18 received neither confirmation nor denial. But, in the light of the news recorded above, they seemlikely to prove true. New Defence Policy TTHE appointment of Mr. Duncan Sandys as Minister of•*• Defence, with exceptional powers, is of particular interest to the aviation world because of his previous connections with it asMinister of Supply (1951-54), chairman of the War Cabinet Committee for defence against German "V" weapons (1943-45)and Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Supply (1943-44). The powers vested in Mr. Sandys as Defence Minister weredefined by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on January 24. He will be responsible for defence policy and for theadministration and efficiency of the armed forces. He has been entrusted with formulating a policy which will secure a substantialreduction in expenditure and manpower; and it will be his job to prepare a plan for "reshaping and reorganizing the armed forces."All decisions on matters of policy affecting the size, shape and disposition of the armed forces, their equipment and supply(including defence research and development), their pay and conditions of service, will be the new Minister's responsibility. Mr. Sandys is to have directly responsible to him, as his ownChief of Staff, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson. The latter will continue as Chairman of the Chiefs ofStaffs Committee and is the senior officer on the Defence Minis- try's military staff.The new Minister arrived in Washington last Sunday for talks with his opposite number, U.S. Defence Secretary Mr. CharlesWilson. One of their subjects for discussion was said to be missile production in both countries. Mr.Duncan Sandys, the new Minister of Defence, and Mar- shal of the Royal Air Force Sir Wil- liam Dickson. (See news item below.) Exports Exceed £100m AS was expected when one record month succeeded anotherlast year, British aviation exports for 1956 proved to be thehighest ever, exceeding £100m for the first time. The December figure, £7,115,739, brought the total for the year to £104,460,562,an increase of 58 per cent over the previous record total in 1955. Aeroplanes and parts ("excluding engines, electrical parts andappliances") accounted for £71,759,067 of last year's foreign sales, this figure alone being far in excess of the total aviation exportsin any previous year. The United States (£ 17.2m worth) was Britain's best customer; next came Australia (almost £llm) andSweden (£7.8m). Saks of engines abroad last year amounted to £27,902,808,compared with £22.2m in 1955. Electrical equipment totalled £2,682,209 (an increase of over 20 per cent), instruments£1,428,657 and tyres £687,821. Sir Ivan Holyman WE record with great regret the death in Honolulu onJanuary 20 of Sir Ivan Holyman, chairman and managing director of Australian National Airways. Sir Ivan, who was 60,was born and educated in Australia, and served with the Australian Forces as acaptain during the first world war. After- wards he returned to the family firm ofWilliam Holyman and Sons Pty., Ltd., and in 1932 formed Holyman Bros. Pty.,Ltd., an air transport firm which started operations by flying a D.H. Fox Mothbetween Launceston and Flinders Island, Bass Straight. A subsequent amalgama-tion with a competitor, Mr. L. McK. Johnson—who flew a Desoutter mono-plane—led to the formation of Tasman Aerial Services, and flights betweenLaunceston and Melbourne with a D.H.84 Dragon. Australian National Airways wasformed in 1936 through the amalgama- tion of Holman Airways Pty., Ltd. (as Tasman Aerial Servicesbecame when Johnson was bought out) and other companies. Sir Iyan then introduced into Australia the DC-2 and such innova-tions as air hostesses, free flight meals, automatic insurance, and the transport of bulk freight and livestock. He was created aK.B.E. in 1956 for services to Australian aviation. Miles Student Nears Completion VX^ITHIN the next few weeks the Miles M.100 Student, theprototype of which is rapidly nearing completion at Shoreham airport, should make its first flight. The makers state that, fora production batch of 200, each aircraft would cost the remarkably small sum of £13,000, including engine. This, it is claimed, is halfthe cost of Britain's only other basic jet trainer; and the Student would use only half as much fuel. With 500 Students flying500 hours a year each, this would result in a fuel saving of 121 million gallons. R.Ae.C. Annual Awards •OOTH the 1956 Britannia Trophy and the Geoffrey de Havilland*f I rophy have been awarded to Mr. Peter Twiss, in recognition of his world speed record of 1,132 m.p.h. in the Fairey F.D.2 onMarch 10 last year. This was announced last week by the com- mittee of the Royal Aero Club. Mr. Twiss was awarded theBritannia Trophy for being the first man to be officially timed, in accordance with F.A.I, regulations, to fly at over 1,000 m.p.h., andthe Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy for the record speed itself. STANDING DOWN: A cocktail party in the conference room at London »!.'£* Vc- ?TVL™'ked the re">e/nenf of the Airport Com- mandant, Sir John D Albiac. Sir John is seen with Lady D'Albiac and with one of the gifts—a portable typewriter—donated by colleagues. Sir Ivan Holyman
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