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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1847.PDF
3,3 December 1957 937 THE INDUSTRY D.H. Chief Addresses Dowty Apprentices A LARGE gathering of apprentices and trainees of the DowtyGroup, and their parents and friends, were addressed by Mr. A. F. Burke, deputy chairman and managing director of deHavilland Aircraft, Ltd., on November 22. The occasion was the Dowty Group's annual prizegiving at Arle Court, and Mr. Burkewas optimistic about the future both of the aircraft industry and of those entering it. The trouble with the British, he felt, was that we were toomodest. We didn't shout enough about our own achievements and were far too eager to give away our hard-earned knowledge. Fewpeople realized the extent of our achievements—for example, the first American jet aircraft had a Dowty fuel system and a deHavilland engine. Paying tribute to Sir George Dowty, Mr. Burke told the appren-tices : "You have in your chairman an example of what can be done with nothing to back you but a sound engineering training,enthusiasm, confidence in oneself, courage, and the health and ability to work hard."Mr. Burke reassured parents worried by the threat of redun- dancy in the military aircraft industry. "I can assure you theyhave chosen wisely. It is the most advanced side of engineering and from it anyone could go into any other branch." Welcoming Mr. Burke, who later presented the prizes, SirGeorge Dowry described him as one of the great leaders of the aircraft industry. He reminded the assembly that before manyof them were born Mr. Burke flew the Atlantic in the R.I00. Mr. K. J. Hume, Dowty Group education and training officer,thanked Mr. Burke for his address and spoke briefly on the educational activities of the group during the past year. A New Actuator A SPECIAL twin-motor offset actuator has been produced byWestern Manufacturing (Reading), Ltd. It has been designed for normal working conditions but, in the event of failure of onemotor the other, which is identical, carries on normal functioning. Each is controlled by its own main and emergency limit switchesand if one switch or other component fails, the other will break the circuit. In operation, the limit switches are capable of adjust-ment to give a range of strokes. Accessibility is stated to be good and no special tools are required. The electrical system is in two separate and independent parts.Each is connected to the external supply by its own flying lead, thereby providing an independent supply for each motor. Theactuator is flame- and water-proofed. Principal data are as follows: —Normal working load, 30 lb; maximum working load, 45 lb; normal voltage, 28 volts D.C.; normal current, 1.65 amp; stroke, 2.75in; time ofstroke, 4.5 sec /in; time of rating, 1 min; recommended service life, 1,000 hr; weight, 4 lb. Wakefield and Fletcher Miller TTHE entire share capital of Fletcher Miller, Ltd., Alma Mills,A Hyde, Cheshire, the parent company of a group of ten, is to be acquired, subject to contract, by C. C. Wakefield and Co., Ltd.,the makers of Castrol. Part of the purchase consideration will be the allotment to thevendors of some of Wakefield's ordinary shares which when issued are to be converted into stock. For the latter purpose an extra-ordinary general meeting of C. C. Wakefield and Co., Ltd., is being called. Versatile Crane A NEW crane for which considerable demand is foreseen from^*- both the industry and the airlines has been developed by the British Hoist and Crane Co., Ltd., of Compton, Berks. Designatedthe "Iron Fairy" hydraulic mobile crane, it incorporates a num- ber of practical design features. The crane was originally designed for applications where loadsmust be moved through a large horizontal distance in relation to vertical lift. Later, a customer asked for a crane capable of hand-ling aero engines weighing up to 35 cwt during installation and removal. Additional requirements were the ability to pass underthe wing of a large aircraft, and to travel at considerable speed over relatively rough ground.In meeting these requirements the company have produced what appears to be a very versatile machine. The crane ispowered either by a 2,178 c.c. diesel developing 30 b.h.p. at l,i00 r.p.m. or a 2,200 c.c. petrol engine giving 37 b.h.p. at 1,800r-r.m. Minimum height is 9ft and width is 7ft 3in. Maximum sp >eds of 30 m.p.h. unloaded and 5-10 m.p.h. loaded are claimed.St ering is via the rear wheels and hydraulic brakes are fitted on all four wheels. The "Iron Fairy" crane (described here) Hits a Hercules engine. The jib is luffed by a vertically mounted double-actinghydraulic ram. This is the means of lifting—no hoist winch is fitted, though one is available as an optional extra. The jib canalso be extended telescopically by six feet and slewed through a total of 175 deg, both these functions being carried out hydraulic-ally. Maximum lift is approximately 18£ft. Maximum safe working load is given as two tons; this isreduced to one ton when the jib is fully extended in the hori- zontal position.Speed of jib movement is proportional to engine speed and reaches a normal maximum of 70ft/min. To provide the accuracyof control necessary when handling loads such as aircraft engines an additional master hand control is provided to adjust the rateof descent to a minimum of 1 in/min. Optional extras include a glass-fibre cab, audible and visibleoverload warning, a fork-lift attachment to lift 2\ tons, a shovel with hydraulic opening and closing, hydraulic steering, ahydraulic hoist winch, and a high-speed lift device giving a hoist speed of 100ft/min. IN BRIEF Mr. Wilfred Latham has been appointed resident Scandinavianliaison officer of Birfield Industries, Ltd., with an office in Stock- holm, and will be responsible for the group's interests in Sweden,Norway, Denmark and Finland. * * * Formerly general sales manager of Gerrard Industries, Ltd.,and Gerrard Safe Seal (Overseas), Ltd., S/L. Denis Dickson has joined H. and D. Churchill, Ltd., Waterloo Road, South Yardley,Birmingham, as sales manager. * * * Mr. P. A. Clayton has been appointed sales manager ofAmphenol (Great Britain), Ltd., with effect from December 1. He was previously with Belling and Lee, Ltd. Amphenol aremanufacturers of electronic and communications equipment. * * *Entitled Noral Products—Tables of Weights, a new publication by Northern Aluminium Co., Ltd., Banbury, Oxon, provides aready source of information on the weights of the company's aluminium products—sheet, corrugated sheet, plate, circles, bar,tubes and wire. * * * A visit was recently paid by Mr. J. W. P. Angell, director ofF. G. Miles, Ltd., to the Bell Helicopter Corporation at Fort Worth, Texas. Following the return visit of Mr. Owen Q. Niehaus,chief of servo/electronics at Bells, agreement has been reached by the two companies to technical liaison between Miles and Bell,with particular reference to servo/electronic developments and visual-presentation projection systems in helicopter simulators.* * * Two new iin drills have been added to the range of industrialdrills produced by Wolf Electric Tools, Ltd., Pioneer Works, Hanger Lane, London, W.5. One is a general-duty drill, theOK2c, recommended for all continuous light production and general duty work; the other—described as a de luxe heavy-dutyproduction drill, type KG2c—has a patented insulation of phenolic resin moulded to the inside of the switch handle.
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