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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0670.PDF
686 FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION . . . LONDON HELIPORT COMPETITION DISCONTENT about British civil helicopter progress wasvoiced recently by Lord Douglas, who said in as many words that, unless Government support is more fully forthcoming, thenation may as well decide to drop its promising helicopters— i.e., the Fairey Rotodyne, the Westland Westminster and theirdevelopments—altogether. He added that "penny packets" of Government support merely squandered the taxpayers' money. This point of view fairly summarizes the technical develop-ment status of British commercial helicopters today. And discon- tent with the continuing official neglect of helicopter operationswas also in the news last week. As recorded in Flight of March 7, two private concerns are now This is Westland's scheme for a London heliport, the public inquiry into which was due to be in progress today in London. Its position relative to Battersea power station is clearly seen: the Thames-side strip in the foreground measu.es 125ft by 50ft; the large building beyond the 200ft wide dispersal area is a proposed new factory. See item below, which discusses also the Rotorports, Ltd., scheme. competing for the honours of constructing and operating a heli-port in London. The capital has had no scheduled helicopter services, and no permanent heliport, since the South Bank sitewas closed to B.E.A. in 1955. The two organizations concerned are Westland Aircraft, Ltd.,and Rotorports, Ltd. To recapitulate their plans: Westland pro- pose to develop a permanent site on the Thames near Batterseapower station (see illustration); Rotorports, Ltd., propose—for their first stage—a temporary lOOft-square floating platform offthe Albert Embankment opposite the Tate Gallery. Each organiza- tion has submitted its plans to the authorities for approval; lastweek, in the County Hall, Westminster, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government public inquiry into Rotorports' plans washeard. Today, May 16, the Westland proposals were due to be heard, also in the County Hall. Objections to the Rotorports plan-—which, as a floating site,represents only the first experimental stage towards a permanent riverside site—came at last week's inquiry from Westland, theLondon County Council, the Westminster Hospital, and various concerns with premises near the site. The findings of this publicinquiry, and that which was due to follow today into the com- peting scheme, will be awaited with the greatest interest byLondoners, and by those who hope to see official encouragement of British helicopter operations. VETO ON THE Tu-104 N the Tu-104 was last week required to land the MoscowArts Theatre party at Stansted instead of at London Airport, it was assumed that an official ban on the Russian jet's use ofL.A.P. is now in force. In fact, because the noise of the aircraft is considered by the U.K. authorities to be unacceptably high(the Russians accept this, and are taking steps to reduce it), the Tu-104 will not for the time being be accepted at London—exceptin special diplomatic circumstances. Thus the Tu-104, without any Russian political umbrage havingbeen caused at all, is at the moment banned from the airports of the West's three main capitals—New York, London and Paris. BREVITIES LATEST customer in the DC-8 order book is Iberia, who have•> ordered two for delivery in 1960 and taken an option on a third. DC-8 orders now stand at 140. S.A.S. may increase theiroption by two, giving seven on order and five on option. * * * A provisional Certificate of Airworthiness has been awarded to the Dart Herald which has now completed 70 hr flying. * * * The Federation of Malaya has become a member of I.C.A.O.;there are now 72 member States. * * * Aerlinte Eireann and Austrian Airlines have been admitted asactive members of I.A.T.A. This brings the total number of active members to 75 and the total membership to 84.* * * Two Fairchild F-27 Friendships are now flying at Hagerstown.The third—due to be delivered to West Coast Airlines in June— should fly shortly. * * + While alterations at Airways Terminal are carried outB.O.A.C.'s Cargo Department has moved to 14 Dilke Street, Chelsea Embarkment, London, S.W.3.* * * The first production Caravelle should fly this month and twomore production aircraft before the end of the year. Sud-Aviation have scheduled for production of 75 aircraft, and will manufactureup to three per month in the first half of 1960 and five aircraft a month after that if necessary. Components and equipment aresupplied by 260 companies, French, British and American. * * * Work on sub assemblies of the twenty-eighth Electra has begunat Lockheed's California Division. Three aircraft are now flying, three more are complete and 11 are on the assembly line. Anotheraircraft should fly this month. The Electra has been undergoing icing trials in the Anchorage area. It was shown that 3jin ofice on the wing and tailplane leading-edges could be dissipated in between 8 sec and 13 sec. Air Charter have received a contract from the Dutch distribu-tors of Rover cars to fly at least 300 Rovers and Land Rovers annually from Southend to Rotterdam. * * * One of the two prototype Fokker Friendships left Schiphol onApril 27 for a demonstration tour of South America. The aircraft is fitted with pylon tanks and an auxiliary fuselage tank. Stopswill include Brasilia and the 13,190ft altitude airfield at La Paz. * * * Figures quoted by the British Travel and Holidays Associationshow that 64,700 overseas visitors arrived in Britain during March —15 per cent more than last year. Excluding those from theCommonwealth, 53 per cent of all March visitors arrived by air. * * * B.O.A.C. are to discontinue the four times weekly servicebetween Miami and Nassau on June 3, it was announced in the U.S. by B.O.A.C.'s manager, Mr. R. H. Trench Thompson. Theroute has not proved profitable. * * * A new weather ship, Weather Reporter, is to take her placethis month in the chain of five European vessels stationed between Europe and North America. The new ship, which has a crewof 50, replaces Weather Explorer. * * * • Five features dealing with London Airport will be shown inB.B.C. Children's Television at approximately monthly intervals this summer. The series is called Skyport Story and the individualprogrammes "Coming and Going," "Live Freights," "Servicing the Giants," "Aircrew" and "Control Tower." The first pro-gramme will be screened next Tuesday, May 20. * * * The Canadian Government Board of Inquiry into the loss ofthe T.C.A. North Star on December 9, 1956, concluded that the accident occurred as the probable result of icing or turbulencewhile the aircraft was flying on three engines. They said that it was not possible to determine why the aircraft was flying lowenough for it to strike Mount Slesse.
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