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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1130.PDF
126 FLIGHT, 22 July 19t) Straight and ve I FROM today's Air Ministry an-nouncement that Gp Capt F. J.Manning has been appointed Director of Manning (2) from next Monday, with the acting rank of air commodore, I am delighted to note that the RAF has incontestably found the right man for the job. There must be something in a name, though I'd hate to press it too far. If I were in the RAF, I'd probably find myself posted to one of those famous pig farms. • How easily is error perpetuated, especially error of fact, and more especially of military fact, which is so often blurred by the exigencies of war or butchered to serve the expediency of government. True, Battle of Britain combat claims have been reduced to plausible levels, and some of the more lurid accounts of the last two wars are now rejected by responsible historians. Yet one still reads about the "Spandau guns" of the Fokkers and Albatrosses of 1914-18, although there was no such gun; and quite often one still comes across that most inviolate of aeronautical myths the He 113 fighter of 1940-45, although there was no such aeroplane (it was the He 100) and it never saw action anyway. * * * The least excusable of errors are those involving tangible hardware, because although men may quickly lose interest in the strategy of a great battle—even the reason why it took place—they are always interested in the weapons with which it was fought. What a pity, then, that one of the most historic weapons ever brought into play, the Fi 104 flying bomb ("V-l") should still be officially depicted as having tapered wings. The world-famous, though erring, sectional drawing, prepared during the war, and never since corrected, is still common currency. I know that there were "sightings" of V-ls with butterfly wings and all sorts of other fancy plan-forms. But the wing of the V-l really looked like a plank—and nothing else what- ever. • For lively and well-presented pub- licity, I commend the handout from Southern Command headquarters giv- ing details of the Army Air Corps' first- ever public display—at Middle Wallop I am now able to reveal the ultimate in Dakota replacements. An object lesson in compromise and co-operation (Aer Lingus and BEA are the operators involved), the aircraft is presented here as recently observed at Collinstown, Dublin, through a 25 cm telephoto lens. While an upturned glass is capable of rendering equally striking results this tends to come out rather more expensive tomorrow. Here is an extract: — "Two unusual aircraft are due to appear.(a) The Wallis-Bensen Autogyro—a pint- sized aeroplane, first cousin to a helicopter,which we gather was built in a back- yard. It performs remarkable evolutions,powered by a small two-stroke engine. (b) The Flying Li-Lo, properly known asthe inflatable-wing aircraft. This machine consists principally of an engine and a massof rubberized fabric envelope which is pumped up to resemble an elephantineaeroplane. "Neither of these machines is, strictlyspeaking, an Army Air Corps type, but they are included because their owners are goodfriends and neighbours of the people at Middle Wallop, and they add to the gaietyof aviation." • Four of this journal's staff membershave an aggregate of seven children, all under the age of Z\. The other evening,home early from the office, one Flight father was reading a bedtime story to hisson from Harold Hare's Own Paper for June 18. A nice relaxing change from aviation?The first story, entitled "The Noisy Dragon-fly," began: "Once upon a time there was adragon-fly called Boeing who could fly faster than any other dragon-fly. But hemade a lot more noise! " 'Fly quietly like us,' said the otherdragon-flies. " 'I can't,' said Boeing." 'Well, try! Those frogs on the pond I can't help wondering what Sanders of the River would have had to say about this dis- graceful scene. No war-drum, surely, could inflame a warrior to fiercer abandon than the unmentionable instrument here being so shamelessly plied—and under the very nose of authority, too. Observe how one dark warrior is even now preparing to administer the coup de grace to his ecstatic fellow-tribesman, who sinks lower and lower into the groove; while yonder, gloatingly stropping his dusky finger- nails, another of the tribe contemplates the virgin Plexiglas of a Bell 47J-2 Ranger, powered with a Lycoming VO-540-BIB engine derated to 240 h.p. say they can't sleep for the noise. So they are tired out by the time they have to get up and croak.' "'Oh—who cares about frogs?' said Boeing . . ." Everything ended happily-ever-after- wards, because the last word came from the frogs: "There goes Boeing," they said, "he does make a nice noise!" • At a certain airport in West Ger- many recently, a Flight colleague in company with an eminent sailplane designer came across an interesting specimen of ornithoptery, tucked away in one corner of a big hangar. The designer refused to enthuse. Flapping wings were strictly for the birds, he said (or words to that effect). "They'll be putting motor cars on legs next," he continued, "and make 'em walk on stiletto heels." • Say what you like, aviation is still largely a matter of national prestige. Israel, I find, is now asserting her own priority claim. Handing over the first Israeli-built Magister jet trainer, the Prime Minister, Mr David Ben Gurion, said that this was the second aircraft to make Jewish history. The first was the flaming chariot in which the prophet Elijah went up into heaven. (N.B. This was whirlwind-assisted, so I'm not sure that it qualifies.) • Question time in the House of Commons. Mr Michael Stewart (Lab, Fulham): "Has the Minister of Aviation completed the enquiries into low-flying aircraft over Vincent Square, London Wl, on the evening of July 3?" Mr Duncan Sandys, Minister of Avia- tion: "Yes, sir. Enquiries established that the two aircraft which I thought were flying too low were in fact well above the minimum permitted height This goes to show how little reliance car be placed on estimates of height made by inexperienced observers." ROGER BACON
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