FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0601.PDF
FLIGHT, U May 1961 611 r lilting in the development of visual aids such as approach lighting and lighting of the landing threshold.'"On being presented with the award at the annual meeting of the association in New York last Thursday, Mr Calvert pleaded in aspeech for the wider use of operational research groups. The development of the v.g.s.i., he said, was an example, and added:—- "It was recently adopted by both our countries. My group has beeng.ven the credit for this, but you might be interested to know that it is doubtful whether we would have pursued the idea as a matter of urgencyif it had not been for some excellent operational research done by C.en Caldara's group as early as 1953. [Gen Caldara, as USAF DeputyInspector-General for Safety, received the Monsanto Award in 1958— Ed.] His group investigated 14m landings and showed that a highproportion of the accidents at landing were due to visual misjudgments in good weather. I had already suspected as much by reading theaccident reports, but, as a basis for administrative action, there is all the difference in the world between a mere hunch and an exact statisticsupported by unassailable evidence. We did not suspect, however, that the accident rate for this kind of procedural failure was at that time sovery much greater for jet aircraft than for propeller-driven aircraft. As soon as we saw the statistics for this, we realized that something hadto be done quickly if the civil jets were to operate safely all over the world, and, as it turned out, the technical solution was simple. "This shows what could be done if there were small and efficientoperational research groups in each country continuously exchanging information. I would emphasize that this work does not require alarge number of people (my own staff consists of two), but they must combine scientific knowledge and operational experience with a peculiarkind of insight not very common in this busy uncontemplative world." NEW PRESIDENT of the Royal Aeronautical Society is Air Marshal Sir Owen Jones. As described on page 612 of this issue, he was inducted last Thursday New US Executive Aircraft TWO new business aircraft have just been announced in the USA.One is the Aero Commander 1121, a twin-jet, 500 m.p.h. machine which will fly within one year, be certificated at the end of 1962and be in production in the third quarter of 1963. Orders are being accepted now and the prices, respectively without and with fullelectronics, are S475.000 (about £170,000) and $555,000 (about £198,000). No details of configuration or engines are given, butAero say that the 1121 will retain the short-field capability of present Commanders. COMING SHORTLY: Flying over Piper's production centre at Vero beach, and expected in Britain shortly, is the new Cherokee, an inexpen- sive four-seater powered by Lycoming l50h.p. or l60h.p. engines and "all mod. con." Best cruising TAS is 132 m.p.h. at 7,000ft and endurance at 10,000ft and 60 per cent power, with extra tankage, is Ihr or 800 miles. Price in UK, about £4,200 DESK SET made by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd apprentices was presented to Viscount Portal of Hungerford, chairman of British Aircraft Corporation, at the recent annual speech day. D. J. Priest, chairman of the Apprentices' Association, made the presentation The other new type is the Cessna Skyknight, about which againno firm details of configuration are revealed. A five-passenger twin, it is at present flying and will be in production next year: itsmain feature is the use of turbo-supercharged Continental 260 h.p. engines, which will maintain full take-off power up to 16,000ft andallow a single-engined service ceiling above 17,000ft. The Skyknight will be able to cruise at 265 m.p.h. at 16,000ft and fly at 27,000ft forlong distances. It will "be priced lower than any aircraft of com- petitive performance" and is part of the planned extension of therange of Cessna twins. The RAF and USAF Remember IN a silent processional through St Clement Danes last Sundaymorning, with the city quiet and sunlight streaming through the high windows, eight books of remembrance containing the namesof those who gave their lives in the RAF and its associated services during the Second World War were borne to glass-fronted shrinesin the north and south aisles of the church. They had been dedicated by the Bishop of Maidstone, the Rt Rev Stanley Betts, who isBishop to the Forces; and the bearers represented all ranks of the RAF, WRAF and PMRAFNS. There are over 105,000 names inthe books, and the work of inscribing them has been carried out by members of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. In an after-noon service at the historic London church, an American book of remembrance was dedicated, containing the names of 19,000US airmen killed during the war whilst based in Britain. (Further "From All Quarters'' news items appear overleaf) IN BRIEF The Duchess of Kent "scrambled" four Victors of 15 Sqn at RAFCottesmoreon May 3.when she presented the squadron with its Standard. Bristol Siddeley announce that the BS.53 lift/thrust turbofan—power-plant of the Hawker P.I 127, and chosen for several projects—has been named Pegasus. MILITARY SALES of British Aircraft Corpor- ation products in Europe and USA will be the respective responsi- bility of Air Chief Mar- shal Sir Hubert Patch (left) and AVM W. C. Sheen. (Details are given on page 620s The Guild of Air Truffle Control Officers now has its headquarters at M South Street, Park Lane, London Wl. AVM V. Hancock is to take over as Chief of the Air Staff, R AAF, onMay 29 with the rank of air marshal. His appointment to succeed Air Marshal Sir Frederick Scherger was announced last September (Flight,September 23, 1960). Under an agreement between Marcel Dassault and the WodenTransformer Co Ltd, Bilston, Staffs, British-designed electro-mechanical equipment is to be produced in France for the French company'saircraft and guided-missile programme. Accidental launching of a Sidewinder missile from an F-100, whichresulted in a B-52 being shot down over New Mexico on April 7, has been stated to have been caused by "moisture seeping into an electricalconnection." The F-100 pilot, a member of the Air National Guard, has been exonerated. The US Air Force will spend $52.5m on basic research in fiscal year1962, according to Dr Knox T. Millsaps, Chief Scientist of the Air Force Research Division. For both basic and applied research, theUSAF has been spending S3.5m to $4.0m per year in Europe, and also allocates some additional money for projects to be carried on in SouthAmerican countries, in Australia and Japan.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
