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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1819.PDF
30 FLIGHT, 14 August 1959 Correspondence The Editor of "Flight" is not necessarily in agreement with the viewsexpressed by correspondents in these columns. Names and addresses of writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Home TayloringH OW refreshing it is to see the little Taylor monoplane [p.839, Flight, June 19], which has the hall-mark of a winner. I wonder whether John Taylor is aware that in the late 1930s a certain enthusiast named Fred Taylor built his high-wing Wag- tail monoplane in the spare bedroom of his municipal house. Like John, Fred's design was also governed by the measurements of a window, through which it passed, first the wings and then the fuselage, to the final assembly barn at Dunton Farm north of Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, from which Fred then taught himself to fly. I saw the Wagtail being built in bis bedroom and later saw him fly with the aid of a Douglas flat-twin dirt-track engine. ~-. Birmingham 14. ^ ; MAURICE AUSTIN. At Handasyde Revival? v ••-•:-•:,- THE death of my father, G. H. Handasyde, occurred on theeve of this Bleriot anniversary year, and it may be of interest to your readers who knew him in the industry to learn that in quite recent years we prepared proposals for reviving the name by setting up a new company, Handasyde Aircraft Ltd. Unfortun- ately the solicitor who was dealing with the matter died suddenly, a year or so before my father. It had been planned to construct an up-to-date small feeder or executive type of aircraft with a speed of about 200 m.p.h., for which my father (like many others) considered there was a wide market. As you know, "Handy" hailed from Edinburgh, where he designed and constructed his first motor car around 1907, and this might well have been the foundation of a Scottish motor industry, but for the fact that he decided to venture into aviation. After the Second World War he became interested in the possibili- ties of a Scottish aircraft industry, and it was this that led to the proposal mentioned above. As one of his last wishes was to see the continuance of his work and pioneer name into the realms of new and (ultimately, per- haps) atomic-powered aviation, I feel that a most fitting memorial or tribute would be the formation of some new aircraft manufac- turing organization bearing his name. Possibly there are old or new members of the industry who would be willing to co-operate in an enterprise of this kind. As a further link between the old and the new eras of aviation, it is interesting (in view of the Bleriot Race) that a Martinsyde held the London - Paris record, of 75min, as far back as 1919. This time it was a Hunter, a product of Sir Sydney Camm's design genius; and Camm started his aeronautical career in the Martinsyde works. I have often wondered if there happens to be an F.4 or similar Martinsyde still in existence. I believe the Spanish Air Force were one of the last to use them and that they were giving good service as late as 1935. Edinburgh 7. S, H. HANDASYDE. Signpost Postscript THE signpost illustrated on Page 822 of your issue for June 19 -"- may draw comment, as what appears on it is not strictly correct. All five of these signposts were replaced with new ones prior to the unveiling of the Atlantic Flight Memorial on June 15. They now read: — "ALCOCK & BROWN FIRST DIRECT TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT." Dublin. J. C. KELLY-ROGERS,Deputy General Manager, Aer Lingus. Not the First A STATEMENT in your issue of May 22, reporting Cossor/Bendix Radar co-operation, finishes by saying: "This is stated to be the first time that Bendix have taken a licence from a British manufacturer of electronic equipment." For the record, we would like to correct this; Bendix Aviation Corporation (Pacific Division) were, in fact, appointed U.S. licencees for the Decca Navigator system on October 27, 1954. New Maiden, Surrey. E. R. BONNER, • The Decca Navigator Co. Ltd. Contrite Ode (.from a certain oil company to certain engine manufacturers, consequentupon a two-page spread in "Flight" for June 5.) Proteus changes shape, the Mamba's head's unscathed;Orpheus sleeps and spurns the Viper's sting; Olympus now in Sapphire light is bathed. :Round the bowl of Heaven power is on the wing And Bristol's towers on the Atlantic shoreThe strong right arm of Coventry has wreathed about With Midland smoke. So crave we evermore.Pardon! As to the name we were in doubt, But doubt no more. Vale Bristol; vale Armstrong-Siddeley!Ave Bristol Siddeley! ;, - THE INDUSTRY Industry Honours MEMBERS of the aircraft and allied industries named in theQueen's Birthday Honours lists (published on June 13) in- cluded the following: Leslie Gamage, chairman and managing director, General Electric Co. Ltd. (Knight Bachelor); G/C. G. R. Scott-Farnie, managing director, International Aeradio Ltd. (C.B.E.); E. C. Wheeldon, managing director, Westland Air- craft Ltd. (C.B.E.); G. R. Bryce, chief test pilot, Vickers-Arm- strongs (Aircraft) Ltd. (O.B.E.); J. C. Sharman, manager, research and development, Garringtons Ltd. (O.B.E.); A. B. Bennett, works superintendent, Weapons Division, Fairey Aviation Ltd. (M.B.E.); E. R. Hooper, chief inspector, Saunders-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd. (M.B.E.). IN BRIEF Mr. E. J. Nicholl, joint managing director of Dowry Equipment Ltd.,has been appointed a director of British Messier Ltd. Mr. Aubrey Wallace Barr, M.A., a director of Cellon Ltd. since 1955,has been appointed-assistant to the managing director. Mr. Arthur HiBier, O.B.E., chairman and managing director of theSperry Gyroscope Co. Ltd., retired at the end of July after 43 years with the company, which he joined as assistant secretary. Brigadier G. L. Fitzgerald has been appointed military adviser toShort Brothers & Harland Ltd. He will be primarily concerned with the SC.5 Britannic project. Canadair Ltd. have announced the formation of a new "missiles andsystems" division. It is to be headed by Mr. Robert D. Richmond, who has been appointed a vice-president of Canadair. Points from the chairman's review at the a.g.m. of Rolls-RoyceLtd.: to the aircraft industry's £154m export total in 1958, Rolls-Royce engines had contributed £36m; over 2,700 Darts had been built andhad flown over 8m hours, Rolls-Royce engines were in service with, or on order for, 66 airlines and 31 other operators; design work on theRB.141 subsonic transport engine reached an advanced stage during 1958, and development work began; and the Spadeadam, Cumberland,site was almost ready for the testing of rocket engines. Smiths Aviation Division have moved from Cricklewood to Kelvin House, Wembley Park Drive, Wembley, Middx (tel. Wembley 8888). Edgar Allen & Co. Ltd. announced "with deep regret" the suddendeath, early in June, of Mr. L. K. Everitt, one of their directors and general manager of the steel department. Plannair Ltd. have appointed Mr. J. H. Browne sales executivespecializing in air-movement applications for the electronics and air- craft industries; Mr. A. W. Dean succeeds him as contracts manager. Texas Instruments Ltd. have announced the appointment ofDr. James T. Kendall, M.A. (Cantab.), Ph.D., F.Inst.P., A.R.I.C., A.M.I.E.E., F.R.S.E., as general manager, marketing; he is succeededas general manager, technical, by Dr. John Powell, B.A., D.Phil. Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. have announced that as a result ofan agreement between their subsidiary Atlas Lighting Ltd. and Lumina- tor Inc. of America, they have acquired a licence for the manufactureand distribution in this country of Luminator light fittings for transport vehicles, including aircraft. Air Service Training Ltd.—the aircraft division of which is nowincorporated with Hawker Siddeley (Hamble) Ltd.—state that the design and production of their aircraft toilet-servicing units has beenhanded over to a sister company in the Hawker Siddeley Group, Temple- wood Hawksley Ltd., of Trading Estate, Slough, Bucks. Mr. A. K. McLennan has joined de Havilland to supervise the affairsin India of the enterprise and its associates, including the companies of the Saunders-Roe group. Mr. McLennan, who will be responsibleto Mr. H. G. Rice, Far East regional manager, has had extensive com- mercial aviation experience in India following R.A.F. service from 1939to 1947. A new company, Cullum Detuners Ltd., has been formed at TheAcoustic Centre, 58 Highgate West Hill, London, N.6, to take over the business (silencing and noise control for jet-engine test-beds and aircraftrunning-up installations) of Detuners Ltd. Mr. D. J. W. Cullum is managing director and Mr. W. E. Camp, formerly general manager,is also a director.
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