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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0078.PDF
78 FLIGHT Internatio m 18 Januar. 1962 Mystery Ship Photographed at Urize Norton recently was this uncommon variant of the Boeing KC-I3S. It bears the designation JC-I3SA and wears a badge with the letters AFSC (Air Force Systems Command) and the words "Aeronautical Systems Division" WORLD NEWS Parachutist Mike Reilly, whose death in an accident is recorded below Mike Reilly We regret to record that Michael Brendon Reilly—one of Britain's leading parachutists and a contributor of parachuting articles and reports to this journal—met his death in an accident on January 10. He was making a jump into the English Channel from a B-17 for a sequence in the film The War Lover. Wearing a survival suit, Mae West, and main and reserve parachutes, Reilly touched down in a wind of 12kt and was apparently unable to get clear of his harness. The RAF rescue launch from Newhaven that had previously retrieved the test-drop "drifter" dummy in 30sec was with him within one minute of touchdown. He was recovered unconscious and arti ficial respiration failed to revive him. Fellow parachutist Tony Miller, who watched the jump, suggested that the parachute leg-straps might have become jammed against his clothes. Another friend, T. W. W., writes: "And so Mike Reilly, chairman of the British Parachuting Association, gymnast, student of economics and a kindly man who loved poetry, died at the conclusion of a meticu lously planned jump. He was 29 years old, and had in the last few years of his life built up the sport of parachuting in Britain. "It is to the credit of Columbia Pictures that they selected a man with four inter national parachuting championships to his credit to make the jump, and the other parachutists who made up the B-17 jumping team praised the efforts of the RAF to save Mike once he was down in the water. Those of us who knew him well know that he would simply have referred to such an accident as 'jolly bad luck.' It was in fact tragic, and the loss will be felt keenly by parachutists all over the world. "To a parachuting instructor with any degree of sensitivity—and there is no other kind worthy of the name—the character of his pupil is revealed as in the open pages of a book. What we read on the page headed 'Mike Reilly' was good—all of it." Westland Aircraft in 1961 In the Chair man's Statement for the year ended September 30, 1961, new information is given on the widespread ramifications of Westland Aircraft Ltd. Of prime import ance is his discussion of the Rotodyne. After commenting that the year's activities "have to some extent been made difficult" by the Government having "not yet decided whether to place production orders for military and civil Rotodynes," Mr Eric Mensforth goes on to say: "As a result of the very detailed dis cussions with the Ministry of Aviation which, last year, I reported were taking place, our development effort has been con centrated primarily on the 60-seater Roto dyne, the World's first vertical-lift airliner. To ensure that we have a flexible design to meet the immediate requirements, to pro vide scope for future development, and to meet customer needs, the engine arrange ment has been redesigned. Two standard Rolls-Royce Tyne engines will now be employed, with the air for the tip-jets provided separately by two Rolls-Royce RB.176 engines. The overall configuration of the aircraft is unchanged except in nacelle details. Good design and develop ment progress has been made with other major features, and we are ready to com mence production with the fullest confidence in what we know to be a quite exceptional aircraft well head of any other current development. Given support at home we believe that a volume of export orders could materialize, of real significance to Britain's future balance of payments. World-wide sales arrangements, including the USA, are ready." This is the first time that the RB.176 has been mentioned, although in this jour nal's report on the 1961 SB AC Show we commented on the appearance of an addi tional intake and jetpipe at the rear of the nacelles on a Rotodyne model. Rolls-Royce have illustrated various schemes by which small gas turbines could be installed to provide air for rotor tip-drive or other purposes. At one time the possibility was investigated of adhering to the original Rotodyne scheme of a rear-mounted auxili ary compressor driven by the main engines. and such an engine would also have suited the proposed British Aircraft Corporation 222 (derived from the Lockheed BLC-1301. The latter application has waned in importance, and Westland have now openly adopted separate air-producing engines. Summarized, Mr Mensforth also an nounced the following: The Belvedere is the only helicopter outside Russia offerini; engine-out flight safety at normal gross weight; work has ceased on civil versions of the Belvedere; although there has been a delay in completing pre-flight tests with the twin-Gnome Wessex 2, it is expected thai service delivery requirements will be mei: a Commando variant and further ASW versions of the Wessex are in the design stage; the Gnome-powered Whirlwind 10 has already shown in RAF service that the performance improvements expected have been fully realized, and conversions of earlier marks to Gnome power are being carried out at the Bristol Helicopter Division; there has been some delay in delivery of the Blackburn Nimbus turbo- shaft for Scout and Wasp production, and Westland welcome the fact that the project is now part of Bristol Siddeley Engines: Saunders-Roe Division are working on a development of the SR.N2 Hovercraf; (page 97) able to carry 110 passengers at 80kt, and, in addition to the inter-service Hovercraft unit established at Lee-on- Solent, the MoA have initiated a research programme at the RAE; Saunders-Roc expect production of the Black Knight research missile to continue "for some time, particularly as the US Government is now interested in the programme"; and at the Fairey Aviation Division production of Gannets continues for the RN and Indo nesian Government. Of Normalair Ltd Mr Mensforth says "Engineering and cost proposals for new aircraft systems have been submitted, including the BAC One-Ele\en. and military types being sponsored b) NATO. Orders have been received for the pressurization and complete oxygen system for the BAC tactical strike aircraft "~ development batch of which has been ordered by the Ministry of Aviation. We are closely working with British and Continental companies concerned with the proposed supersonic transport aircraft."
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