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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0425.PDF
SCIMITAR SIMULATOR—different from Air Trainers' kind—is this "tank," used for testing the steam catapults of H.M.S. "Victorious" and having the same weight as one of the new Supermarine fighter/ bombers. A news-item (Col. 2 opposite page) gives further details. SHIPMATES: Ranged on the flight deck of H.M.S. "Ark Royal" (right) are two Chance Vought F8U Crusaders and two Douglas A4D Skyhawks, based aboard U.S.S. "Saratoga" The American visitors are seen in company with Sea Venoms and a Sea Hawk. object of the trials is to measure the effect of the catapults on theship's steam system and to train the catapult crews. Those taking part include an analysis team from the R.A.E.,Bedford; officers from the Department of the Engineer-in-Chief, Admiralty; and representatives of the Flight Deck MachineryTrials and Training Unit, based on R.N.A.S. Lee-on-Solent. When Victorious, which was commissioned in January, goes to seain June her catapults will be used by aircraft for the first time. Scimitars (whose working-up at R.N.A.S. Ford is described onpages 449-451) will be among the aircraft types embarking in the carrier. Vulcan's Swift Trips SINCE the opening of Embakasi, Nairobi, Airport (described inFlight for March 21), some details have become available of a notable flight by one of the Vulcans of No. 83 Sqn. which tookpart in the display. The aircraft, with A.V-M. "Gus" Walker on board, flew 1,215 miles from Nairobi to Salisbury, Rhodesia, at anaverage speed of 593 m.p.h. and made the return trip at 608 m.p.h. Exports "All-time High" "EXPORTS by the aircraft industry for January and February-*-/ reached what has been described by the S.B.A.C. as "an all-time high"—£24,157,745 compared with £16,742,595 for thesame period last year. February's figure, £12,978,483, was the biggest ever for that month and die third largest monthly total onrecord. Sales of aircraft and parts reached the high level of £8,780,719; engines accounted for £3,694,019; electrical parts£290,045; tyres £43,472 and aeronautical instruments £170,228. India was the best customer during February, buying £1,979,625worth of aircraft and parts, followed by Canada (£1,633,713) and the U.S. (£1,009,515). Some 22 per cent of the January-Februarytotal for aircraft and parts—amounting to over £3,360,000—was paid in dollars. Percy Pilcher Museum AT Stanford Hall, a William and Mary stately home on theLeicestershire-Northamptonshire border, an aeronautical museum has been set up to honour the memory and pioneer workof Percy Sinclair Pilcher. It contains a full-scale replica of his glider "The Hawk"; a mural painting symbolizing him as IcarusSecundus; early photographs depicting his experiments; and a widely-culled selection of press-cuttings describing the replica,which was built by apprentices of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd., and is suspended from the ceiling with a Pilcher-like figureflying it. On March 26 the replica was formally handed over to LordBraye, the owner of Stanford, by Mr. E. T. Jones on behalf of the Royal Aeronautical Society. It vas Pilcher's friendship with LordBraye's father which brought him to use the surrounding parkland for experimental flying, and the present owner's enthusiasm foraviation has led him to establish the museum; and it was before members of the (then) Aeronautical Society that Pilcher wasdemonstrating when he met with a fatal accident on September 30, i899. A stone monument, set up by the Society, stands in nearbyfields on the Northamptonshire side of the Avon to commemorate ^ilcher; and in the museum he now has a more human andnteresting memorial. Lord Braye said at the handing-over ceremony that, having been] pilot himself, it always was his ambition to "bring PuJhei to the •ore." Mr. Jones said that he was handing-trer the replica on•-•ehalf of his present successor as R.Ae.S. president, Sir George Edwards, but that the Society was only its conveyor—the real donorbeing Mr. H. M. Woodhams, managing director of Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd. "Pucher had very great andforceful ideas," said Mr. Jones, "and had he not demonstrated when weather conditions were not entirely suitable he might haveachieved the first powered flight." Stanford Hall and the museum are to be open to the publicfrom next Sunday (April 6) onwards, and thereafter on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons until the end of October. Theestate lies south of the A427 road from Rugby to Market Har- borough. A photograph of the replica of "The Hawk," atBaginton, was published in Flight for March 14 and a com- memorative article on Percy Pilcher appeared on March 9,1956. More Solid-Propellant Missiles ACCORDING to Maj-Gen. Bernard Schriever, commander of*•*• the Ballistic Missile Division of the U.S.A.F., a design com- petition will shortly be held to determine contractors for the"second-generation" ICBMs and IRBMs with solid-propellant motors. The prime contractor for the first U.S. Army second-generation strategic weapon (the solid-propellant Pershing) was named last week as the Martin Company (Baltimore division).The Army has special authority to develop the Pershing, since its range is at least 300 miles in excess of the Army's "legal limit" of200 miles. Musick Trophy Awarded /"\N the occasion of the Royal Aeronautical Society's Common-^-' wealth Memorial Lecture on March 27 (see page 444) the Musick Memorial Trophy was presented to Mr. G. G. Roberts,technical director of Smiths Aircraft Instruments, who shares the award with Mr. J. E. N. Hooper of the Royal Radar Establishmentfor the work which they did on cloud-and-collision-warning radar. The Trophy, which was raised by public subscriptions inAuckland, New Zealand, is in memory of Captain Edwin Musick and six of his companions who were killed when the SamoanClipper was lost on its first commercial flight from America to New Zealand in 1938. The award is made by the Royal NewZealand Aero Club who obtain nominations from the R.Ae.S. and the I.A.S. in America and is made annually to the group orindividual making the most practical contribution, development or improvement to the safety of aircraft with special regard totrans-oceanic aviation. Comets at Work AN incident which occurred on an R.C.A.F. Comet recently has**• focused attention on the robustness of the modified fuselage. While the aircraft was flying at 41,000ft, 15 miles south-west ofOttawa, a dinghy contained in the port wing blew out and the stowage panel punctured the fuselage and caused a pressure leak.The aircraft, one of the two Comet lAs of 412 Squadron R.C.A.F., landed without further incident. The commanding officer of412 Squadron is attempting to trace parts of the dinghy. Royal Air Force Transport Command Comets were also in thenews recently. Some aircraft were foiled to be suffering from minor external corrosion on the underside, apparently owing toincompatibility between the paint and some fluid—it is suggested that liychdulic or de-icing fluid is a likely cause. The trouble isnot serious and quite simple repairs are being carried out to the aircraft in rotation. Polished Comets, such as B.O.A.C.'s 2Es,are not affected. Transport Command's ten aircraft have now accumulated 10,000 flying hours.
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