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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 2309.PDF
FLIGHT, 14 October 1960 609 Sport and Business IF A NEW BRITISH LIGHT AIRCRAFT is ever to be sup-ported by public money it is likely to be as a result of technical recommendations made by the Air Transport Study Group. Thisbody, an offshoot of the long-standing Transport Aircraft Require- ments Committee, is studying British aircraft manufacturers'tenders against the specification for a light trainer/tourer pre- pared by the Standing Joint Committee on Private and ClubFlying and Gliding and circulated by the SBAC. If the 17-man study group see fit to recommend that one design be recom-mended above all others they may also suggest that Government financial assistance be granted for development. It is thus nottoo much to say that theirs could be a "go-no go" decision as to whether Britain will ever again compete with light aircraft in theworld market. The Ministry of Aviation team in whom this responsibility isvested comes under the chairmanship of the chief scientist at the War Office, Dr W. Cawood. Committee members are: L. F.Nicholson, Director-General, Scientific Research (Air); Handel Davies, Deputy Director, RAE; R. H. Weir, Director-General,Engines; A. E. Woodward Nutt, Director-General, General Supplies; N. V. Meeres, Under Secretary, Air Division; G. V.Hole, Under Secretary, Aviation Economic Planning and General Policy; AVM R. N. Bateson, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff;E. C. Bowyer and H. W. Goodinge, SBAC; B. S. Shenstone and P. C. F. Lawton, BEA; J. B. Scott and C. H. Jackson, BOAC;Capt C. J. Stevens, BIATA; W. B. Lewis, Assistant Director, Aircraft, MoA; and J. G. Ashcroft (Secretariat). The committeewas set up in February with the following terms of reference: "To review the types of civil aircraft and military aircraft andtheir engines at present under development in the UK and to make recommendations to the TARC about any new types whichthe study group might consider should be undertaken." While light aircraft are not specifically mentioned, these termsof reference are sufficiently wide for all types of aircraft to be included within the committee's mandate. Since the memberswere appointed in February of this year, the ATSG has been very active, meeting over 20 times, and it is understood that thespecification—and reactions to it—have occupied much of the group's deliberations. No fixed target date for tenders has beenset, as new proposals are still being received, but there is an obvious urgency if construction of a prototype is to get underway next year. The list of requirements drawn up by the Standing JointCommittee, on which the Royal Aero Club, ABAC and PFA were represented, specifies two designs of single-engined aircraft: Mk 1is an aerobatic two-seater trainer for the flying clubs, and the subsidiary Mk 2 version is a tourer. The specification has deliber-ately not been greatly detailed in order to allow designers maxi- mum latitude. All that is stipulated is that the Mk 1 machineshould be a side-by-side two-seater with two doors and preferably a low-wing monoplane. Good visibility is mentioned specifically.The aircraft "should open up a new concept of light aircraft so far as the simplicity and quality of its engineering are concerned."Suggested minimum performance figures at maximum weight are a rate of climb of 750ft/min with a time-to-height of 5,000ft in8min, 2| hours' endurance and a stalling speed of 44 m.p.h. Take-off to 50ft in still air, on grass, is stipulated as 450yd.No particular engine is suggested but it is a requirement that the engine and its associated accessories should have an overhaullife of not less than l,500hr. Most manufacturers who have examined the specification are reputed to be thinking in termsof a 100 h.p. Continental, possibly to be built by Rolls-Royce. Two interesting points are that the aircraft should be suitable forglider-towing and that as much automotive ancillary equipment as possible should be used—items such as generators and starters,brakes and tyres. The use of non-metallic materials is also encouraged.A memorandum from the Popular Flying Association attached A new altitude record of 37fll0ft for aircraft in the 3,858lb-6,613lb class is claimed in an Aero Commander 680F (two Lycoming GSO-480 380 h.p. fuel injections). The pilot was Miss Jerrie Cobb—seen here —and her flight was made on September 20 from Bur bank l Col to the specification suggests that "the aircraft should be producedto airworthiness requirements published by the appropriate authority as being solely applicable to light aeroplanes"—thispresumably meaning that a new set of ARB requirements would have to be compiled. The same broad specification applies to the touring airframe asto the trainer, except that in the Mk 2 version four seats are suggested as desirable and the suggested baggage capacity isincreased from 401b to 801b. Recommended endurance is 5hr with half-an-hour's safety margin. No cruising speed is suggestedfor the trainer but the touring version ought to be capable of not less than 110 m.p.h. at 1,000ft on 70 per cent power. The inten-tion is obviously that a composite design should be produced in which the secondary touring specification could be met by, say,extending the fuselage to increase the cockpit dimensions. This aircraft need no longer be aerobatic. At first sight the specification disseminated by the group appearsto favour an aircraft more along European lines than American ones, though there is presumably still a formula somewhere thatUS, French, Italian and other Continental manufacturers have not yet fully explored. The specification leaves plenty of scope,but it is also important that something special should be pulled out of the ATSG hat if the first brand-new British aeroplane forten years is to recoup in export sales the public money needed for its development. A. T. P. THE POPULAR FLYING ASSOCIATION may in the nearfuture decide to apply for the permit-to-fly limitations in the ultra light aircraft category (75 b.h.p., 1,2001b a.u.w. and maxi-mum stalling speed 40 m.p.h.) to be raised to allow the Association to take advantage of the increase in power of engines which wereonce in this category. At the same time they hope to obtain higher maximum weight limits as it has been found very difficultto bring two-seater ultra-lights within the 1,2001b limitation with- out skimping the structure. Continental and Mikron engines, asis pointed out in a letter on page 618, have been substantially uprated since the days when they first appeared in the 65 h.p. class.The FAI will soon be holding an inaugural meeting to consider "accepting" ultra light aircraft and they may well decide to recog-nize the relaxed conditions now in force in France and America. George Beraud, president of the Reseau du Sport l'Air, and DavidArmstrong, chairman of the PFA, have discussed these points recently and it seems likely that both France and Great Britainwill speak with one voice at the forthcoming FAI meeting. SOME USEFUL GIVE-AND-TAKE about weather informa-tion—so often a case of who wants what, and where—was exchanged when the Kronfeld Club mounted a "Meet the Fore-casters" forum on September 28. Among those who came along to put the Met Office view were D. M. Houghton from Dunstable,who described how central forecasting is done, based on a report- ing area from the US to the Urals; T. H. Clifton, who talkedabout the "shop window" in Kingsway and the quarter-of-a- million inquiries the London weather service now deals with ina year; and G. J. Jeffersen of the Harrow office where climato- logical records are kept. The gliding viewpoint was put by AnneWelch, who underlined the difficulties facing the task-setter, with so many variables to reconcile—emphasizing that task-settingcould only be successful "if the task-setter and weather man can work together," and adding that the gliding movement was for-tunate in having met men who were interested in it. Shell's Ambassadors G-AMAA and G-AMAG have re- cently been given attractive executive interiors. This Hunt- ing Group photo- graph shows the pleasing result of collaboration be- tween Charles But- ler Associates and Field Aircraft Ser- vices, who carried out the conversion at Wymeswold. Substantial export work over the past five years has earned Fields a yearly average of £600 per employee
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