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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1697.PDF
As reported last week, Aeronaves de Mexico's first Britannia 302 arrived in Mexico City on November 4. These pictures, taken at Bristol before the aircraft left, show the elegant interior and exterior styling of the aircraft. Aeronaves services to New York will start on December 6. NUTTS CORNER INQUIRY? 'T'HE Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr. HaroldA Watkinson, was asked in the House of Commons recently whether a public inquiry would be held into the accident to theB.E.A. Viscount 802 G-AOJA at Nutts Corner, Belfast, on October 23. The Minister replied that the Chief Inspector of Accidents wasconducting a detailed investigation, and that "in accordance with normal procedure I shall decide when I see his preliminary reportwhether the circumstances justify a public inquiry." The Minister was then asked whether it was not unusual forthese preliminary inquiries to take so long before it was decided whether or not to have a public inquiry. The Minister explained that the only delaying circumstance was the damage to, and dis-persal of, the wreckage. However, at the time this issue of Flight went to press, nearly three weeks after the accident, it had still notbeen decided whether to hold a public inquiry. The Minister's account of the accident, which he gave in theCommons on October 30, made it clear that the aircraft was not under G.C.A. control when it crashed. The Minister's reportwas as follows: "At approximately 1645 hours, in conditions of low cloud and rain, an approach to runway 28 was made, usingthe ground-controlled approach. On completion of the G.C.A. talk-down, the pilot commenced to take normal action to overshoot.Almost immediately afterwards the aircraft crashed near the up-wind end of the runway." BREVITIES A POSSIBLE order for three Comet 4Bs from Pacific Western **• Airlines of Vancouver is reported by the American Aviation Daily. The order would depend on the award of a new route between Vancouver and Windsor, Ont. * * * K.L.M.'s United Kingdom general manager, Mr. William de Mier, has been appointed general manager in Mexico. His suc- cessor will be Mr. Willem A. Kermer. Mr. George Gardner, president of Northeast Airlines, has saidthat his order for Britannias (postponed last September) depends upon C.A.A. certification being achieved by May 1, 1958.* * * There were reports last week that engine fuel icing in jet trans-ports is causing concern. The implications of this are discussed in an article on page 770.* * * A new Dutch independent operator, to be known as AviameerAirlines, has been formed in Antwerp (Deurne). The director is Mr. Alfred Meerbergen, and the commercial manager is Mr. PaulHazelof. * * * International Aeradio announce that the air traffic control andtelecommunications services in the Sudan have now been handed over to the company's senior representative there, MohammedAbdulla Maghrabi Effendi. * * * K.L.M. have ordered three Lockheed 1049Hs for delivery in1958, and Swissair announce a DC-7C repeat-order for one air- craft to be delivered early in 1959, increasing their DC-7C fleet tofive. Swissair have ordered a DC-6A also. * * * For a reason which is not clear, 300 Bahamas taxi drivers riotedat Windsor Airport, Nassau, on November 3, demolishing a build- ing and causing the diversion of flights by driving their taxis onto the runways. * * * Croydon Chamber of Commerce and Croydon Airport Users'Association were opening last Wednesday an exhibition to enlist the support of local residents in keeping the airport open. Theexhibition—at the Central Baths, Croydon—will be open every day from 2-10 p.m. until November 23. * * * As Flight went to press, a PanAm Stratocruiser was still missingatter being reported overdue on a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu on Saturday, November 9. There were 44 people onj^d. A large-scale search by aircraft and ships (including three K-A.F. Shackletons from Christmas Island) has so far been unrewarded. Aeronaves de Mexico, who are now taking delivery of theirBritannia 302s (see heading pictures), announce the signing of a contract for three Lockheed Electras. This brings the Electraorder-book to 146 aircraft ordered by 13 airlines. * * * Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie have taken delivery of the first of dieirthree Tu-104As. The other two will be delivered early in 1958. The airline intends to operate Tu-104 services between Prague andMoscow, on the Prague - Cairo - Beirut - Damascus route, and possibly on the Prague - London service eventually. * * * South African Airways have decided to re-equip with jet air-liners, and their choice will be announced within the next six weeks. The three types being considered, for an order worthabout £5m (including spares), are the Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, and de Havilland Comet 4 or 4C. * * * The London consultant firm of Saben, Hart and Partners arestudying the design of an 1,800-passenger, 3,000,000 lb flying-boat airliner and freighter/ tanker. The freighter version would have aspan of 470ft, and a payload of 1,000,000 lb, and be powered by eight turboprops of about 25,000 s.h.p. each. The airliner wouldcarry its passenger load at a speed of 650 m.p.h. For simplicity there would be no windows. Extensive use of dimpled steel sheet(the German "Calottan" technique) would be used. Icelandic Air-lines' total trans- atlantic passenger-mileage increased by 25 per cent in1956. Icelandic, who have two Elec-tras on order, oper- ate four DC-4s onlow - fare (non - I.A.T.A.) trans-atlantic services be- tween New Yorkand the United Kingdom via Ice-land. On these pages we re- cently recorded Lock- heed's references to nuclear - powered transports. This scheme, which shows the positioning of the reactors, is obviously based on the C-130.
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