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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0735.PDF
FLIGHT, 30 May 1958 751 CIVIL AVIATION HUNTING'S TWIN-JET P.107 TT has been known for some while that Hunting Aircraft are•*• considering the possibilities of a twin-jet transport. The existence of such a design was reported in Flight's "CommercialAircraft of the World" special issue of November 1 last year, but until very recently no official confirmation has been forthcomingfrom Hunting. Writing in the current Hunting Group Review, Mr. W. A. Summers, managing director of Hunting Aircraft,confirms that the firm have for a long time thought that "a good proposition" might be a twin-turbojet transport with 40 seatsand a range of 600-800 miles. An extensive design study was undertaken and the aircraft which emerged is now designatedP.107. It has been "modified considerably," says Mr. Summers, "from our first thoughts" (which were reputedly around anexecutive jet powered with two Bristol Orpheus—the formula to which Lockheed's executive Jetstar was developed). The possibilities of a small jet transport for the mid-1960sseem to be brightest in the Friendship or turboprop Convair replacement market. The more sophisticated short-haul airlineswhich are now re-equipping with turboprops seem likely to start introducing jets on to their networks in five or six years' time.The present rate of growth of the more successful carriers should make jet re-equipment feasible if the design is tailored to theirneeds, particularly in respect of seating capacity and runway performance. The P.107 could well fill the gap that now existsbetween the small-capacity, long-range executive jets (Jetstar, Sabreliner) and the short-haul trunk line transports such as theD.H. 121, Bristol 200 and Caravelle. It is now well understood that during the useful life of a basic design, larger and heaviervariants are developed to suit trunk-line needs and early aircraft are progressively passed on to smaller carriers. The tendency ismost clearly marked with the Douglas series of designs, but the same evolutionary process is applicable to the Viscount. A40-seater jet (with ample possibilities for design stretch) can be considered as touching the lower-capacity fringe of the Viscountreplacement market. Such an aircraft would sell at about £250,000 with 90 aircraftset as the break-even number for recovery of development costs, which (suggests Mr. Summers) would be between £4m to £5mfor design, testing, proving and tooling for production. Financing Trial installations of systems and furnishings for Convair's 880 are proved in this metal mock-up, built mainly from production parts in production jigs. Exceptions are the use of much thinner skinning. on this scale, he says, can only be done by two or three com-panies getting together to make a joint venture in which risks and liabilities are adequately spread. The companies need notlose their identities through amalgamation; a new theory of con- sortium and integration to undertake new projects can be workedout much in the way that de Havilland, Fairey and Hunting have done with the D.H. 121. SEABOARD'S IRISH INVESTMENT T^HE issued capital of Aerlinte Eireann—all of which is atx present held by the Irish Government through a State-owned holding company, Aer Rianta—is to be increased from £1,425,000to £1,925,000, the additional capital representing an investment of £500,000 by Seaboard and Western Airlines, Inc. The revisedstructure will give Seaboard and Western a 26 per cent share in Aerlinte Eireann and the right to a single seat on Aerlinte's Board(or two seats if the Board's membership is increased to seven). Although Seaboard's holding will be transferable to anotherinvestor, this would not include the right to be represented on Aerlinte's Board. Aerlinte's services are already being operated by Seaboard andWestern Super-Constellations on charter. The new financial arrangement will bring the two companies even closer together.Commenting on this development, Mr. J. F. Dempsey, Aerlinte's general manager, said: "It is a most encouraging vote of con-fidence in the operation and particularly gratifying as this is the first private investment in air transport in Ireland." Before becoming final, the transaction must be approved bythe C.A.B.—a body whose attitude must be conditioned by its recent dispute with Seaboard concerning charter flights operatedunder Aerlinte's colours. AUSTRALASIAN FURORE TF a report in the Australian Melbourne Sun is proved by events-•• to be correct and Ansett-A.N.A. is allowed, after all, to have at least two Electras, the Australian cabinet will have performeda sharp about-face. They had earlier (see Flight, April 25) rejected Ansett-A.N.A.'s application for Electras and disallowed T.A.A.'simport of Caravelles; the latter action, it appears, largely upon the advice of Mr. Ansett himself, who appealed to the Govern-ment to adopt "a cautious and conservative approach" and warned that if T.A.A. bought jets, his airline would be forced to followsuit. His argument was accepted to the extent that it was applied to his own Electra purchase, which was rejected on the groundsthat "their introduction into service on short range routes could only add substantially to the overall costs of national transport."The furore which greeted the Government's decision to overrule the equipment decisions of its domestic airlines apparently causedat least some relaxation in the attitude of Senator Paltridge, Australia's Minister of Civil Aviation; four days after his originalstatement he told Mr. Ansett that he was prepared to give further consideration to a written application from the airline for thepurchase of Electras. T.A.A. and Ansett-A.N.A.'s re-equipment plans are still undecided, and it seems unlikely that either willmake a move towards ordering Viscount 810s, which they con- sider are not suitable for their needs. Both airlines want to operatea larger aircraft than the Viscount and they hope to resuscitate the growth-rate of Australia's air traffic by offering immediate400 m.p.h. travel. If, as now seems increasingly likely, both air- lines are permitted to buy Electras, Lockheed will have a largestake in the Australian market: Ansett-A.N.A., T.A.A., Qantas and probably T.E.A.L. operating Electras, and Neptunes andC-130s in service with the R.A.A.F. The aircraft manufacturer is establishing a sales directorate in Sydney to further its interestsin Australia and the Far East. Aerlinte's flagship, named after Ire- land's patron saint, seen at Dublin. "St. Patrick" is the first of three L.I049Hs to be chartered from Seaboard and Western Airlines.
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