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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1821.PDF
ELECTRA: Last Friday, 56 days ahead of the schedule set more than a year ago, the first Lockheed Electro (seen here on the day of its roll- out) made an 87-min maiden flight at Burbank. Test pilot "Fish" Salmon described the 1,800ft take-off as "phenomenal." Ltd., to Lt-Cdr. T. C. Evans, R.N., who now goes to join theNaval Squadron at Boscombe Down. Strangely, the Commandant, G/C. R. E. Burns, did not callfor the traditional "schoolmaster's titfer" before welcoming the guests (or those of them who had not been prevented from attend-ing by the fog which still blanketed parts of the country). He stated that the optimum strength of a course had been found tobe 35, but that economies following the Suez operations last year had made it necessary to refuse the applications of six foreignpilots. No. 16 Course nevertheless included representatives from India and Holland, as well as from the Commonwealth and theUnited States. Commenting on impending economy cuts, G/C. Burns said that test pilots would continue to be required and thata school was the best institution for training them. He therefore suggested that all test pilot-training establishments in theCommonwealth, the industry and NATO be combined into a single unit. Further development of the V-bombers was sug-gested as one of the many tasks test pilots would have to carry out in the future. Sir George Edwards said that tears already in his eyes preventedhim from reading the tear-jerking speech he had prepared on the troubles of the industry. The procurement versus design curvewas now, he continued, in a trough and the industry would in two-and-a-half years be breaking its neck to build aircraft whichhad not been ordered five years before. A proportion of the funds allocated to aircraft procurement was dissipated by otheragencies before they reached the companies who had to spend them on design and construction. It was in any case certain andclear that the industry was- "going to be broke." In very much more serious vein, Sir George paid tribute to thework of test pilots who were, he said, the only men in the whole design and production chain who really risked their lives to provethe products. It was the test pilot who could make a poor start into something worthwhile; and it was fatal either to employ badtest pilots or to take no notice of what the good ones said. He adjured all those present to speak their minds and to take anyrecommendations about aircraft they were testing straight to the man who was really responsible for the project. AEROSCOOTER: Designed by, and flown by, the famous airman Mario de Bernardi, this little Italian two-seater is claimed to land in 130ft. MR. GODFREY AUTY has been appointed deputy chief test pilot to Bristol Aircraft, Ltd. He joined the flight test staff in 1951, after test flying at R.A.F. maintenance units. Born in 1921, he joined the R.A.F. in 1940. He saw ser- vice with No. 21 Sqn., 2nd T.A.F., and with No. 62 Sqn., S.E. Asia Command; he also flew Mos- quitoes, Dakotas and other types as a ferry pilot. Mr. Auty has been responsible for much of the flight development work on Britannias and on Bristol turbojet engines. He is at present in Mexico, supervising Britannia training with Aeronaves de Mexico S.A. STRATOLINER: Due to be the first of the new American transports to fly, the Boeing 707-120—also seen here on the day of its roll-out—has been beaten to the post by the Electra. It is still on schedule, however, being due to fly just after Christmas.
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