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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1646.PDF
750 FLIGHT, 16 November 1961 FROM ALL QUARTERS Bristol Siddeley Buy D.H. and Blackburn Engines ON November 8 Hawker Siddeley Aviation issued the following statement: "The Hawker Siddeley Group Ltd and Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltdhave announced jointly that Bristol Siddeley has acquired from Hawker Siddeley the full share capital of Blackburn Engines Ltd and the deHavilland Engine Co Ltd, which will now become part of Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd. This arrangement is in line with the Government'spolicy to concentrate aero-engine work into two companies." Sir Roy Dobson, HSG managing director, said that the sale hadbeen made for cash. He described it as "a tidying-up process—all part of our rationalization programme, which is going on apace."HSG owns 50 per cent of the share capital of Bristol Siddeley. A Bristol Siddeley spokesman said that the transaction wouldmean that his company's already extensive range of products— which in the aeronautical field includes gas turbines, rocket motorsand ramjets—would be augmented by the excellent Gnome and Nimbus turboshaft units on which de Havilland and Blackburnhad concentrated in recent times. Bristol Siddeley would now be able to offer powerplants ranging from the smallest to the largest. The deal was a well-kept secret. D.H. Engines and BlackburnEngines, which respectively add about 8,000 and 1,000 people to the previous BS total of 24,000, will not at present lose their identity,nor is any major change in their activities anticipated. It is clear, however, that the November 8 announcement was made the momentthe transaction took place, and the obvious questions regarding redisposition of work, boards of directors and rationalization intothe two BS divisions—"Aero" and "Power"—must for the time being go unanswered. More Comets for Egypt? EARLIER this week it was reported that United Arab Airlinesare negotiating with the de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd for two more Comet 4Cs, for early delivery, to increase the airline fleet to seven.The de Havilland Co can make no comment on this report, but it is understood that two aircraft already well advanced on theproduction line can be made available to UAA for early delivery if required. VIP Canberra THE Canberra in which Mr Duncan Sandys was flown home fromTripoli to London Airport on November 8, after his Britannia had been delayed by engine trouble, was a B(l).8 of 88 Sqn flown bySqn Ldr J. D. Upton. Normally based at Wildernath, Germany, this aircraft was at RAF Idris for routine training. The flight toLondon, of about 1,450 miles, was made in 3hr 16min. Mr Sandys travelled in the navigator's prone position in the nose of the aircraft. Starting-up Again HAD the pioneer aviators been able to obtain engines with reason-ably reliable power output and a weight within bounds, at least a few would probably have been able to fly before the turn of thecentury. Memories of the power problems of the earliest days of flying were recalled last Monday when Sir Geoffrey de Havillandjoined with founder-members of the company bearing his name, and a few guests, to "start up" a replica of his first engine. This had been built over a period of three years by some 60apprentices of the de Havilland Engine Co as part of their training. As no original drawings existed, the engine was redesigned, largelyon the basis of contemporary sections which appeared in Flight for May 21, 1910, and on Sir Geoffrey's recollections of the original.Four of these engines were made in the first place by the Iris Car Co of Willesden—two were for Mr G. de Havilland and two forFarnborough for airship installation. With the aid of an entirely modern electric starter, the replicastarted immediately at the push of a button, and it idled evenly and smoothly; but any attempt to produce a part of its original 45-50b.h.p. at 1,500 r.p.m. resulted in considerable vibration. This replica weighs about 301b more than did the originals and hascast-iron pistons in place of the special steel ones. Sir Geoffrey explained that the couple resulting from this five-litre flat-fourengine with two-throw crankshaft called for braces from the cylinder heads in the horizontal plane. In his aircraft these hadbeen provided, but the engine still shook badly at full power. In the first—unsuccessful—installation the engine was mounted SOMETHING IN THE CITY (or What Would Sir Christopher Have Said'.) —a Westland Belvedere rehearsing for the RAF's Lord Mayor's Show par- ticipation (incidentally a few hundred yards from "Flight's" offices). In spite of atrocious weather on Saturday—the day of the actual show—the whole helicopter programme, with the Belvedere, a Sycamore and Whirlwinds participating, went as planned with crankshaft transverse and driving bevels for the shaft for thetwo propellers, one at each end. Next a single pusher propeller was used, and this allowed the crankshaft to be fore-and-aft onthe aircraft centreline. Sir Geoffrey mentioned at lunch that his wife had found theoriginal drawings some years ago and, thinking them so old as to be without value, had put them on the bonfire. He complimentedthe apprentices on building the replica engine without real drawings but added that he did not think there were "any particular lessonsto be learned from this." Mr F. T. Hearle, who was associated in the first projects withSir Geoffrey, was unwell and therefore unable to be present at the ceremony. A Look at Life THE life of a test pilot—Jim Dell of English Electric—is the theme of one of the latest editions of the Look at Life series of films pro- duced by Rank Film Distributors Ltd. Some superb flying sequences are introduced, and there is a particularly dramatic "killing" of a Meteor target by a Firestreak missile. Hiller's Little Big Helicopter FLIGHT-TESTED in secrecy over the past six months, a new six-seat utility helicopter has just been announced by Hiller. Powered by the Canadian Pratt & Whitney PT6 of 500 s.h.p., the newcomeris designated the Ten 99 (or, as the manufacturers rather inelegantly render it "Ten99"). The PT6 is the only North American light-helicopter turbine to have passed the 50hr US Government qualifi- cation test, and the new Hiller is the first aircraft to be powered byit (excluding the Beech 18 test-bed). A private venture, the Ten 99—"the smallest big helicopterflying"—is intended for a wide variety of roles, including fleet utility work, Marine Corps assault tasks, and general-purpose civilpassenger and freight duties. Although no greater in overall dimensions than the Hiller 12E, it has twice the seating capacity;payload is in excess of 1,0001b. Unique in the light-helicopter class is the provision of large aft-loading clamshell doors for the 100 cu ft box-like cargo compart- ment. In addition there are four doors for passengers and crew andto assist in through-loading of the cargo section. Studies for the Ten 99 began late in 1958, and preparations forproduction have included market evaluation, wind-tunnel testing and the manufacture of a full-scale mock-up which has been trans-ported to various places in order to obtain reactions from prospec- tive customers. Application for type certification was made to the |FAA last summer. NEW HILLER: the six-seat Ten 99, subject of a news-item above'
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