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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0752.PDF
762 FLIGHT, ljum Napier, Luton . . . 36 English Electric Canberra (Double Scorpion) 38 Eland powerplant manufactured by Short & Harland have a hinged nose housing an ejection seat for the navigator. (31) Airspeed Ambassador (Eland) During 1954 one of the firstof the BEA Elizabethan fleet, RMA Golden Hind, was bought by Napier to conduct Eland route-proving trials. BEA had shownmuch interest in re-engining their Elizabethan fleet, and although de Havilland (who had acquired control of Airspeed in 1951)showed no interest in manufacturing a further batch of Ambas- sadors, so that the airline dropped its Eland proposals and even-tually disposed of its Elizabethans, Napier found the aircraft valuable in flying the engine to simulated airline schedules. A 16ftD.H. propeller was used, and volute-type jetpipes were employed. (32) Convair 340 (Eland) Neither the Varsity nor Elizabethanfully met Napier's requirements as an Eland test-bed, and when Luton were asked to select an airframe their choice fell on theCV-340. This aircraft had originally been designed to be capable of re-engining with turboprops in just such a manner, and it appearedto Napier that an Eland-Convair could well become a commercial proposition in its own right. Late in 1954 a new example waspurchased by the company and converted to Eland power, each nacelle having an overwing jetpipe incorporating a heat exchangerfor cabin heating and aerofoil de-icing. This aircraft, G-ANVP, carried out extensive development flying, and attracted so muchinterest that it was sent to California and, after lengthy and arduous demonstrations, was awarded the first unrestricted FA A typeapproval certificate issued for any turbine-powered aeroplane. Napier then purchased a CV-440, which was flown to PacAeroEngineering Corp in Los Angeles for the installation of modified Eland powerplants built at Luton. Supplemental Type Certificateswere eventually obtained in respect of both aircraft. (33) Avro Lincoln (de-icing research) The Naiad-icing LincolnRF402 was later employed in the high-altitude development of combustion heaters for the MoS. In 1955 the faithful Viking wasplaced on the retired list, and Napier equipped RF402 to carry on the work. After a series of trials with two types of combustionheater, the aircraft was equipped for the study of hot-air de-icing of the Beverley wing. The installation consisted of the outermost5ft of Beverley wing, arranged to pivot about a vertical axis above the rear fuselage, together with a spray grid and extensive instru- 37 G/oster Javelin (Avon) 39 Gloster Javelin (Gyron Junior) 41 Improved rotor blade mentation. By this time Luton were able to simulate any tyr: oficing at will, and the advantages of not having to search for natural icing was so marked that the company received contracts to carryout similar work for the Britannia and Comet. Meanwhile, a second Lincoln, RF342, was equipped for basic icing research. (34) Helicopter Rocket Boost A by-product of the work on rocketmotors was a boost system for helicopters by means of miniature nozzles at the blade tips fed with decomposing HTP from a lankmounted above the hub. Substantial performance improvements led to the equipment being fitted to Skeeters for the Luftwaffe. (35) Avro Ashton (Sapphire) Armstrong Siddeley Motors (nowpart of Bristol Siddeley Engines) appreciated the value of an aeroplane like the Conway-Ashton, and in 1956 Luton convertedan Ashton to carry a late mark of Sapphire, which thereafter did much research flying. (26) English Electric Canberra (Double Scorpion) Napier instal-led a Double Scorpion in the rear of the bomb bay of Canberra B.2 WK163. The tiny package conferred a thrust at 50,000ftroughly equal to that obtainable from both main powerplants, and in 1957 this aircraft—flown by Mike Randrup, chief test pilot, andwith Walter Shirley, the deputy chief engineer at Luton, as observer—reached a world record altitude of 70,310ft. (37) Gloster Javelin (Avon) The MoS selected Javelin FAW.lXA562 as a test-bed for an advanced Rolls-Royce Avon with reheat. Not only was a great deal of airframe conversion required,but the amount of special instrumentation surpassed anything previously necessary. (38) Eland powerplants Although design and development ofthe Eland was an Acton undertaking, Luton were given the task of producing complete powerplants. The work began by the produc-tion of modification kits for the Brazilian airline REAL. These were never delivered, but in 1958 work began on the completelynew power package for the CL-66 (Canadair 540) for the RCAF. Whereas the REAL kits had been designed for tropical operation,the CL-66 powerplant had to be suitable for extremes of climate, in addition to which Luton had to incorporate a Blackburn Paloustegas-turbine in each port installation to provide for pneumatic engine starting (and auxiliary power, if required), together with Ameri-canization of threads, pipes and connectors. In contrast, the Eland powerplants produced for the C onvair/Canadair 540s, for Alleghenyand other operators, revert to the basic installation which received FAA approval in the CV-440. (39) Gloster Javelin (Gyron Junior) The MoA authorized Lutonto install a pair of de Havilland Gyron Junior DGJ.I0R engines, to the standard of build required for the Bristol 188, in Javelin Mk 1XA552. The problems of installing these very advanced power- plants proved a formidable one, and much time was expended inperfecting the control systems to the engine, afterburner and nozzle, but delivery was made last summer. (40) Napier icing Lincoln When the MoA cancelled all de-icingresearch early in 1959, Luton considered that it would be com- mercially sound to continue such research on a jobbing basisavailable to all aircraft manufacturers. Accordingly the two Lincolns were purchased, RF402 being cannibalized to supportRF342. On the fuselage of the latter have been mounted sections of wing and tail from the Caravelle, Argosy, Avro 748 andBuccaneer, and several further programmes are in hand. (41) Improved rotor blade In 1959 the MoA were convinced ofthe promise of improved fatigue life offered by a form of helicopter rotor blade patented by Mr R. Clemens. Although they found acompany to handle preliminary development, a new subcontractor was required to make full-scale blades. Luton were awarded acontract to manufacture 16 blades suitable for the Skeeter (later changed to the P.531 and Scout) plus some test specimens.Essentially the blade consists of a continuous double-wall D-nose spar, stabilized by thermosetting-plastic material, with a Sightmetal trailing portion. Results so far are most satisfactory. (42) CEGB test rig In an endeavour to diversify, discussions v ereheld with the Central Electricity Generating Board, as a resuif ot which Luton have produced a complete rig for the study of ere ionand corrosion in steam-turbine blading. (4T-) ICSE These letters signify intermediate current stability experiment, a large research machine for the UK Atomic Energy Authority intended to be a successor to Zeta as a further step towards the production of power by controlled fusion.
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