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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0466.PDF
468 FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION ... advantage when compared with the efficient double-slotted flapsof the jet transports; and ground-proximity effects mean that wind tunnel results cannot be fully exploited. It is the manufacturers' view that the economic use of high-liftdevices would be to increase take-off weight rather than reduce field length; runway requirement rather than flight performance isthe limitation, but such developments might be used to maintain "realistic" take-off distances. THE HOUSE DEBATES CREW FATIGUE A MOTION by Mr. Frank Beswick (Lab., Uxbridge)—that•**• the Air Navigation Order regulating aircrew duties should be annulled—was debated in the Commons last week, but finallywithdrawn in view of assurances given by Mr. Harold Watkin- son, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, that he would lookinto various "disquieting" aspects of the order. These aspects have been aired in these columns on more thanone occasion recently, but certain points made in the House, both by members and the Minister, are worthy of record. Mr. Beswick hoped that the Minister would regard the problemas one which would not be solved by the Order, "but which will require hard and detailed continuous study." It would, hesaid, be a question of "getting the spirit right" as well as the actual flight-time limitation figures. A. Cdre. Harvey (Con.,Macclesfield) said that the Order must be kept sufficiently flexible not to hamper crews in carrying out their duties. It could, hesaid, be looked upon as "a cockshy," to be revised as science pro- gressed. Mr. Ian Mikardo (Lab., Reading) felt that the Minister Further progress at Boeing Seattle with 707 production is exhibited by this fuselage section of the first Pan Am aeroplane. Heavy reinforce- ment of the "perforated-line" window cut-outs is apparent in the original photograph. and his advisers had been a little "know-all" in the framing ofthe Order, and he was not sure that the Minister had seized all the opportunities open to him of making use of available expertknowledge. Mr. Watkinson said that he would study suggestions that a"fatigue board" should be instituted, though he wanted to avoid what he termed "over-policing" of the regulations. AMERICAN "ANTI-VISCOUNT CAMPAIGN" THE president of Capital Airlines, Mr. J. H. Carmichael, speak-•*- ing at a luncheon in New York during the National Aeronautics meeting of the S.A.E., referred to a "vicious and unethical"campaign being waged in the U.S.A. against the Viscount. He did not identify the sources of the attacks, but declared that theyhad been carried on since Capital first introduced the aircraft in June 1955. The four main charges were that the wing wasnot as strong as on American airliners; that the Viscount lacked range; that it was not dependable for bad-weather operations; andthat it was uneconomical. "Detractors have gone so far as to use airliner public-address systems to criticize the Viscount to passen-gers during flight," Mr. Carmichael said. He went on to refute the charges, incidentally remarking that the competitors who hadmade the "weak wing" charge dropped it after finding that they had to ground their own aircraft because of cracked spars. BOEING ANNOUNCE THE 717 MEDIUM JET TN the annual report of the Boeing Airplane Company, published•*• on March 28, reference is made to a new medium-range jet transport designated Boeing 717. No details are given, exceptthat it is a "lighter-weight" member of the 707 family "in which are included four 707 versions." These 707s are of course the-120 (J57 domestic); the -220 (J75 domestic "hot rod"); the -320 (J75 intercontinental) and the -420 (Conway intercon-tinental). There is also a Conway-powered -520 which bears the same shorter-fuselage relationship to the -420 as does the -220to the -120. Reference has been made also to an -020 variant, weighing190,000 lb and also intended for medium-range operations. It is probable that the 717 bears a closer relationship to that projectthan it does to the short-haul 110,000 lb 727 (J54s) which Boeing are known to have been offering. It may well be that the 717 isintended as a rival for the Convair 880; it is significant that Cubana are reported to be considering dropping their option ontwo Boeing 707s in preference to Convair 880s. NEW EXECUTIVE-JET CONTENDERS "THE McDonnell Aircraft Corporation has applied for certifi--•• cation of the Model 119, a "multi-engined jet transport" which appears to conform in specification to the Lockheed GL-135 andFairchild M-185 four-jet transport projects now being built for the U.S.A.F. An entry for the twin-jet U.S.A.F. specification—so far nottendered for—comes from North American, who have applied to the C.A.A. for certification of a project which they havedesignated NA-246. BREVITIES The Queen and Prince Philip flew by B.E.A. Viscount to Parislast Monday for their four-day State visit to France. * * * B.E.A. has decided not to exercise the option which it holds on seven Viscount 810s. * * •Two more Latin American airlines—Avensa of Venezuela and Trans Mar de Cortes of Mexico—are reported to have orderedFriendships from Fairchild. * * * It is understood that Varig have changed their order for two Lockheed L.1649As and substituted two L.1049Gs to add to their Brazilian fleet of three. * * * The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation has appointedAir Marshal Sir Charles Guest as his chief aeronautical adviser and as chairman of the Air Safety Board. He succeeds Air ChiefMarshal Sir Frederick Bowhill, who is retiring. An unusual, if not unique, load for a York was this Airtair-owned Bell 47G-2 which Hunting-Clan recently ferried to Nairobi with only the rotor dismantled. After demonstrations, it is being operated by a Northern Rhodesia copper mine.
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