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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0644.PDF
644 FLIGHT, 13 May I9t FROM ALL QUARTERS DARK INTRUDER: Taken last year in Japan this picture of a Lockheed U-2 (news story on this page) shows the tandem undercarriage and air brakes "Aviation Week" copyright U-2—The Moment of Truth NEARLY four years ago, on June 1 and July 6, 1956, leadingarticles in this journal sought to ridicule the inept "security" surrounding the characteristics and activities of the Lockheed U-2ultra-high-altitude research and observation aircraft, examples of which were then operating from this country. There has sincebeen a growing realization (though it has not been widely manifest in the daily Press) that aircraft of this type were engaged invarious forms of reconnaissance and/or espionage on behalf of the US Government. The political and moral aspects of these activities are not ofprimary concern to this journal—on the present occasion at least; but the sombre fact must now go on record that an aircraft of theU-2 type, admitted to have been engaged in espionage, has been • destroyed deep into Soviet territory, near Sverdlovsk, by a ground-to-air missile. The probability of similar flights by the RAF is now being increasingly conjectured, and in this connection it may berecalled that in July 1958 an RAF pilot was killed in a U-2 operating from a Texan base. Significantly, in that it might have been supposed that theRussian defences would be in some degree off their guard, the flight was made on May 1. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers, aformer USAF captain, claimed by Mr Kruschev to be a member of the Central Intelligence Agency, escaped by parachute,though without using his ejector seat. Not realizing that he was in Russian hands, the American authorities sought to explain theflight as an accidental intrusion during a weather survey. Powers, the Russians say (and they publish photographs in support of theirclaim) was carrying currency, valuables, a silenced pistol, and a poison "suicide pin." His aircraft, it is said, was equipped withreconnaissance cameras and instruments for radar detection; and during his flight—from Pakistan to Norway—the pilot was to haveswitched certain apparatus on and off over various points marked on a map. Declared Mr Kruschev, "There is also a tape recordwith our radio-beacon emissions." The U-2 is powered with a special Pratt & Whitney J57. Asingle-seater, it has retractable double-wheel undercarriage assemblies mounted in tandem on the fuselage, and underwingstabilizer legs which are jettisoned after take-off. Air brakes are fitted on each side of the fuselage, aft of the extremely high-aspect-ratio wing, and the aircraft has occasionally been seen flying with wing-mounted pods or tanks. According to Aviation Week the U-2 shot down over Russiawas one of four operated by Lockheed under contract to NASA from Incirlik Air Base at Adana, Turkey. Finished in dark blueanti-corrosion paint, it is reported to have carried a 20in circular NASA symbol on the tail and a horizontal yellow tail-stripe 12inhigh with the letters "NASA" across the stripe. There were no wing or fuselage markings. The journal further reports thatLockheed began operating ten U-2s for NASA under contract in 1956. One exploded over Germany that year and anothercrashed in the US in 1958. (In July 1958 Flight reported that, in addition to the U-2 that crashed with an RAF pilot, anotherU-2 crashed on the following day, making a total of at least four.) Our American contemporary reports that NASA now has oneU-2 at Edwards AFB, California, three at Atsugi, Japan, and three left at Adana. Aircraft of the type are said to have operated fromAlaska, New York, England, Germany, Pakistan, Okinawa and the Philippines. Britannic Discussed in the House RAISING the matter of the Short Britannic SC.5—or 3A, as itis now more frequently known—in an adjournment debate in the Commons last week, George Wigg (Lab, Dudley) asserted that itresembled the Britannia only in name, so that claimed production advantages were non-existent; that it would be no better than theLockheed C-130; that it would not compare with the DC-8 and Boeing 735, which would be available as soon; and that the orderhad been placed when there was unemployment in Northern Ireland and a General Election impending. Replying for the Government, Geoffrey Rippon, ParliamentarySecretary to the MoA, reviewed the history of the project and said the aircraft would be ready within the stated timetable—which,broadly, was prototype flying in 1962 and Service entry in 1964. Following the announcement of February 11, 1959 [that theBritannic 3 had been selected], certain changes were agreed. These included a 16ft increase of span by the addition of a newcentre-section; substitution of the Rolls-Royce Tyne 12 for the Tyne 11; the mcving of the engine centres further apart so thatlarger propellers could later be fitted to take advantage of improved versions of the Tyne; and increase of maximum weightto 218,0001b and fuel capacity to 81,000gal [Mr Rippon obviously means 81,0001b—Ed]. The Parliamentary Secretary wound up by saying that "thewhole effort is building up according to plan, and a start has been made on tooling for production." He added that the Britannic"will be the first military transport aircraft designed to have automatic blind landing facilities. Although not specifically mentioned in this debate (writes ourParliamentary correspondent) the fact is that, according to an announcement made earlier in the week, the production contractfor the Britannic has not yet been placed; negotiations are only "well advanced." The number of aircraft "likely to be coveredby the order" was stated at the same time to be ten. APPOINTMENT of E. G. Collinson, BSc, AFRAeS, as chief mechanical engineer of the Aircraft Division of Short Bros & Harland was announced last week. He will be concen- trating initially on the Britannic freighter. Mr Collinson, who was educated at Ulverston Grammar School and Manchester University, joins Short Bros from British Messier, where he was chief designer. From 1947 to 1953 he was chief technician with the same company and before that was chief technician to the Avia- tion Division of Dunlop Rim & Wheel Company A "Credible" Deterrent THAT Britain's deterrent must be a "credible" one in Russianeyes was one of the points made by Air Marshal S. C. Elworthy, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, when he spoke at the PathfinderAssociation dinner in London last Friday. Referring to today's bomber forces, he said they faced the problem that the PFFencountered in the last war: the bomber "must get through," must deliver its load. This the RAF would have to do only if ourdeterrent policy failed; the enemy could do so only by paying an exceedingly heavy price. Referring to the means of delivery, Air Marshal Elworthycompared the Lancaster of World War 2 with contemporary aircraft weighing 50 per cent more, half the size and costing40 times as much. They would be used, he said, in much smaller numbers; but they must be more accurate: "we must put oursophistication in weapons." The DCAS said that the RAF must continue with manned aircraft; flying training had to be increased,for the demand for aircrew was bigger than had been foreseen NOW WITH MARBORE: The SR-N1 Hovercraft showing the recent installation of the Blackburn Marbore propulsive turbojet, with wh.cn it is expected a speed of 100 m.p.h. will eventually be achieved
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