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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1840.PDF
418 FLIGHT, 9 Septanber TWENTY-FIRST SBAC SHOW... MONDAY'S FLYING TPHERE can be no serious disagreement that this year the-*- Famborough laurels should rightly adorn the static tent. People who have come looking for a variety of new aeroplanes areexpressing disappointment—foolishly, considering the advance notices; and often churlishly. But if, after reading this account,an impression is left that this year's flying display is an unworthy one, then a heavy measure of blame must lie with the writer. There is nothing like the excitement of a scramble to set off aflying show in the right style, and Bomber Command are obliging this year in massive fashion. The changes were to be rungthroughout the week between the three types of V-bomber, and Monday was a Valiant day, the designated unit being No 148 Sqn,based at Marham, Norfolk. Four wing-tanked B.ls stood like ivory pawns in a grim gameof chess—ready to illustrate reaction time of the deterrent. On orders from the Commander-in-Chief, Bomber Command, a con-troller gave the word. A mortar thudded from the president's enclosure. The quadruple Avons were started as one. Groundcrews pulled clear the starter trolley leads, made themselves scarce. The Valiants were rolling. First man off in lmin 6sec. Elapsedtime lmin 56sec. And that was that—the marvellous integration of men and machines that is Bomber Command, 1960. In the annals of the Flying Display, 1960 must be written, aboveall, as the year of jet lift. True, many years have passed since the Rolls-Royce Flying Bedstead demonstrated the feasibility of thetechnique; but at Farnborough 1960 the Short SCI is displaying the full range of manoeuvre implicit in the Griffith formula. As an aeroplane this VTOL research aircraft looks unattractive;and it sounds worse. But we saw it on Monday as a squalling infant that may yet become the sire of an entirely new race. Overalled figures danced attendance on the prodigy, which rosestraight up, hovered, moved sideways, pivoted on its axis, returned, hovered, accelerated with sharp decision, and within seconds wasclimbing at fighterish speed. Returning from a circuit, it slowed its pace with the noise and firm resolve of an express entering theconfines of a station. Then, having swivelled through 360 degrees, it lowered itself out of the air in its own good time, to settle from An incomparable array: the Westland helicopter range The English Electric Lightning F.ls from 74 Squadron view behind the president's tsnt. It taxied away like any normalaeroplane towards Laffan's Plain. In STOL, as well as VTOL, Britain has pioneered—in name aswell as in fact; for the Twin Pioneer is British still, though hailing from Prestwick. On Monday the demonstrator was a new Series 3,with long-stroke Alvis Leonides, the port example of which was feathered at take-off. The essence of the demonstration was inrepeated turns against the dead engine; and this was unfeathered only for landing. This performance was proof of greater power, aswere the manoeuvres of the Hunting Jet Provost T.4 which fol- lowed. Under the inspiriting influence of a Bristol Siddeley Viperof some 2,5001b thrust (the Viper in the Service T.3 gives l,750ib), the "JP" unstuck quickly and was held down for a vertical zoom,to position for a classic exposition of classic manoeuvres, culminat- ing in a six-turn spin. When one uses the word classic in relation to flying one usuallyhas in mind the Central Flying School; and with two pairs of Jet Provost T.3s the CFS displayed on Monday a standard ofco-ordination and synchronization for which we can recall no parallel. Concerning this altogether original and exceedinglypretty performance we hope to say more in our next report. Pictures herewith are a mere appetizer. Lancashire Aircraft's Prospector Series 2—that is the newversion with the Cheetah engine—was on Monday a little handi- capped (though hardly noticeably) by an airscrew of fixed, andnot entirely suitable, pitch. On its simulated crop-spraying run it reminded us of the corporation watercart, though it offers a widerapplication than that useful vehicle. Handley Page gave real substance to their short-field claimsfor die Herald, die substance being 30 parachute troops, who, the Herald having presented itself before them with the port Dart atrest, were able to nip smartly aboard without undue risk of decapitation. Then, measured between tapes, the Herald gotaway in under 600 yards, and returned to land within the same distance. A non-starter last year, the Victor B.2 made its presence surely Presenting the Handler Page Victor B.2
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