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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0316.PDF
324 FLIGHT, 10 March 1961 De/ivery to United of the Carovetle 6R—of which this is a new air-to-air impression—will probably begin in April or May and be completed by January AIR COMMERCE . . . is "whether the airlines should go for a lower-cost short-haul vehicle than is possible with VTOL, but which will have take-off and landing characteristics which normally preclude operations right into the centres of cities . . . The majority view in the airline industry, at the moment, seems to be against the STOL solution and in favour of VTOL." A final assessment must, says Mr Brooks, depend on the comparative economics and operating problems of VTOL and STOL vehicles. Perhaps the most significant passage in this book is as follows: — "Formula specific costs have been reduced by nearly two- thirds during the past three decades. On the evidence of the formula used the jets will continue this trend in the 1960s." Coming from someone who has been very close to the subject of jet operating costs, and who—like many others—has probably had his doubts about them, this is a highly significant statement. TOO NOISY OR NOT? ON March 3 the Westland Rotodyne, Ron Gellatly piloting,carried out a series of noise tests over London, flying up and down the river and alighting at the Battersea heliport. The testswere ordered by Mr Peter Thorneycroft, Minister of Aviation, who observed and listened in company with Mr Julian Amery,the Air Minister. Noise measurements were made at a number of points, in particular in the location of the heliport duringhovering, alighting and take-off. Last August Lord Douglas, chairman of BEA, said of thecorporation's tentative order for 14 Rotodynes: "We don't want to spend £5 million on an aircraft if the Minister says it is toonoisy and we can't operate it from city centres." Since that date BEA's interest has been focussed as an insurance on the Westland(Bristol) 194 project, and a decision has to be made soon about the case for continued Government support of the Rotodyne. ROTTERDAM AND ITS OPERATORS FORMED recently to take advantage of rapidly expandingtraffic through Rotterdam Airport—now in its fifth year of operation—is the new Dutch airline Rotterdamse Luchtvaart-expeditie Maatschappij. The founder, J. van der Toorren, has bought from BEA a DC-3 for non-scheduled passenger andfreight charters which he will fly himself until other crews are trained. Another operator is Aero-Taxi, who are also consideringthe purchase of a DC-3 for charter work; at present they operate a Do 28 and Safirs but may buy Apaches or Aztecs. Passengers through Rotterdam last year were more than doublethe total handled in 1959; freight was up by 82 per cent. As a result, larger aircraft should soon be using the airport and themain runway will next year be extended from 4,300ft to 6,000ft. Shoulders will be constructed on both sides, and bearing strengthwill be adequate for aircraft of up to 100,0001b gross weight in dual-wheel configuration. ILS was installed last December. BOAC TO WASHINGTON TW'OT until now has BOAC decided that the time is opportune -L^ to exercise the right which it has always had to operate a service to the US capital. Amendment of the corporation's US foreign air carrier permit was sought a few months ago; approval iAHHEL BRIDQi was in due course given by the CAB, and the necessary piece ofpaper is now in the White House awaiting the signature of President Kennedy. Subject to completion of this formality, BOAC intend to operatea 707 service from London to Washington on June 2 at a frequency which, after the first week, will become daily. Routing will bevia New York or Boston. HAWAIIAN AIR FERRY? "pURTHER to a previous note that Aloha Airlines of Hawaii arc•*- considering the purchase of Argosies, it is now understood that the proposal being considered calls for two AW.650s and oneAW.670 to establish, in about two years' time, an air ferry service linking the six main Hawaiian islands. The aircraft, under oneproposal, would be purchased by the State, and operated by either Aloha or Hawaiian Air Lines on a subsidy. The plan is supportedby Aloha but opposed by Hawaiian. Purchase price of the three aircraft would be $6.5 million, andthe subsidy might amount to $2.8 million during die first six years, after which the service would be self-supporting. The first Argosywould be delivered on July 1, 1963, a second on October 1, 1963, and the third—which would be an AW.670 (the specialized carferry)—on July 1, 1964. AUTOMATIC ATC IN BRITAIN TPHE Ministry of Aviation has placed a contract with Elliott•*• Brothers (London) Ltd for an experimental system, based on an Elliott 502 computer and special display equipment, intended forresearch by the MoA's ATC Experimental Unit into the design of future ATC centres. The system, which will accept both simulated and live inputs,will be used to test new procedures and use of airspace for the improvement of traffic flow; improvements in data handling, dis-play and transfer; use of computers with inputs from primary and secondary radar, navaids and flight plans; and procedures to dealwith new aircraft and greater traffic volumes. Initially, the system will simulate control in the London FIR, using flight plans, radarand position reports, and will have radar, television, electro- mechanical and c.r.t. displays. Other equipment will be evaluatedas it becomes available. The studies will concern airways traffic and aircraft joining, leaving and crossing airways. This represents a first step towards extensive automation inregional air traffic control in Britain. A year has already passed since the initial order was put out to tender and several more mustelapse before an operational system is finalized and installed. Slow, steady progress is a reflection of the apparent determinationof controllers not to accept new equipment or methods until they are thoroughly proved—a sharp contrast to the American approachof a complete system-study and immediate order for a nation-wide semi-automatic system. Already nearin? completion for a rather different application isthe Ferranti Apollo computer to be installed this summer in the Oceanic Area Control at Prestwick. Exoeriments here will bedirected towards investigating the use of automatic equipment, standardizing the flow of information into the Oceanic ATCC,acquiring statistical information for airspace utilization, deciding the aDoortionment of work between controllers and computers,assessing and testing; disnlay equinment, and developing new- procedures for the North Atlantic. The experimental programmeat Prestwick will last at least three vears and may also provide information of value to ATC in general. Channel Air Bridge have been running special five-day army transport courses to demonstrate to army transport officers routine freight handling and the employment of SDecial aircraft. In the back row, left., is Mr D. A. Whybrow, director of Channel Air Bridge and an old Army transport man himself
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