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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1402.PDF
492 FLIGHT, 20 September 1957 THE INDUSTRY Radar-absorbent Materials THE Plessey Group of companies has developed a range ofmaterials which absorb radar pulses instead of reflecting them. Though there would appear to be obvious attractions in this type of material for tactical counter-measures application, at the moment it is considered mainly as a laboratory tool. It could be readily applied to objects on and near airfields to make them non-reflective to surveillance radar and thus to eliminate sources of troublesome permanent echo. One of the materials consists of foam-rubber panels with a '*. cellular profile in which a radar beam is absorbed so that no energy remains to be reflected back. Radar pulses over a wide band of ' frequencies can be absorbed in this way. Another material is made up of rubber sheets bonded to brass gauze or sheet. In this case the pulses are blotted out by interference, i.e., reflections from the front and back surfaces cancel each other out. This material can deal only with a narrow band of frequencies, although different gauges of sheeting could be used to provide coverage of other bands. New Silicone Products Factory ' T> ECENTLY completed plant for Texas Instruments, Ltd.— -"• first British subsidiary of Texas Instruments, Inc.—is due to be opened on a site in Dallas Road, Bedford, on October 1 and thereafter the company will be engaged in the manufacture and marketing of silicon semiconductor products. Its parent concern is said to have pioneered the art of growing crystals for such products, and to be now the largest commercial manufacturer of germanium and silicon transistors (whether output is measured in units or dollars) in the world; the sub- sidiary is concentrat- ing initially on the production of silicon rectifiers and transis- tors which can be used in conditions where heat precludes the use of germanium types. The managing direc- tor of Texas Instru- ments, Ltd., is Mr. Dudley Saward, an ex- R.A.F. officer who during the war became chief radar officer to the A.O.C-in-C. Bomber Command, Air Chief Marshal (now Marshal of the R.A.F.) Sir Arthur Harris. Mr. Saward was appointed O.B.E. for his services in connection with the development and application of radar navigational and blind- bombing devices. After leaving the R.A.F., he served with B.E.A. until 1948, and helped to establish International Aeradio. Canadian Instrument Specialists /CURRENTLY developing telemetering apparatus for missiles ^ and high-speed aircraft, Phoenix Engineered Products, Ltd., of Toronto, have a varied background in the field of aircraft instru- ments. Over 3,000 instruments per month now pass through the company's North Toronto plant. The forerunner of the company was formed in Toronto during die early months of World War 2, when production of altimeters, A.S.I.s, manifold-pressure gauges, rate-of-climb indicators, fuel and oil-pressure gauges and boost gauges was begun to meet the critical shortage of these instruments in Canada. The company was the first in Canada devoted exclusively to the manufacture of aircraft instruments. Simultaneously, the production of electric- ally-driven fuel booster pumps was under way. In 1945 wartime contracts were cancelled and 1,200 skilled personnel were diverted to peacetime production. A nucleus of instrument designers remained, and Phoenix Engineered Products was forced to manufacture precision control devices and special tools. Overhaul and modification of precision instruments, includ- ing bombsights and gunsights, for the Canadian Services was recommenced in 1947. Five years later the company moved to a new 73,000 sq ft plant in North Toronto. Through the years the company has acquired physicists and engineers who are thoroughly competent to deal with electronics Mr. Dudley Saward. This Anson 19, owned by Lee Refrigeration, Ltd., and piloted by Mi. George Farley, operates from a private airfield adjoining the company's premises at Bognor Regis and is kept busy as an executive aircraft and flying showroom. In mid-October it is going to the Rhodesias and possibly South Africa, landing in Egypt en route; and a flight to Canada with long-range tanks installed) is planned for early next year. A typical "load" is the pilot and sales director, plus three refrigerators; and the Anson can take three passengers in addition. as applied to recent technology in weapons and aircraft. Phoenix products have attained a reputation for accuracy and reliability, a recent example being the selection of die company's precision transducer equipment for a most critical application after, it is stated, detailed comparative tests had been made of products from reputable organizations throughout the world. The Phoenix company also distribute a wide range of aircraft products, including Williamson aerial cameras and multiplex equipment, Old Delft scanning stereoscopes, Jackson stereoscopic projectors, Self Priming Pump and Engineering fuel booster pumps, and Avimo fittings. The Hon. James D. McCurdy, the first man to fly an aircraft in Canada, is one of the directors of the company. Irving Air Chute Post AT present at the Imperial Defence College, A. Cdre. C. L. •** Dann, C.B.E., B.Sc, F.R.Ae.S., has been appointed director of the research and development department of Irving Air Chute of Great Britain, Ltd. He was previously A.O.C. and Commandant of the R.A.F. Technical College, Henlow (1954-56); Director of Technical Ser- vices (Air), B.J.S.M., Washington (1951-54); Chief Superinten- dent, Rocket Propulsion Department, Westcott (1948-51); and Deputy Director, Operational Requirements (2), at Air Ministry (1946-48). IN BRIEF Mr. G. F. Laurence has been appointed personal assistant to Mr. M. Goldsmidi, chairman and managing director of Metalastik, Ltd. He was formerly director and general manager of Brookes (Oldbury), Ltd. * * * A catalogue is now available of KnitMesh products—applica- tions of which include air-intake elements, demister installations and shielding gaskets—manufactured by the Knitted Mesh Manufacturing Co., 36 Victoria Street, London, S.W.I. * * * Two new products of H.M.L. Engineering, Ltd.—a universal pump test-rig (designed to test hydraulic pumps with input torques up to 148 Ib/ft from 0-2,500 r.p.m. and 148-67 lb/ft from 2,500- 5,500 r.p.m.), and a universal tyre remover—are described in illustrated leaflets published from the company's offices at 466-490 Edgware Road, London, W.2. * * * W. S. Electronics (Production), Ltd., announce orders from the Royal Navy and the R.A.F. for their U.H.F. transmitter/receiver Type D.103, developed by W. S. Electronics as a proprietary equipment. They further announce the appointment of Col. A. E. Tyler, O.B.E., as general manager of both W. S. Electronics (Production), Ltd., and W. S. Electronics (Extruder), Ltd.; and that Messrs. G. C. Wheeler and J. Wolff have resigned from their directorships of these companies. Lt-Cdr. John C. Winterburgh, R.N. (Ret.), appointed assistant to Mr. John H. Davis, European sales representative in London for Cano- dair, Ltd. Lt-Cdr. Winterburgh, an electronics specialist and an accom- plished linguist, served during the war in the R.N. electrical engineer- ing branch. He recently paid a familiarization visit to the Canadai' factory in Montreal.
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