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Aviation History
1958
1958-1- - 0154.PDF
156 FLIGHT GIRDER CRANE: With its massive steel-tube- girder fuselage, the first Westland West- minster—a "flying crane" version—is seen in this impressive picture. There is little to give scale except the pilot—six-footer "Slim" Sear (whose bone-dome is just visible)—and the Bristol Freighter wheels. FROM ALL QUARTERS A P.I for TwoI T was announced last week that the English Electric P.ll, atrainer version of the P.I, has been ordered for the Royal Air Force by the Ministry of Supply.Like the P.I, the P.ll will be powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets and the full range of operational equipment is retained.One of the principal differences is that the forward part of the fuselage has been widened to accommodate two seats side by side.Announcing the order, English Electric state that the structural design work for the P.ll was done by their aircraft division draw-ing office at Acton, London. This office, with a staff of 80, was opened late in 1950 and was also responsible for the structuraldesign of the Canberra Mk 8. Aerodynamic design of both was done at the company's research and development centre at Warton. Explorer IV AMERICA'S fourth successful satellite was launched by theU.S. Army from Cape Canaveral on July 26. Like the Army's previous "Explorer" satellites, it was launched by a Jupiter C,which is basically an improved Redstone (much less powerful than the Jupiter IRBM). Explorer IV weighs 38.43 lb; thus, though itis tiny compared with the Soviet Sputniks, it is the heaviest American satellite so far launched.Unlike those of previous Canaveral launchings, the orbit started in a north-easterly direction; altitude limits of the orbit are about175 and about 1,365 miles, and the longitude limits are 51 deg north and 51 deg south. Airborne equipment includes four radia-tion counters (two Geiger, two scintillation) and two beacon trans- mitters (108.03 Mc/s). H.P.lll T^\EPICTED in the accompanying artist's impression, the•*•"' H.P.lll is a projected transport derivative of the Victor B.2; and Handley Page, Ltd., announce that details of its potentialitieshave been given to the R.A.F. The first news of the H.P.lll was contained in our issue of July 11 (p. 35). Handley Page confirmits ability to carry 200 soldiers or 60,000 1b of freight for 3,800 statute miles. In the tactical sphere it could carry 120 para-troopers, dropping four at a time. Employing blown flaps and reverse thrust from the engines (presumably four Rolls-RoyceConways), it is calculated to be capable of operating from a 1,000 yd strip with reduced pay load. Re-entry at Woomera ACCORDING to reports from Australia, plans are in hand for• a series of re-entry experiments to be undertaken at the Woomera range. The largest vehicle to be employed will be theBlue Streak, which has already been officially mentioned by the Minister of Defence. Developed by D.H. Propellers, D.H. Air-craft, Rolls-Royce and Sperry, Blue Streak is stated to have a range of 3,000 miles and to be capable of acting as a satellite-launcher in addition to its design role of thermonuclear trans- porter.The other vehicle will be the Black Knight. According to a correspondent of the News Chronicle: "The Black Knight, beingdeveloped by Saunders-Roe, is designed to solve the problem of getting a missile back into the atmosphere without it burning up.It generates a thrust of 100 tons and a roar which can be heard 50 miles away. It is said here to have been highly successful intests at the British research station at Westcott, Bucks. Fired in a long, water-filled concrete spillway, the rocket made the biggestjet of flame ever generated in Britain. It is now undergoing captive tests on the Isle of Wight." Capt. Iven C. Kincheloe : .; 1 regret to record the death, in a flying accident last Saturday,of Capt. Iven C. Kincheloe, the U.S.A.F. test pilot who was to have carried out the Service trials of the North American X-15.He ejected from an F-104 shortly after take-off from Edwards A.F.B. (the F-104 has a downward-ejecting seat). One of the most experienced and skilled test pilots in theU.S.A.F., Capt. Kincheloe had been training for some time as one of the team of three pilots destined to fly the X-15. He wasa qualified engineer and had made many flights in the X-series rocket-powered research aircraft. In 1956 he set up the unofficialheight record of 126,000ft in the X-2. Seaslug Success IT is announced by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraftthat, during recent trials of Seaslug—the Royal Navy's ship- to-air guided weapon—direct hits have been obtained on targetaircraft by inert rounds. The trial firings have been made both from Aberporth and from the trials ship H.M.S. Girdle Ness. Apropulsion test vehicle with a configuration similar to that of the operational weapon will be displayed for the first time at theforthcoming S.B.A.C. Show. A.S.M. Appoint Chief Engineer IT was announced last Monday that Mr. Sidney Allen,M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S., has been appointed chief engineer for all Armstrong Siddeley products except motor cars. He willbe responsible to Mr. W. H. Lindsey, M.A., M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S., technical director. Born in 1909 and educated at Wellington School, Somerset,Mr. Allen was apprenticed to Petters of Yeovil in 1926 and remained with them as a designer-draughtsman until 1934, whenhe joined Armstrong Siddeley. He subsequently became chief combustion engineer and, latterly, chief engineer (rockets). In addition to their aero engines, cars and rocket motors,Armstrong Siddeley are now building air-cooled diesel engines and auxiliary gas turbines and air starters. They are to manu-facture the large Maybach diesels under licence and have other projects in hand. TREBLE ONE is Handley Page's popular designation of the H.P.lll transport project, shown in this artist's impression and subject of a news item in column one of this page.
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