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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1292.PDF
380 FLIGHT, 6 September 1957 FROM ALL QUARTERS (continued from page 378) A Fine Flying Film in Prospect r :D URING Battle of Britain Week, a new British flying filmcalled High Flight is to have its world premiere at the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square, London. The background storyconcerns three young men who pass out from Cranwell and pro- gress in their R.A.F. careers to the point of representing the Servicein a formation aerobatic team at the Farnborough Display. The part of their instructor is played by Ray Milland. A Flight representative was given the exclusive opportunity ofviewing some of the Eastmancolour Cinemascope air-to-air sequences for this film. For some seven minutes (he writes) I wastreated to as fine and dramatic a view of formation aerobatics as I could ever wish to see. The "actors" were the four-Hunter teamof No. 43 Squadron, and the "cameraman" was the only F.R. Hunter—specially and expensively modified to carry a forward-facing Cinemascope camera. The photographic pilot controlled the ranging of the camera with the aid of his gunsight and powerlever twist-grip, and followed the formation through rolls and loops to produce intimate and dramatic sequences. Of the total100 minutes' length of the film, some 40 minutes are taken up directly with aerial and cockpit photography. The seven-minuteextract I watched was probably lie high-spot of those 40 minutes. In another exciting sequence the photographic Hunter followedtwo others in a thrilling low-flying progress down an autumn- tinted Scottish valley which, surprisingly, bore a close resemblanceto the German countryside in which this part of the story unfolds. Other fine air-to-air shots were taken from a Lincoln. High Flight, which has been approved by the Air Ministry, ispresented by Warwick Film Productions, produced by Phil C. Samuel and directed by John Gilling. Lee-on-Solent "At Home" NONE of the 17,000 visitors (paying and otherwise) who wentaboard H.M.S. Daedalus—to the landlubber, R.N.A.S. Lee- on-Solent—last Saturday could complain of not being well enter-tained. In a brisk hour and a half, most forms of Fleet Air Arm aircraft and activity—except (rather surprisingly) dummy decklandings—were displayed with skill and energy; while to pass the time before flying began a static exhibition was on viewand pleasure flights were available. And for those too young to be interested in aeroplanes the Navy had, as usual, thoughtfullyprovided a helter-skelter, see-saw and swings. In the morning at Lee there had been much downcast lieuten-antry and above; for with low cloud and rain driving up the Solent, display prospects looked dismal. But by postponing the pro-gramme for an hour, the best of the afternoon was secured; and when 21 Dragonflies, Hillers and Whirlwinds of 705 Sqn. appeared at 1600 hr in a stately fly-past, conditions were not only flyable butrapidly improving to a nice admixture of cumulus shot with blue patches. Helicopters held the stage for the next two items, Lt-Cdr. Wilcoxgiving a spritely demonstration of how to hang a Hiller up by its rotors, and a Whirlwind towing a beer-laden lorry while the crew ofa Dragonfly skilfully pinched—or, more explicitly, winched—one of its barrels. Then, with a fly-past by 24 of the F.A.A.'s presentfixed-wing strength—four Sea Hawks (738 Sqn.), 12 Gannets (796 Sqn.), four Wyverns from the Conversion Unit and fourVenoms (766 Sqn.)—the display got under way in earnest; and the red Sea Hawks, in a preview of their Farnborough turn, showedthat the R.A.F. has no monopoly of precise formation aerobatics. Not to be outdone as showmen, four Whirlwinds then performeda demure square-dance; and as soon as they disappeared Capt. Scott of Martin-Baker Aircraft shot across the field in a Meteor 7to demonstrate a dummy ejection. Then "something new, some- thing old" was the order of the day: Cdr. Chilton showed offthe Scimitar at speed and with everything down and out; Jeffrey Quill nostalgically manoeuvred the last Spitfire and Lt-Cdr. Barnesthe surviving Swordfish; "Jock" Elliot burned up the damp atmo- sphere" in a Sea Vixen; and, for good measure, S/L. Whittingtonshowed off the Gnat's reliability (but not, of course, in a strictly Naval context). Lee's air day ended with a bang—or rather, several (thoughnot supersonic ones)—as Royal Marines and four Venoms attacked some mediaeval-looking "rebels," while in the rear the 9th Inde-pendent Parachute Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, built a Bailey Bridge in just over a quarter of an hour from parts supplied bythe helicopters of 705 Sqn. and 700H Flight. With the battle won and the display complete, pleasure flyingresumed as low clouds trickled in from the Solent. But by then H.M.S. Daedalus had shown her mettle; and not only the publicbut also the recruiting officers, no doubt, were highly pleased at her performance. Harold Gatty WE record with regret that Harold Charles Gatty, who flew asnavigator with Wiley Post on his record round-the-world flight in 1931, died at Suva, Fiji, on August 30. Born in Tasmania (his family settled in the U.S.A. in 1927),Harold Gatty was a brilliant navigator. Before his flight with Post he had attempted a Pacific crossing with Harold Bromley,bringing him safely back to Japan after 25 hours over the water, 21^ of them in cloud. Before his flight with Post he devised anew ground speed and drift indicator which was later licensed for manufacture by the U.S. Government WELCOME TO LONDON: CONFERENCE VISITORS AT THE R.Ae.S. Although the technical proceedings of the R.Ae.S.-I.A.S. Anglo-American Conference do not open until next week, at Folkestone, the delegates have been busy this week visiting the Farnborough Show and various aeronautical establishments and factories, while their womenfolk have toured places of historic interest. The visitors were welcomed last Sunday at a cocktail party given by the Royal Aeronautical Society at 4 Hamilton Place, where these "Flight" photographs were taken. A summary of the conference papers begins on page 407 of this issue. Top Row: (First group) Right to left: R. W. Dunn, Kelvin and Hughes chief Bottom Row: (First group) Welman A. Shrader, I.A.S. director of publications; engineer; Russell McCrea, Ralph M. Parsons Co.; Mrs. McCrea; N. E. Rowe, Charles Tilgner, Jnr., Grumman chief aeronautical engineer; Mrs. and Miss Blackburn technical director. (Second group) Capt. J. L. Pritchard, R.Ae.S. Tilgner. (Second group) Carl L. Frederick, president of Frederick Research Corp. secretary from 1925 to 1951 (left) with S. Paul Johnston, director of the I.A.S., (right) and Mrs. Frederick (left) with R. Frederick, Jnr., and Miss Judy Moore, and Mrs. Johnston. (Third group) From Massachusetts Institute of Technology: (Third group) John W. Barter, Jnr., assistant chief design engineer, Douglas Emmett A. Witmer and Prof. R. L. Bisplinghoff. Aircraft, and Mrs. Barter.
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