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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0397.PDF
PLIGHT, 25 March 1960 397 This, it was clear, was Sir George's considered technical opinion;bu how does Mach 2.2 in 1971/72 fit an extrapolation of that "fii dled"-looking straight line on the log scale? Sir George said:"A lot of us responsible for this supersonic transport business have been worried about the big jump involved," but he had"d. rived a lot of comfort" from the fact that a Mach 2.2 aeroplane timed for about 1971 or 1972 appears to lie on a "fair extra-polation" of the historic 12-hour journey curve. Of the reshaped industry Sir George said: "We are now havingoir second wind." The changes would bring more stability and substance, and the reshaped industry was "working better already." Supersonic Transports, Nebulous DISCUSSION of Morien Morgan's lecture on Supersonic Air- crajt—promise and Problems, summarized on page 388 (andcommented upon in a leading article) last week, was remarkable because no suggestions were made as to the Mach number atwhich a British supersonic airliner should be designed to cruise. The broad pointers in Mr Morgan's paper (and he was chairmanof the Supersonic Transpon Aircraft Committee) were not taken up, although Sir George Edwards warned that for the industry"to try to do something that it thought somebody else was going to do" might be a short cut "to falling flat on its face." Other points made were that the market would be for about 150aircraft, including 50 for the Commonwealth (Dr Russell, Bristol); a conservative size would mean more prototypes available fordevelopment (D. Brown, de Havilland); and that boundary-layer control could result in a useful saving in drag at the expense ofsome development time (G. H. Lee, Handley Page). Mr Morgan said that for a supersonic L/D ratio of 7 or 8, an L/D of about 11could be achieved subsonically. A supersonic airliner need not be exotic and should have good low-speed control although changes inangles of attack might be large. News of the Nipper THE first Fairey Tipsy Nipper to be sold to a private owner inthe United Kingdom, G-APYB, was handed over at White Waltham on March 14. The purchaser was Paul Bannister ofWolverhampton Aero Club, and a photograph of the aircraft appears on page 405 of this issue. Other news of the Nipper is that is has been approved by thePopular Flying Association for amateur construction and issue of die PFA Permit to Fly. A PFA Tipsy construction group has beenformed in Belfast, under the chairmanship of N. F. G. Harrison. Air Touring Contest FOUR trophies and £925 prize money are to be awarded at theBusiness and Touring Aircraft Competition organized by the Royal Aero Club on May 20-21 at Shoreham Airport. Regulationsfor the contest were announced last week by R. R. Stephenson, competitions and rallies secretary of the dub. A 400-mile course starting and finishing at Shoreham, withturning points at Lympne, Sywell and Filton, will be flown on the first day. For this a maximum of 1,500 marks will be given, basedon a formula in which marks are proportional to (air miles per gallon) x (block speed) X (number of seats). On the second dayfive tests will be carried out: (a) short take-off (300 marks); (b) short landing (300); (c) engine starting (50); (d) manoeuvrability(150); and (e) concours d'elegance, comfort and equipment, in which 200 marks are available for the comfort and convenience ofthe aircraft, 300 for its general condition and flight operating equipment fitted, and 200 for the baggage allowance per passenger. Aircraft will be grouped in three categories : Class 1, for single-ensined touring aircraft with up to two seats and not more than 2,2041b gross weight; Class 2, for single-engined business andtouring machines with more than two seats, or between 2,204 and 12,5001b gross weight; and Class 3, for multi-engined businessand touring aircraft not exceeding 12,5001b gross weight. Aircraft in the first two groups may refuel at Sywell during the first-daydistance event. Entrants and pilots must be British subjects. FRENCH SEE FREIGHTER: The rear fuselage frames of the SC.5 Britannic mock-up form a background to this group, photographed recently at the Belfast works of Short Brothers & Harland. Visiting the works were two French Air Ministry officials, M. Pierrat (left) and Col Soula (second from right). Between them is H. G. Conway, joint deputy managing director and chief engineer; the fourth member of the group is Col J. A. Stevens, the company's liaison engineer Chromatic Recognition A NEW test, using coloured cine films, was introduced at thesecond Air-Britain national aircraft recognition contest which was held at Hammersmith Town Hall on March 12. Branch teamsof three and individual members competed, winners of the Silver Hunting Trophy (for the highest-scoring team) being the Hestonbranch of Air-Britain, who scored 63 out of 90 possible points. J. Newton, of the Heston branch, won a special book award forthe highest score (23) by a team member; and D. M. Stroud, of the London Society of Air-Britain, won the BEA Viscount Trophy forthe highest score (25) by an individual participant. S. B. Oliver, Hunting Aircraft chief test pilot, presented the trophies. IN BRIEF The US Federal Aviation Agency has approved Rolls-Royce TyneMks 506, 512 and 515 for civil operation. The aviation division of Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd is to deliveran eight-seater Piaggio P. 166 executive aircraft to John Laing & Son Ltd, building and civil-engineering contractors. Approximate cost of the air-craft, which is to be based at Luton, is £48,500 including full airline radio and navigational equipment. On Wednesday of last week 29 air attaches representing 26 nationsvisited the Martin-Baker works at Denham. After a tour of the factory —which included a "ride" on the ejection seat test rig for all whowished—the party went to the company's airfield at Chalgrove, where they watched a low-altitude dummy ejection from a Meteor piloted bySqn Ldr J. S. Fifield. The magnitude of the German plan to manufacture the LockheedF-104G seems likely to place a strain on that country's industry. Typify- ing the problems is the case of BMW, who will produce the GeneralElectric J79 engine at Allach. To allow the rapid expansion needed the firm are seeking Federal assistance in doubling their capital, andnumerous companies are attempting to form a liaison with them. Firms named include GE themselves, Bristol Siddeley, MAN and Fiat. Helicopter tours over London are being offered from April 1 toOctober 31 by Executive Travel Ltd. They are being flown by Widgeons of Bristow Helicopters Ltd from the Westland Heliport at Battersea andfollow the river route prescribed by the MoA. Standard tour (18-19 miles) goes as far as Greenwich and costs £5 10s per person; an alterna-tive tour (nine miles, turning at Tower Bridge) costs £3 3s. Executive Travel, whose offices are at 91 Jermyn Street, London, SW1, also offer"package" tours of London (road and helicopter) and charters. INDUCED LIFT: Spon- sored by the US Navy Office of Naval Research, Hiller Aircraft are inves- tigating annular-ejector systems whereby jet thrust can be used to induce additional flow for vertical lift This is one of the transonic air- «oft studied. Hiller are oho moving ahead satis- factorily with the X-18 "It-wing turboprop TAIL PIPES•row* VALVES CLOSED. FORWARD FLIGHT INDUCED AIRFLOW VALVES OPEN. . VERTICAL FLIGHT EJECTOR MIXING TUBES EXTENDED
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