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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 2202.PDF
No. 2635 VOLUME 7 6 Editor-in-Chief MAURICE A. SMITH D.F.C FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 1959 AIRCRAFT, SPACECRAFT, MISSILES Official Organ of the Royal Aero Club First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 Editor H. F. KING M.B.E. Technical Editor 1. T. Q U NSTON Production Editor ROY CA8EY IN THIS ISSUE A British Missile for the British Army 194 The Hovercraft 195 The Twentieth S.B.A.C. Display 199 People and Projects 213 The Flying-Display Pilots 221 Learning to Test 230 Scimitars in the Sun 237 Taking up the BannerT HE Union Jack unfolded gently in the Martian breeze ... 'In the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second of England, I proclaim this land a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.'" Science fiction, of course, at its most fictitious; the more so as it tells how a Russian rocket lands on Mars just after Britain's—and how America's attempt fails. But the fantasy may be excused if we remark that the tale was published when Her Majesty was twelve years old, and when rockets in England were generally launched from ginger-beer bottles. Only a year or two earlier—in 1936 —Philip Cleator, founder of the British Interplanetary Society, had published his review of international rocketry; and he recalls how this earned for him the distinction "harmless lunatic." Among those who were later to change their mind was a newspaper editor who summoned him to his office late in 1944. "You were right!" he exclaimed—and promptly commissioned an account of an outsize missile which had come across the Channel and devastated part of Chiswick. The B.I.S., though still a repository for the nicest, and certainly most authentic, sort of lunatics, has at length achieved emancipation by playing host to the International Astronautical Federation, as we relate this week. But how fare Britain's rocket pioneers in Her Majesty's name? It is true that the flag is not yet lifting in the Martian breeze; but the lecture-papers are astir, and the models are resolutely ranged along the rostrum. Britain is going in for space, if not immediately into space, for has not the Minister of Supply himself proclaimed, "Scientifically there is surely no doubt at all but that every State which claims to bear the banner of civilization should do everything it can to encourage advances in the knowledge of the physics, chemistry and even the biology of space." So if, after all, Britons will not be planting the Union Jack on Mars, they will at least be lending a hand with the banner of civilization. It is merely a matter of how and when. Iliffe & Sons Ltd., Dorset House, Stam-ford Street, London, S.E.I; telephone Waterloo 3333. Telegrams FlightpresSedist London. Annual subscriptions: Home £4 15s, Overseas £5. Canadaand U.S.A. $15.00. Second Class Mail privileges authorized at New York, N.Y. Branch Offices Coventry: 8-10 Corpora-tion Street; telephone Coventry 25210. Birmingham : King Edward House, NewStreet, 2; telephone Midland 7191. Man- chester: 260 Deansgate, 3; telephoneBlackfriars 4412 or Deansgate 3595. Glasgow: 26u Renfleld Street, C.2;telephone Central 1265. New York, N.Y.: Thomas Skinner & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., Ill Broadway, 6; telephone Digby 9-1197. © Iliffe A Sons Ltd., 1059. Permissionto reproduce illustrations and letterpress can be granted only under written agree-ment. Brief extracts or comments may be made with due acknowledgement. Flips and Trips ANY good men in the industry were weaned on to flying by a five-bob flip, and many a confirmed air voyager has been won over by the same honoured institution. (Is still being won indeed, though the flips cost at least ten bob nowadays and there is no sweet smell of castor oil.) But whereas there has hitherto been something vaguely and rather excitingly disreputable about the joyriding profession, we now observe resplendent Whirlwind helicopters, wearing the full livery of the British European Airways Corporation, publicly parading for patronage at Gatwick Airport (25s a head, sir, 10s for the young gentleman). Meanwhile the gaily plumed Widgeons of Mr. Alan Bristow are a new and welcome sight as they ply for pleasure above the reaches of London River. All of which is excellent; for here is delight for the patron, profit for the operator, and propaganda for the cause. But as well as the once-round-the-aero- drome business, why not once round England, say, in big, cheap, safe aeroplanes, planned for pleasure and profit, just as the fine new diesel vessels were planned that set out these summer mornings for Margate or Boulogne—packed. We must never forget that flying is an enjoyable and exciting experience. There are millions who have no particular wish to be whistled across continents in jet-r flash super streamliners but who would simply love to go for a nice ride in an aeroplane (or what about an airship?). And their money is as goodl as anybody's. .-.: /•>/,
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