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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 0408.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 February 1959 201 The first Convair 880 (four G.E. CJ-805) on its successful maiden flight from San Diego on January 27 (see first news-item below) AIR COMMERCE CONVAIR DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE ON January 27 the Convair 880 took off from Lindbergh Field,San Diego, on its maiden flight. After an hour and 14 minutes in the air the new airliner landed at the U.S. Naval air station atNorth Island, where it is now completing the first ten hours of test flying.As far back as June 1956 the date for the 880's first flight was set at January 30, 1959—a target that was widely considered to benear impossible. The project, at first known as the Skylark 600, had been originally announced in April 1956. The following Junesaw orders placed for 40 Convair 880s (Golden Arrows)—30 for T.W.A. and 10 for Delta—and the following time-table wasrevealed: fabrication to commence, September 1957; mating of fuselage and wing structures, September 1958; first flight, January30, 1959; first delivery, November 1959; and final certification, May 1960. Subsequent orders for 880s were placed by Transcontinentaltfour), Real (four), and Swissair/S.A.S. (five). Including a prob- able order for nine aircraft from Captital, the 880 order book nowstands at 62. In addition, an order for 25 Convair 600s has been placed by American Airlines. Delivery of current 880 ordersshould be completed within 1960, construction being closely dove- tailed into the 600 programme. First flight of this latter type isscheduled for August next year, and delivery should start from June 1961. The 600 is slightly larger, and has CJ-805-21 turbofans. ARGENTINA'S FRIENDSHIPS : T^ffORE details are now available on Aerolineas Argentinas'iTi order for Fairchild Friendships. Ten will probably be needed for the internal and regional services, and an option will be placedon a further ten. The aircraft will be fitted as standard 40-seaters, and this should ensure that delivery will not be delayed; the wholefleet should be in operation before the end of this year. The choice was founded on the early availability offered byFairchild and on the F27s take-off and landing performance under local conditions. The airline has specified Dart 511s, itapparently being felt that these engines meet the operator's needs rather more closely than the more powerful 528s. . . _ WORLD'S LARGEST AIRLINE T^ESPITE the claims of Air France, the honour of being the*f world's largest airline belongs comfortably either to American Airlines or to United Air Lines. In the past few years United havebeen gradually catching up with their rival and over the first half of last year the two were level-pegging (see Flight, October 3).Subsequent monthly figures did not suggest that United were drawing ahead, but if American have in fact moved down intothe unaccustomed No. 2 position one reason may have been the three-week strike that grounded them at the year's end.It is perhaps significant that no statement has yet come from American showing their preliminary annual financial and trafficstatistics. This statement is normally issued in mid-January. Even when allowance is made for the commotions caused by thestrike and by inaugurating 707 and Electra services, the continued silence is a curious sign. United, on the other hand, have wasted no time in publishingdata for 1958. Operating revenues rose to a record $317m, operating expenses reached $286m, leaving a net profit after taxof $14m. The airline's president, Mr. W. A. Patterson, admits that "strikes against major competitors diverted additional trafficto us." Last year saw his airline's traffic reach record levels: 7.3 million passengers, 5,213 million passenger-miles and112 million cargo ton-miles (increases of 9, 7 and 17 per cent respectively). United are unlikely to base a public-relations campaign onthis development: firstly, if indeed they have a traffic lead over American then the lead is marginal; secondly, United are likelyto trail well behind American in the immediate future as Mr. C. R. Smith's jet programme is put into effect. .; GUNNING FOR COMMANDOS . vv ";: :^'t:i9W' A BITTER Press campaign has developed in Argentina overthe use of Curtiss Commandos by two of the country's air- lines. This follows the recent tragic crash of one of these aircraftin the sea off Mar del Plata, causing the loss of 51 lives. Upon approaching to land at Mar del Plata an Austral C-46was diverted by Traffic Control, the pilot being instructed to make a fresh approach. At that moment a severe squall hit thearea, after which the aircraft appeared to struggle unsuccessfully to maintain altitude; it then plunged into the sea.About three months ago a Transcontinental C-46 effected an emergency landing on a small private airfield and although therewere no fatalities, the aircraft was completely destroyed. Shortly after this incident another C-46 made a successful belly landingon a grass strip parallel to one of the main concrete runways at Ezeiza. These three accidents have led to suggestions that theNational Civil Aviation Bureau should consider grounding all C-46s. American Airlines' jet age dawned in the last week of January. Lockheed Electras (right, below) and Boeing 707-123s began operating scheduled services from New York to Chicago and to Los Angeles respectively
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