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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0197.PDF
FLIGHT, 12 February 1960 197 lion; and in 1916, when the RFC was being hard pressed, hedirecad that new Sopwith fighters ordered for the RNAS should be transferred to RFC squadrons. In 1914, at Winston Churchill'sinstigation, he had gone to Frederick Handley Page and asked him to design an aircraft to bomb Berlin. "People called me thebiggest damn fool," he used to say; "but at the end of 1915 we got the Handley Page O/100 which, with its still larger successors,gave most valuable results." Sir Murray commanded RNAS units in Southern Italy from1917 to 1918; and in the inter-war years, when an MP, he had much to do with the development of Empire air-mail services. RAE College Swan-song THE final prize distribution of the Royal Aircraft EstablishmentTechnical College, Farnborough, prior to its "integration" with the new Farnborough Technical College, took place on Friday last,February 5. Prizes and certificates were presented by Sir Owen Wansbrough-Jones and, in the absence of Sir William Farren(chairman of the college advisory board) abroad, a message from Sir William was read by Sir George Gardner. Among the awardswas the Grinsted Prize for the best student of the year, to J. K. Ratcliffe. A tribute to the work of the College Principal, R. D. Peggs, OBE,MA, was paid by Dr M. J. Lighthill, Director of RAE. In Mr Peggs' report for the 1958-59 session—his fifteenth annual report—heincluded an historical review of college activities since its fore- runner, the Trade Lads' School, was formed in 1918. The collegereceived its present designation in 1945. The final section of the Principal's report was a statement of his personal educational philo-sophy and a plea for technological humanism. Technology con- cerned itself with the creative acts of man, Mr Peggs said; itinvolved the handling of ideas and the establishing of values, and it offered social coherence. "FLIGHT" NEXT WEEK—a feature issue with emphasis on the important and topical subject of flying aids, and partic- ularly on progress in automatic landing and inertial-navigation systems. Usual features will also appear. Louis Bleriot Speed Cup ORIGINALLY created by Louis Bleiriot in 1930, an internationalspeed contest for the first person to fly at 2,000km/hr (1,243 m.p.h.) over a specified closed circuit has been re-opened under theauspices of the French Aero Club. The prize is "a challenge cup valued at 10,000 new francs" and the circuit must be "of such alength that the time needed to complete the circuit shall be at least half an hour." Intermediate landing or flight refuelling isnot allowed; assisted take-off is permitted, but the machine must not be carried by another aircraft. The prize will be won outright by any contestant achieving2,000km/hr under these conditions. The first to attain l,500km/hr (932 m.p.h.) will be the provisional holder of the cup until hisspeed is bettered by at least 5 per cent, and this will continue until the 2,000km/hr figure is reached. If this upper target has notbeen achieved by December 31, 1963, the provisional holder will become the outright winner. Entrants should hold a current FAIinternational sporting licence, and enquiries in this country should be addressed to the Royal Aero Club. The obvious comment to make is that the critical factor in theconditions is endurance. "At least half an hour" would rule out many of the aircraft which have already demonstrated their abilityto achieve 2,000km/hr over closed circuits. In fact, at the present time it is likely that there is only one Western aeroplane whichcould walk away with the cup tomorrow; that aeroplane is the Con- vair B-58 Hustler of the US Air Force. Guild Clerkship Changes CLERK of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators since 1956,Maj J. L. B. H. Cordes is to retire from that office at his own request, as he now lives in Gloucestershire and finds it difficult tokeep up with the duties at long range. V. C. Varcoe, OBE, ARAes, is taking office ashonorary clerk. Maj Cordes, who has had a long anddistinguished flying career, with the RFC and RAF and later in industry as a researchand experimental test pilot, is a founder- member of the Guild, was a member of thefirst Court, later became a Warden and was one of the Guild's first liverymen. Headvised hundreds of pilots and navigators in their employment and resettlementproblems after the war, and was appointed V. C. Varcoe Secretary to the Guild in 1950. Soon after GETTING TO KNOW the cockpit layout of the Bristol Type 188 supersonic re- search aircraft is Godfrey Auty, deputy chief test pilot of Bristol Aircraft Ltd. Mr Auty, who will make the first flight later this year, is seen with the full-scale mock-up at Filton he assumed office as clerkin 1956 the Guild became a Livery Company, andsince that time Maj Cordes has been responsible forguiding the Court in mat- ters of City practice andceremonial. Mr Varcoe joined theGuild in 1952 and was made a liveryman shortlyafter it became a Livery Company. He has servedon the Court since 1956 and is a former chairman ' " ,.~"'.-:.. of the Guild's functions and ceremonies committee. His impend-ing retirement from the post of aviation sales manager of Shell Mex and BP Ltd will enable him to carry out the duties of clerkto the Guild. He qualified as a pilot in 1918, served with the RFC in the First and the RAF in the Second World War (retiringwith the rank of wing commander), and is still an active pilot. Roly Falk: Mexico Post WELL KNOWN as the former Avro chief test pilot, Roland J.Falk has joined the staff of Hawker Siddeley Aviation as sales executive for Central and South America. Based in Mexico, hewill be responsible for the sales of civil aircraft, particularly the A.W.A. Argosy and Avro 748."Roly" Falk joined A. V. Roe & Co Ltd in 1950 and took over development flying of the Avro 707 series of research aircraftwhich preceded the Vulcan, piloting the latter (which he rolled spectacularly at the 1955 SBAC Show) on its maiden flighton August 30, 1952. He was made Superintendent of Flying in 1954, then in 1958 left active flying to undertake special dutiesin the field of Avro civil aircraft sales. In prewar years, from 1936 to 1939, he was a test pilot for theARB; then during the war chief test pilot at the RAE Farn- borough, being awarded the AFC and Bar. In 1952 he was madean OBE. IN BRIEF r It has been officially announced that the 24th Paris Aero Show willbe held at Le Bourget "during the spring of 1961." Saunders-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd have changed their name to Saro(Anglesey) Ltd. Organization and policy remain unchanged. The Bundeswehr has increased, from 200 to 282, the number ofFiat G.91 tactical aircraft to be built under licence in Germany. An additional 50 are being delivered from Fiat. Sir Thomas Sopwith, chairman of the Hawker Siddeley Group, isbeing entertained by the Royal Aero Club at a dinner on April 26 "in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of his receipt of an aviator'scertificate and of his many services to aviation." Other holders of 1910 certificates will also attend the dinner. For many years the value to a strategic bomber of "window" or otherchaff material has been reduced owing to the fact that it is always being left behind. The forthcoming Boeing B-52H, powered by Pratt andWhitney TF33 turbofans, will carry small containers for spin-stabilized rockets which will fire "chaff" or other counter-measures ahead of it. A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker went out of control on the runwayat Walker AFB, NM, on February 3, glanced off 14 cars and was on fire when it hit a wooden hangar. The damage caused was estimated at$5m, the hangar and two other tankers being engulfed, as were outdoor refuelling installations. Walter Browning, FRAes, MliwechE, MlProdE, lately director and generalmanager of Saunders-Roe Ltd, has joined Miles Electronics Ltd in a similar capacity. Mr Browning's experience dates from the days ofShort Brothers' works at Rochester in the 1920s; later, at Belfast, he was chief designer and subsequently general manager. He went toSaunders-Roe in 1946. Fines totalling £200 were imposed on January 28 on Robert Bell,pilot of a Messenger aircraft which became lost on a flight from Staverton to Portsmouth on November 20, 1959. He was fined £150for operating the aircraft in a reckless manner "so as to endanger life or property," and £10 on each of five other air navigational offences.After flying over London Airport Bell landed his Messenger at Gatwick.
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