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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1008.PDF
PLIGHT, 26 July 1957 FROM ALL QUARTERS The Oman Revolt AS we go to press, R.A.F. Venoms at Sharjah, on the Trucial**• Coast, arc ready for action against the rebels who are defying the Sultan of Muscat and Oman. The first move will be the drop-ping of warning leaflets, followed by a demonstration airstrike; if this is ineffective, cannon and rocket action against selectedtargets is likely. Four Beverleys, each of which can carry 90 fully armed soldiers and land them on any suitable desert area, are atthe disposal of the A.O.C. British Forces, Arabian Peninsula (A.V-M. L. F. Sinclair). They have arrived at Nairobi, EastAfrica—two from Aden and two from the U.K. Air-to-Air Atomics AN atomic-headed Douglas Genie air-to-air missile was launched• from a Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter over Yucca Flats, Nevada, on July 19. This was the first live firing of the missile—presumablyof the type formerly known as Ding Dong. The explosion occurred at a height between 20,000 and 30,000ft, and five officers of theU.S.A.F. Air Defence Command, posted on the ground directly beneath, did not require any protective shield. The Genie waslaunched "by remote control" and not by the pilot of the Scorpion. Borzoi and Red Dean for Farnborough TT is pleasing to reiterate that this year's S.B.A.C. Flying Display•*• and Exhibition, to be held at Farnborough during the first full week in September, is to be the biggest and best yet. A specialenclosure adjacent to the exhibition building (housing 350 stands) will be set aside for guided missiles, the majority of which willbe available for export. In addition to the Fairey Fireflash, de Havilland Propellers Firestreak, Armstrong Whitworth Sea Slug,Bristol Bloodhound and English Electric Thunderbird, there will be a Bristol Bobbin, complete with parachute, a Bristol Borzoi,and the Vickers-Armstrongs Red Dean. The Borzoi is described as a test vehicle for advanced research, and of the Red Dean themakers will only say that it is "suitable for installation in all- weather fighters." Fairey Aviation will be showing a Jindivikpilotless target, for which they hold sales rights in this country. Gliding Height Record ' A CLIMB to 29,700ft in a Weihe sailplane was achieved by Sgt.John S. Williamson after an aero-tow from Lasham on July 19. The net gain of height was 27,100ft. Subject to confirmation, theseare new U.K. records for both absolute altitude and gain of height. The previous U.K. height records were those set up by DerekPiggott, who flew a Skylark 2 to 22,800ft in 1955. More recently, F/L. A. H. Warminger reached 30,000ft in a Skylark 3, but hisbarograph failed to function above 20,000ft and the flight could not be confirmed as an official record. Exercise Shopwindow A COMPREHENSIVE demonstration of the capabilities andtechniques of the Royal Navy was arranged for a party of selected members of the Press in H.M.S. Albion last week. Themorning was devoted to various demonstrations by surface craft and a submarine, and a Whirlwind picked up distressed dummypilots from the sea. The afternoon was given over to a splendid display of gunnery,rocketry and bombing by Sea Hawks, Gannets and Sea Venoms. All missiles were aimed at a splash target towed close at handby Grenyille. Catapult take-offs and arrested landings were exhilarating to watch; and the landing mirror was used withgreat success. The long and arduous deck drill was the prettiest piece of team work one could hope to see. Ark Royal was steamingnearby on trials work and launched both Sea Vixen and Scimitar for very brief appearances over Albion. The afternoon ended witha very smooth formation acrobatic display by four Sea Hawks. E.P.9's North African Tour AN Edgar Percival E.P.9 was recently flown by Mr. Harold- Best-Devereux, chief of sales of Edgar Percival Aircraft, Ltd., on a sales tour of North Africa which involved altogether a distanceof 5,000 miles and over 40 hours' flying time. The aircraft was flown out over France and down the Spanishcoast to Carthagena, then on to Oran, where a day's demonstra- PRODUCTS AND PERSONALITIES—a quartet of news-pictures from the industry: (Top left) Air Marshal Sir Andrew McKee, A.O.C-in-C. Trans- port Command, visiting Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, examines a water-pressure test-section of the A.W.650 fuselage. (Top right) at Westlands, Mr. Aubrey Jones, Minister of Supply—fourth from left—discusses with Mr. E. C. Wheeldon (managing director) the Napier Gazelle installation in the Wessex. (Bottom left) Martin-Baker Mk 5 fully automatic ejection seats ready for delivery to the U.S. Navy and U.S.A.F. (Bottom right) First of the 22 Hawker Sea Hawks for the Royal Netherlands Navy was collected from A.W.A.'s Bitteswell Airfield on July 18; I. to r. are Baron van Boetzelaer, who formally accepted the aircraft; Lt-Cdr. R. J. Idzerda, who flew it home and will command the first squadron; Lt. C. Timmer, technical liaison officer; S/L. E. G. Franklin, A.W.A. chief test pilot; and Capt. Edward F. Metzger, U.S.N.
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