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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0604.PDF
604 FLIGHT International, 19 April 1962 AIR COM MERCE . . . characteristics of a successful supersonic airliner," the lecturers conclude. Particulars are given of Cranfield's A-60 project for an airliner cruising at Mach 2.2 (1,450 m.p.h.) at 57,000-65,OOOft. Unlike the Super Caravelle, in which the wings and fuselage are discrete aerodynamic units, the A-60 features the so-called inte grated shape that enables high cruising efficiencies to be obtained, but at the cost of dispensing with cabin windows. "Airlines may find such an arrangement unacceptable," say the lecturers, "but super sonic flying is for the sophisticated, and internal decor plus closed- circuit television could alleviate claustrophobic impressions." The absence of windows could reduce structure weight by as much as 2,0001b. The A-60 is a tailless, slender delta with a 73° leading edge sweepback and six jet engines of approximately 18,0001b sea level static thrust, mounted in the rear fuselage aft of the pressure cabin. It may not be without significance that the A-60 bears a strong resemblance to the Handley Page H.P.I 15. VANGUARD TAXY I NG-LAMP MOD FOLLOWING two almost identical incidents on April 10, BEA's 20 Vanguards are to undergo modifications involving the taxying lamp in the nosewheel bay. A BEA spokesman said that lugs on a bracket holding this lamp are to be replaced. A Glasgow-bound Vanguard returned after the pilot had reported a rumbling noise in the nosewheel mechanism, and it was found that the aircraft had lost its taxying lamp completely; the bracket had buckled and would have prevented the nosewheel doors from closing. In a simi lar incident at Stansted, a Vanguard captain on a training flight abandoned take-off when he heard a knocking sound from the nosewheel bay; the taxying lamp had worked loose. The Vanguard fleet will not be grounded and replacements will take place during normal servicing. MEA AND CYPRUS AIRWAYS: A DENIAL CYPRUS AIRWAYS has no intention of severing its operating agreement with BEA to link up with any other airline. This denial was issued after a report in the English-language daily newspaper Cyprus Mail of April 10 that Sheikh Najib Alamuddin, chairman of MEA, was anxious to replace BEA as the operator of Cyprus Airways' services, and was prepared to lease, maintain and operate one or two Comet 4Cs for the Cypriot airline. It will be remembered that last year the Sheikh's allegation of "poaching" in the Middle East by BEA and its associates was described by Lord Douglas as "another piece of nonsense." BEA was flying these services for Cyprus Airways and, said Lord Douglas, "If the Sheikh gets rid of BEA he will find himself with a rather more tiresome operator on his hands"—both KLM and BUA had tried to get in there. Cyprus Airways last year renewed its agreement with BEA for a further five-year period and, although the Sheikh has suggested that Cyprus would obtain traffic rights more easily if an Arab airline supplied its aircraft, a spokesman for Cyprus Airways said that the airline treasured its independence and intended to main tain it at all costs. The Cyprus Government's approach to Lebanon for a trade agreement has been halted, reportedly because of Lebanese objec tions to the extension of Cyprus Airways' operating rights through Lebanon to the Persian Gulf; the airline already operates to Kuwait and Bahrain. TCA'S £2.3m LOSS A LOSS greater than any in TCA's history was recorded in 1961. when Canada's national carrier suffered a deficit of $6.45m (£2.3m). The airline's second loss in eleven years, it is attributed to reduced revenue rates caused by "a revolutionary shift in Canadian travel habits." As previously noted in these columns (March 8, page 352), this shift saw 79 per cent of all TCA passengers travelling economy- class, compared with 44 per cent in 1960. As a result die average revenue rate per passenger-mile fell from 6.25 cents to 5.81 cents. At the same time, however, TCA cut cost level from 36.72 cents per c.t.m. to 31.3 cents. Passenger-miles grew 21 per cent to nearly 2,500m, and seat-miles went up 24 per cent; load factor dropped from 66 per cent to 64 per cent. TCA's president, Mr G. R. McGregor, says in his report (recently presented to the Canadian Parliament) that no major route- expansions are contemplated at the moment. Every effort will be made this year "to improve the quality of existing service through superior schedules and flight frequencies and a wider application of new aircraft." Commenting on the application to increase domestic passenger fares, Mr McGregor says that such adjustment of the 1961 fare structure is probably unavoidable. As this issue goes to press CPAL, TCA's competitor on domestic trunk routes, has made no move to apply for similar increases. TCA's fleet comprises ten DC-8-40s, 20 Vanguards (three still to be delivered) and 49 Viscounts. A few Super Constellations and two DC-3s remain to be retired and all 21 of the airline's Canadair North Stars were sold during the year, the last North Star schedule taking place on June 30. Says Mr McGregor of this aircraft: "It was one of the most reliable commercial aircraft ever built." Of his company's order—a shock for Canada's aircraft industry— for four DC-8Fs, TCA's president says: "These flexible aircraft will provide additional passenger capacity while enabling TCA to participate efficiently in the growing transatlantic air cargo market." And of the pool agreement with BOAC, Mr McGregor remarks that it has permitted "substantial operating economies while providing the public with a wider choice of travel times and greater convenience." One cf the five Viscount 708s recently bought from Air France by Air Inter, the French domestic operator, and now in service on routes from Paris to Toulouse, Tarbes, Biarritz, Clermont-Ferrand and Nimes. Air Inter will operate two Super Broussards on the Paris - St Raphael route from July to September
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