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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0898.PDF
FLIGHT MORE BRITISH LIFT: Like Ryan's tail-sitting X-J3, which has a Rolls-Royce Avon, Bell's new X-14 VTOL machine employs British lift- ing-jet engines. The two Armstrong Siddeley Vipers have special tail-pipes for deflecting the jet vertically downwards (news item, p.3). FROM ALL QUARTERS East-West Britannia ONE of the longest east-to-west Trans-atlantic flights yet attempted—from London Airport to Vancouver non-stop—was made last Saturday by G-AOVA, the first Britannia 310. The aircraft left Lon-don Airport at 0807 hr B.S.T., and arrived in Vancouver 14 hr 40 min later, coveringthe 5,100 st m at an average ground speed of almost 350 m.p.h. The Britannia, flownby Walter Gibb, Bristol's chief test pilot, made this trans-Polar region flight as oneof the route-proving series required for air- worthiness certification. (Its special category C. of A. was awardedearlier this year.) The aircraft took off at its maximum gross weight with a payload of about 14,700 lb, including 38 passengers.Among them were Mr. Peter Masefield, Bristol's managing direc- tor, and representatives of A.R.B., B.O.A.C., C.P.A.L. and El Al.On the day following the landing at Vancouver, and while being towed, the torque links on the port main bogie were broken whenthe tow bar was taken beyond normal towing angles. A new leg was flown out and the aircraft was expected to continue itsprogrammed visit to Boston before returning to Filton, Avro Win Belgian Contract FOR many months the Belgian Government have been evaluat-ing numerous aircraft for selection as a standard all-weather fighter for the Royal Belgian Air Force. Their choice is theAyro CF-100 and die order is worth $43m (£15.4m). Financing will be undertaken by the Mutual Defense Assistance Programme.Sir Roy Dobson, Chairman of Avro Aircraft, of Malton, Ontario, has pointed out that this is the first time that Canadahas exported military aircraft of her own design. A spokesman for the Hawker Siddeley Group said that one-quarter of thepurchase sum would represent spares and support facilities. Comet 4Bs for B.E.A.? A B.B.C. news bulletin on July 1 stated that B.E.A. are planning**• to operate a fleet of six Comet 4Bs as from 1959. No con- firmation of this statement was forthcoming from B.E.A. or fromde Havilland. The possibility that the Corporation, notwithstanding its strongturboprop inclinations, will need a jet to maintain its competitive position has been evident for some time [see Flight for February 8and May 31]. The specialized 600-m.p.h. short-haul jet (to which a new reference is made on page 30) could not be ready before 1963. Whatever substance there may be in the latest report, whichmakes obvious sense particularly in view of the S.A.S. order for Caravelles reported in this issue, it is likely that B.E.A.'s jetprocurement programme, interim and long-term, will be resolved within the next 30 days. Firestreaks in Australia "DRIEF notes on the test firing of Firestreak, the British air-to-air** weapon developed by de Havilland Propellers, Ltd., were contained in an announcement made last week by Mr. HowardBeak, the Australian Minister for Supply. During the past two years, said Mr. Beale, the Weapons ResearchEstablishment at Woomera had conducted extensive trials of Firestreak and a very successful series of "kills" had been achieyed.The Firestreaks had generally been launched from Australian- built Avon-Sabres and the targets had been Jindiviks of the ';R.A.A.F. M.o.S. acceptance trials were now in progress. A point of particular interest arising from this statement is the -.;ability of the Sabre to carry two Firestreaks and their associated .;; weapon-system equipment. De Havilland Propellers state that •the weapon can be made readily adaptable to "any fighter aircraft," : the combat performance of which is markedly increased, particu- jlarly during engagements at great range from astern or from lower * level. The Firestreak/ Sabre combination seems to be exception- :ally effective and may be widely adopted by numerous air forces ; once the weapon is cleared for operational service. Fairey Flying AppointmentsT WO new executive flying appointments have been announcedby the Fairey Aviation Co., Ltd. G/C. Gordon Slade, for- merly chief test pilot, becomes superintendent of flying; and Mr. JPeter Twiss is appointed chief test pilot. In his new capacity ; G/C. Slade, who joined Fairey's as chief test pilot in 1946, willbe responsible to the chairman and managing director, Mr. Geoffrey W. Hall, for the co-ordination of all flying activitieswithin the company. May Aviation Exports "T\URING May exports by the British Aviation industry*-* amounted to almost £10.4m. This figure is the highest achieved so far in 1957, more than £2m up on the total for Maylast year, and the third highest monthly total recorded. Aircraft and parts exported amounted in value to £6,421,577;aero-engines to £3,378,589; electrical parts and components to £306,712; tyres to £50,150; and aeronautical instruments to£208,997. The S.B.A.C. reports that the total of aircraft exports, for the first five months of 1957 amounted to £42.9m. Talos Develops - f AT the end of World War 2 Project Bumblebee, undertaken for- the U.S. Navy by the Applied Physics Laboratory of theJohns Hopkins University, Maryland, was instituted with a view to determining the requirements for a ship-to-air guided weapon.Most of the earlier work on Bumblebee was directed towards missiles with integral ramjet propulsion and by 1950 the basicvehicle was behaving very well. Nevertheless it was clear that a missile powered by a solid rocket could be got into service muchquicker than the longer-ranged ramjet, and Terrier was accord- ingly developed and has since been mass-produced for four years. BEMBRIDGE-BUILT: This Druine Turbi, the first to be completed in this country, was constructed by Britten Norman, Ltd., tor tht Popular Flying Association. Tht aircraft is powered by a 65 h.p Coventry Victor Flying Neptune and sports the blue and primrost P.F.A. colours.
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