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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0597.PDF
CHT International Official Organ of the Royal Aero Club First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded in 1S09 THURSDAY 19 APRIL 1962 Number 2771 Volume 81 Editor-in- Chief MAURICE A. SMITH OFC Editor H. P. KING MBE Technical Editor W. T. GU NSTON Air Transport Editor J. M. RAMSD EN Production Editor ROY CASEY Managing Director H. N. PRIAU LX In this World News Missiles and spaceflight Air Commerce Co-operation In Space—the US/UK Satellite NASA's Saturn Booster Safety, Economy, Comfort Aerial Top-dressing A Third Round Straight and Level Letters Sport and Business Service Aviation Industry International MBE issue 598 600 603 611 616 618 620 622 624 626 628 632 633 llifie Transport Publications Ltd, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1; telephone Waterloo 3333 (Telex 25137). Telegrams Flightpres London Telex. Annual subscriptions: Home £4 15s. Overseas £5. Canada and USA 15.00. Second Class Mall privileges authorized at New York, N.Y. Branch Offices Coventry: 8-10 Corpora tion Street; telephone Coventry 25210. Birmingham: King Edward House, New Street, 2; telephone Midland 7191. Man chester: 260 Deansgate 3; telephone Blackfriars 4412 or Deansgate 3595. Glasgow: 62 Buchanan Street CI; tele phone Central 1265-6. New York, NY: Thomas Skinner A Co (Publishers) Ltd, 111 Broadway 6; telephone Digby 9-1197. © Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd, 1962. Permission to reproduce illustra tions and letterpress can be granted only under written agreement. Brief extracts or comments may be made with due acknowledgement. A Step into Space T HE frustrations of launch-pad delays at Cape Canaveral were experi enced last week for the first time by Sir Harrie Massey and his team of British scientists responsible for the experiments aboard the joint US/UK ionospheric satellite. The delay was ironic in that the launch vehicle is the highly reliable Delta and that the countdown pro gressed to within six minutes of the scheduled launch time. As we of Flight International have seen and heard at first hand in visits to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Centre in Maryland, and Headquarters in Washington DC, the joint satellite programme has been a highly successful practical exercise in international collaboration. The US team was impressed by the high ability of the British university scientists, who themselves are most appreciative of the generosity and thoroughness with which NASA has tackled the job. The end-product of this first stage of the co-operative effort—the satel lite itself, now ready to begin work—is the subject of a full technical description in this issue. We have a full-colour picture on page 615 and Roger Bacon weighs in with his own brand of non-technical tribute on his Straight and Level page. Even more interesting will be the operational phase that follows a successful injection into orbit—data reception, data analysis, and study of the scientific results obtained. In co-operation with the United States of America Britain is taking her first modest step into space. This is good. He Started Something: ON April 12, 1937, the world's first turbojet was started up for its first trial run. It was Frank Whittle's "U" and early in the proceedings it went decisively out of control. Attendant BTH personnel found refuge in some steam-turbine casings. Whittle—then less than 30 years of age —stayed at the controls. He managed to subdue the glowing, shrieking object, though he records that the incident did his nervous system no good at all. This animated scene was recalled in a more dignified setting 25 years later. The occasion was a dinner at Lancaster House, London, last Thursday. Mr Peter Thorneycroft, Minister of Aviation, who presided, remarked that the hosts were the Ministry of Aviation in association with Rolls-Royce and Bristol Siddeley. This, we feel, was a happy arrangement, having regard to the excellence of collaboration between Government and industry in the development of world-leading British gas turbines. No other man, said the Minister, had in his own generation achieved so much for aviation as had Sir Frank. Sir Frank himself said how impressed he had been that day to have seen a thrust-indicator pass the 30,0001b mark. He was alluding to his visit to Patchway to lay the foundation stone of a new Bristol Siddeley building, as recorded on page 599. Instancing what he termed "links of fate," he recalled his meeting with a PT sergeant at Halton, who arranged for him a special diet and exercises that increased his height by three inches and put three inches on his chest. The outcome was that the name of Whittle was added to the rolls of the RAF College. The true stature of Frank Whittle proved to be a good deal bigger than the sergeant knew.
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