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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0752.PDF
758 FLIGHT FROM ALL QUARTERS World's Absolute Altitude RecordT HE world's official absolute altitude record was broken lastSunday, June 2, by a balloon piloted by Capt. J. W. Kittinger, U.S.A.F. Ascending from St. Paul, Minnesota, he reached a heightof 96,000ft (over 18 miles). Subject to confirmation of the new figure by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale—assumingit to be submitted for homologation—this handsomely exceeds the 72,395ft record which has stood ever since November 11, 1935, tothe credit of two other American balloon pilots, Captain Orvil A. Anderson and Capt. Albert W. Stevens. Kittinger made the ascent in 1 hr 20 min and returned to earth80 miles away 6 hr 34 min after take-off. He spent 1 hr 50 min at maximum altitude. The plastic envelope of the balloon con-tained some two million cubic feet of helium, and the pilot rode in a light-alloy cylindrical capsule, elaborately air-conditioned, only3ft in diameter. The ascent is a preliminary to others in the near future; Capt.Kittinger intends to try an even higher ascent, and Maj. David Simmons, U.S.A.F., is to attempt a 24-hour endurance flight atover 100,000ft. Manned heavier-than-air craft, rocket-powered and launchedfrom a mother aircraft, have, of course, exceeded such altitudes, but these ascents have not been admissible as absolute recordsunder F.A.I, requirements. Some 126,000ft is the figure claimed for the Bell X-2, and already there is apparently well-foundedspeculation about 580,000ft ascents (over 100 miles) planned for realization within the next eighteen months. Short's First Britannia Flies THE first Bristol Britannia to issue from the "second-source"production line of Short Brothers and Harland made its maiden flight from Sydenham Airport, Belfast, on June 1. The event wasthe culmination of four years' work since Bristol decided, in 1953, to establish a second Britannia line. Appropriately, the Britanniaconcerned was the first 305 for Northeast Airlines, whose order for five aircraft was placed largely on the strength of the earlydelivery-date. The aircraft was immediately ferried to Filton (by Bristol pilotKen Ashley, who had also made the maiden flight) where C.A.A. certification-flying will be done, and where the special interior—which promises to be the most stylish ever ordered for a pro- duction airliner—will be installed. Delivery is due in the autumn, FIRST FROM BELFAST: The first Bristol Britannia off Short Brothers' production line—a 305 for Northeast Airlines—seen making its maiden flight last Saturday, June 1 (news item in col. ]). when the aircraft will be put into service on the holiday-run fromBoston and New York to Miami. Shorts have ten more Britannias in an advanced state: so farthey have contracted to build 25 of the 66 aircraft now on order. Sir Arnold Hall R.Ae.S. President PRESIDENT-ELECT of the Royal Aeronautical Society for1958-59 is Sir Arnold A. Hall, M.A., F.R.S., F.R.Ae.S., vice- president of the Society and technical director of the HawkerSiddeley Group. He will take office in May 1958. Vice-presidents of the Society have been elected as follows:P. G. Masefield, M.A., Hon.F.I.A.S., F.R.Ae.S.; E. S. Moult, Ph.D., B.Sc, M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S.; Air Marshal Sir OwenJones, K.B.E., C.B., A.F.C., B.A., D.I.C., M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S. Britain's Megaton Weapon ON Friday, May 31, the most powerful British atomic device,with a megaton yield, was exploded over the central Pacific. Previously we had detonated a kiloton fission charge aboard thefrigate Plym at Monte Bello, an under-water device in the same area, and we air-dropped a less-powerful hydrogen weapon onMay 15 last. Known as Operation Grapple, the current series of tests isbased on Christmas Island, some 4,000 miles from Japan, 3,000 miles from New Zealand and the American Pacific Coast and1,200 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands. The area was surveyed in 1955 by Shackletons of 240 Sqn., and a British Service grouplaid runways of 6,500 and 5,000ft, together with dispersals, hardstandings and maintenance areas. Communications were maintained by Dakotas. Rescue serviceswere assigned to Whirlwinds, and Shackletons of 206 Sqn. (W/C. J. E. Preston, St. Eval) and 240 Sqn. (W/C. C. R. Alexander,Ballykelly) were engaged in weeks of long-range ocean patrol to prevent shipping from straying into the restricted area (they carriedeight-language warning leaflets). Meanwhile Valiants of 49 Sqn. (W/C. K. G. Hubbard, Wittering) had worked up with dummyweapons on British ranges and finally flew out to the Pacific. By April 1957 the R.A.F. had 1,300 men on the island; theArmy and Marines were also heavily involved and over 2,000 personnel of the Royal Navy were engaged in tasks afloat. Ground-zero for the megaton bursts was actually some 400 milessouth of Christmas Island, in the vicinity of Maiden Island (which was fully instrumented). The carrier Warrior was the target-areacontrol and aircraft-direction ship, and a large fleet of other vessels were present. Task-force commander, at Christmas, was A. V-M.W. E. Oulton; scientific director was Mr. W. R. J. Cook, Deputy Director of the A.W.R.E., Aldermaston. Final clearance for the high-yield drop came early on the morn-ing of May 31. The Valiant, already armed with its load, took off at 0830 local time, with the following crew: captain, S/L.David Roberts; co-pilot, F/O. M. A. Pringle; bomb-aimer, F/L. K. LI. Lewis; navigator, F/L. T. E. Dunne; and air electronicsofficer, F/O. T. W. Beattie. After making numerous practice or procedure runs in the target area, S/L. Roberts completed a lastlong circuit, taking 17 min at 600 m.p.h. and finally put the 557 M.P.H. was the winning average speed for this B-47E in the 7957 General Electric Trophy race, held on May^ 26 over the closed course London-Paris-Madrid-Rome-Paris (2,346 miles). From the left: Capt. Robert E. Sheridan (pilot); 1st Lt. J. L. Mombria (co-pilot); Capt. F. R. Beadle (observer); and Sgt. E. W. Smith (crew chief, i.e., head of the ground crew). Three B-47s comprised the field
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