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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 2294.PDF
598 FLIGHT, 14 October 1960 FROM ALL QUARTERS BEAGLE PERSONALITIES: Leaders of the new executive and general aviation manufacturing group (see first news item). Lett to right, Mr J. R. Edwards, managing director, Pressed Steel Co Ltd; Mr Peter Masefield, BEAGLE managing director; Mr F. Bates, one of the founders, and deputy chairman and managing director, of Auster Aircraft; Mr M. A. H. Beilhouse, chairman of BEAGLE New Name in the Industry ANNOUNCED last Friday was the formation of British Executiveand General Aviation Ltd, to be known as BEAGLE, which is to be a subsidiary of the Pressed Steel Co Ltd and will design andmanufacture a new range of executive and light aircraft for the home and export markets. To form the group, Pressed Steel areacquiring the whole share capital of Auster Aircraft Ltd, and a technical and manufacturing liaison has been arranged withF. G. Miles Ltd. The companies are discussing with Rolls-Royce the production of a series of powerplants. Chairman of BEAGLE will be Mr M. A. H. Bellhouse, deputychairman of Pressed Steel; and Mr J. R. Edwards, managing director of Pressed Steel, will be a member of the board. MrPeter G. Masefield, formerly managing director of Bristol Aircraft Ltd. has joined Pressed Steel's board and will be managingdirector of BEAGLE and chairman of Auster Aircraft. Mr F. Bates will be deputy chairman of Auster, retaining his position asits managing director. The other executive directors of Auster will remain on the board. Mr George H. Miles is to be technicaldirector of a co-ordinating board formed under the chairmanship of Mr Masefield. Development of the line of Auster aircraft is to continue, butwith the greater financial backing of Pressed Steel and therefore at a greater rate. Pressed Steel are not new to aviation and alreadyown Kidlington airfield, near Oxford, and operate several business aircraft for liaison between their five factories in the British Isles.They have also made aircraft components in the past, including complete Hunter rear fuselages. Their knowledge of tooling andvolume production, combined with their traditional cost-con- sciousnsss as members of the motor and domestic-applianceindustries, should provide sound backing for the new group. The production facilities of Pressed Steel, Miles and Auster will beavailable for the manufacture of aircraft assembled at Rearsby, Shoreham or Kidlington, whichever is most convenient. All the leading personalities concerned are themselves aviationenthusiasts and the group combines the best in British light air- craft technique and experience. Nothing is yet being said aboutthe actual types projected, partly in order to withold advance information from foreign—particularly American—firms whichare inevitably regarded as direct competitors. Substantial moral, if not ma:erial, support from the Government might reasonablybe expected (see page 609). Auster are no longer on their own in the light aircraft field and should benefit in every way from theirnew status and support. With the help of Rolls-Royce, whose manufacturing licence agreement with Continental is now an opensecret, and possibly of Rover with their light turboprop, BEAGLE will have a wide choice of suitable powerplants. It appears thatsome years will elapse before the small turbojets and turboprops now available will find a really economical place in light andexecutive aircraft. European Space Programme Discussed AT the Royal Society last week 40 scientists from ten Europeancountries met to discuss a possible joint European space pro- gramme. Firm plans were adopted for presentation to the respec-tive governments, the countries involved being Britain, West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway,the Netherlands and Switzerland. The meeting was the third in the series, and the second to be held in London. Prof Pierre Auger, Professor of Physics at the Sorbonne, isexecutive secretary of the pan-European space group. A most probable first step towards a joint programme would be thecarrying of one country's scientific equipment in sounding rockets belonging to, and fired from, another country. APPOINTED to the vacant post of manag- ing director of Blackburn Engines Ltd is Air Cdre F. R. Banks, CB, QBE, CGIA, FRAeS, MIMechE, FlnstPet, Hon FIAeS, who joined the boards of three Blackburn companies in August last year. Prior to that he had been a director of Bristol Aero- plane Co and Bristol Siddeley Engines and, earlier, was for many years with the Associated Ethyl Co. In 19S2-53 he was Principal Director of Engine Research and Development, MoS Avro Appointments FIVE new appointments have been announced by A. V. Roe & CoLtd. Mr J. R. Ewans, formerly executive director and chief designer, has been made director and chief engineer of the AircraftDivision; Mr A. Sewart (assistant general manager, missiles) and Mr R. H. Francis (chief engineer, Weapons Research Division),both formerly executive directors, have now become full directors; Mr H. Dobson, formerly works manager, has been made a com-pany director and deputy works director; and Mr W. J. D. Wilson, who was general works manager at Hawker Aircraft Ltd, Kingston,has been appointed Avro works manager. Mr J. R. Ewans, ACGI, BSC, DIC, FRAes, joined A. V. Roe & Co Ltdas chief aerodynamicist in October 1949. He became chief designer in 1955 and an executive director last year. Mr A. Sewart,AFRAes, MIPE, is a former Avro apprentice. From 1945 to 1949 hewas the company's experimental manager, and he became assistant general manager (missiles) in November 1958. Mr R. H. Francis, BSC(WALES), MSC(CANTAB), joined A. V. Roe in 1954, becoming anexecutive director in 1959. Mr Dobson also served an Avro appren- ticeship. He became works superintendent in 1952 and worksmanager in 1958. Rolling Take-offs bySC.l A NEW "rolling" take-off technique has been successfully used atBedford by the Short SCI VTOL research aircraft. A statement by the makers says: —"During tests the aircraft taxied forward under the power of its single propulsion engine, with its four vertical lift engines idling: then, as itgained speed slightly, the lifting engines were opened up and it climbed away. The tests were carried out to prove the SC.l's ability to operatefrom a very short length of runway, without the use of the low take-off platform which is normally employed to avoid ground erosion and theintake of recirculated hot gases and minute debris such as grit and small stones. It was found that by using the 'rolling' take-off, gases HUSTLER TRAINER: Designated TB-58, this is the new trainer version of the Convair supersonic bomber. It has a "special paint job" and extra window area. Four early B-58s are under conversion to this configuration
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