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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0161.PDF
FLhrHT, 3 i.bruary 1961 161 Hot Scout, cold Scout: right, (/,e v/estland Scout (see Q0I 2) during preliminary tmpii-al trials in Aden; tar ria/>i. undergoing simulated cold weather tests in the yjckcrs- Armstrongs (Air- craft stratosphere chamber at Weybridge; below right, Us Blackburn A.I29 engine during cold chamber tests SERVICE AVIATION Air Force, Naval and Army Flying News AAFCE Command AAFCE (Allied Air Forces Central' Europe) is to have a new Com-mander from next March, Air Chief Marshal the Earl of Bandon, succeeding AirChief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst, who is retiring from the RAF. This appoint-ment was announced in Paris last Friday by General Lauris Norstad, Supreme Com-mander, Allied Powers in Europe, and simultaneously by the Ministry of Defencein London. The Earl of Bandon, who is 56, wasCommander-in-Chief, Far East Air Force, from 1957 to last year; previously he hadbeen C-in-C 2nd Tactical Air Force, a post giving him exceptional qualificationsfor his new appointment. He won the DSO on Blenheim operations in the SecondWorld War and also holds the American DFC and Bronze Star. Sir Harry Broadhurst, 55, was AOC-in-C Bomber Command before going to AAFCE. One of the most famous per-sonalities in the RAF, he was a pre-war aerobatic pilot, commanded Treble OneSqn at the outbreak of the Second World War, was SASO and then AOC, DesertAir Force, and commanded No 83 Group, 2nd TAF, throughout the invasion ofEurope. Amongst his decorations are the DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar and AFC. "Illustrious and Happy Chapter" TT was D-day—disbandment day—last•*• Tuesday for the eleven fighter control units of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.From January 31 these units ceased to exist; and in order to pay tribute to thegood work their volunteer members have done since the FCUs were formed (theoldest in 1947/48) a farewell guest night was held on January 25 at Fighter Com-mand headquarters, Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middx.Air Marshal Sir Hector McGregor, the AOC-in-C Fighter Command, presided—paying tribute to the fine record of service of the fighter control units and expressingregret that "an illustrious and happy chapter" had come to an end—and AVM(ret) F. B. Don, honorary air commodore, RAuxAF, replied on behalf of the FCUs. Among the guests were AVM (ret) W. J.Seward, Director of Auxiliaries, Reserves and Air Cadets; Air Cdre (ret) FinlayCrerar, honorary air commodore, No 3612 (County of Aberdeen) FCU, RAuxAF;Air Cdre (ret) G. W. Odey, honorary air commodore. No 3505 (East Riding) FCU.RAuxAF; Gp Capt (ret) J. M. Birkini Inspector-General, RAuxAF; and thecommanding officers of eight of the eleven now-disbanded FCUs—Nos 3505 (EastRiding), 3506 (County of Northampton), 3508 (County of Northumberland), 3604(County of Middlesex), 3609 (West Riding), 3618 (County of Sussex), 3619(County of Suffolk) and 3620 (County of Norfolk). The other three disbanded units areNos 3511 (City of Dundee), 3612 (County of Aberdeen) and 3617 (County of Hamp-shire). Scout's Good Report AFTER tropical trials in Aden, and cold• chamber tests at Weybridge, the Westland Scout helicopter has earneditself a good report. It did 19 hours' flying within 12 days under tropical conditionswithout incurring any unserviceability or occasioning any delay in the programme;and after subjection to a temperature of — 35 °C its Blackburn A. 129 engine wasstarted without difficulty. The aircraft which went to Aden wasflown out intact (apart from the removal of its rotor blades) in a Beverley of RAFTransport Command, so it was ready for flying a short time after arrival. Trialsto which the Scout was subjected were Two of the fighter control unit COs at the farewell guest night referred to above: at left, Sqn Ldr L. E. W. Webb. OC No 3506 (County of Northampton) FCU; centre, Sqn Ldr D. A. G. Parry, OC No 3620 (County of Norfolk) FCU. With them is Wg Cdr G. M. Shinnie, a Fighter Command HQ staff member designed to obtain preliminary informationon hot-weather performance, and to in- vestigate erosion problems (affecting rotorblades, airframe and engine components) under sandy conditions: the programmeformed a preliminary to full tropical trials, which are due to start in the middle of thisyear. The pilot was Maj L. T. Furnivall, RA, of "D" Sqn, A & AEE, BoscombeDown; and servicing was carried out by personnel from the Saunders-Roe divisionof Westland Aircraft at Eastleigh. The Scout was flown back to the UK in aBristol Freighter, having had its rotor hub and secondary gearbox, undercarriage andrear fuselage removed before being put aboard the aircraft. At Weybridge, the Scout was subjectedto functional tests in simulated snow- storms and high-wind conditions in itscold chamber trials, a full servicing programme being carried out by a teamfrom the Central Servicing Development Establishment under Capt C. R. Collier,REME. The establishment, whose head- quarters are at Dereham, Norfolk, have aresident team at Eastleigh. The Scout was originally designed andbuilt—under the designation P.531—as a private venture, and prototype aircraft hadflown before an MoA contract was received in June last year. Five aircraft of thedevelopment batch have now flown and a further three are in an advanced stage ofproduction. EM BRIEF No 3612 (County of Aberdeen) FCU, one ofthe recently disbanded RAuxAF fighter control units, received the No 3 Group efficiency trophyat its final parade on January 22. The new station commander at RAF Khor-maksar, Aden, is Gp Capt J. F. Davis, OBE, DFC, AFC, formerly Assistant Commandant atthe RAF Flying College, Manby. He succeeds Gp Capt J. R. H. Merifield, DSO, DFC, AFC. A record supply drop—seven and a half tonsof food, medicine and other supplies delivered in the space of 5|hr—was carried out by aValetta of No 52 Sqn in Malaya recently. Captained by the squadron commander, SqnLdr Geoffrey Moss, the aircraft flew from Butterworth to supply Malayan Police injungle forts and New Zealand troops patrol- ling the border area.
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