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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1354.PDF
FLIGHT, 19 August I960 Space Congress Opens 5^ PRESENTING the inaugural lecture, Science Research UsingSpace Vehicles, at the 11th International Astronautical Congress which opened in Stockholm last Monday, Prof Sir Harrie Massey,FRS, said that the "almost incredible" development in rocket engineering in recent years had provided the world's scientistswith scope for a research programme which could take hundreds of years to complete. There was still much to study in the Earth'satmosphere to an altitude of 100km, he suggested, as well as in interplanetary space. Useful results, however, would come onlyfrom systematic observations, and this implied worldwide co-operation. Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Prof BertilLindblad, president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science; Mr Ake Hjertstrand, chairman of the organizing committee of theSwedish Interplanetary Society; Academician Leonid I. Sedov, president of the International Astronautical Federation and DrRichard W. Porter, vice-president of COSPAR (the committee on space research of the International Council of AeronauticalUnions). Among the 80 papers due to be presented in the main sessionsof the congress were: Status Report on the US Space Rockets Program, by Dr Wernher von Braun; Progress in Electric Pro-pulsion Systems for Space Vehicles, by Ernst Stuhlinger; and four Russian papers dealing with some of the scientific results obtainedfrom the Soviet sputniks and space probes. The only British paper in the main sessions was Communications Satellite Orbits,by Dr W. F. Hilton and S. R. Dauncey of Hawker Siddeley Aviation. Approximately 800 delegates are attending the congress,which ends tomorrow, August 20; it will be reported in Flight next week. TO THE WILD BLUE YONDER: Piloted by Maj Robert White, the X-/S streams vapour from its HTP auxiliary power units and from its rc:ket engines at the start of its climb to 136,500ft on August 12 (see page 242) FROM ALL QUARTERS The Victor and Sky Bolt SINCE the appearance last week of our paragraph "FewerVictors," in which it was stated that to adapt the Victor B.2 to carry Douglas Sky Bolt missiles would require modificationsconsiderably more expensive than for the Vulcan B.2, we have received a letter from Mr R. S. Stafford, technical director ofHandley Page Ltd, the gist of which follows: "My own analysis of the situation leads to the opposite conclusion; but, unfor-tunately, owing to security restrictions, I must be content with a flat denial. It would be unfortunate if the cancellation of someVictors were to be associated in the minds of your readers with such a misleading statement and therefore I should be grateful ifyou would publish tliis denial.'* As Mr Stafford suggests, all discussions of this subject aregreatly prejudiced by security restrictions, and we are happy to print his observations. And Now Hovertrucks LAST week some details were given of the Hawker SiddeleyGroup's plans for the manufacture of hovercraft. Folland Aircraft, a member of the group whose interest in ground-effect machineswas officially revealed earlier this month, are to manufacture and market a series of commercial Hovertrucks. The first of these willhave a payload of five tons. It is claimed that simple controls will make the vehicles almost as easy to drive as a lorry and thatthey will be no more difficult to maintain. Hovertrucks will be able to operate over land, water, marsh or broken ice or along"hoverways" bulldozed through undeveloped areas. Now under development at Hamble is the GERM (ground-effect research machine), which is basically a model of the pro- jected Hovertruck. It is claimed that without major structuralchanges it can be modified to incorporate side-walls for use over water, recirculation systems for improving the efficiency of the aircushion, and more advanced forms of control. In any case a new control and propulsion system can be expected in the Follanddesign; it has been stated that those to be used are patented and will give the GERM a high degree of manoeuvrability both whilehovering and at speed. The pattern of Britain's hovercraft development—and thus of SAPPHIRES AND SPECTRES: The Bristol Siddeley Sapphires of this Handley Page Victor B.I, plus the combined 16,0001b thrust of two de Havilland Spectre rockets, lifted the bomber into the air in 550yd during recent assisted take-off tests. The Spectres ore, of course, jettisottablt
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