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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0722.PDF
720 FLIGHT International, 10 May 1962 WORLD E W S P.1127 Programme in Perspective SOME confusion has been caused by the statement by the US Secretary of Defense, at London Airport on May 1, that the US Government is to contribute between $30m and ?35m (£10.7m-£12.5m), towards the development of the Hawker P. 1127 VTOL strike/reconnaissance aircraft and its Bristol Siddeley Pegasus engine. As described in Flight for December 2, 1960, the P. 1127 stemmed from private collaboration between Bristol Siddeley Engines and Sir Sydney Camm of Hawker Aircraft. In May 1960, when both engine and aircraft were advanced in development, the Ministry of Aviation purchased six prototypes. Three have now flown, and the remainder should fly this year. Last year an intergovernmental agreement was reached between the United Kingdom and West Germany for the mutual develop ment of the P. 1127 by both countries. It is not yet clear what contribution the German Government or industry will make to the programme, but this bilateral agreement remains active. Late last year Hawker Siddeley Aviation submitted a development of the P. 1127— the P. 1154, with plenum-chamber burning and other improvements giving M2 per formance—to NATO as their entry in the BMR-3 tactical strike/reconnaissance com petition. On November 20 HSA announced that they had joined with Republic Aviation (US), Breguet (France), SABCA/Fairey (Belgium), Fokker (Holland), and Focke- Wulf (Germany) to share out NBMR-3 work, even though the companies concerned are also associated with entries other than the P. 1154. Focke-Wulf, in particular, are collaborating directly with Hawker Siddeley in another entry. A major development was announced by the Ministry of Aviation on February 20. This is the decision of the Governments of the United Kingdom, United States and West Germany to undertake a tripartite programme with a view to finding out more about the military employment of VTOL aircraft, with particular emphasis on logistics, pilot training and similar "oper ational" aspects. This tripartite agreement thus differs in important respects from the bilateral agreement with Germany con cerned primarily with P. 1127 development. What will probably happen is that a P. 1127 unit will be formed where British, German and American Government and military pilots and technicians will learn all that they can with 13 aircraft. These air craft comprise the last four of the original MoA batch plus nine new machines equip ped to fly military missions. Of the nine yet to be built, three will be supplied to Germany and three to the US, the MoA acting as purchasing agent. An indication of the scale of this operation is provided by the fact that Mr McNamara's "130m to $35m" probably represents the American Govern ment's contribution (excluding previous US funding, via MWDP, of the Pegasus engine). No Operational Requirement for such an aircraft is known to have been issued in Britain, although the US journal Aviation Week says that OR.345 calls for a variable- geometry strike aircraft for the RAF and RN (it would not require a carrier). The two British services will have to act in con cert in future procurement of this nature, and may wish to buy the P.l 127, P.l 154 or the British Aircraft Corporation's version of the Mirage IIIV. Indian-built Alouettes? It is reported from New Delhi that the Indian Ministry of Defence has concluded negotiations for the manufacture of Sud Alouettes in India. The helicopters are expected to be made at the Indian Air Force centre at Chandigarh in the Punjab. Production licences have previously been granted to Saab (Sweden) and Republic (USA). Puffin Progress The Hatfield Man- Powered Aircraft Group's Puffin Flight, November 30, 1961) has made over 50 successful flights under full control since November 15. The first were made by DH test pilots J. H. Phillips and J. Barnes, but lately Mr J. C. Wimpenny (DH Aircraft deputy chief aerodynamicist and chairman of the Group) has also taken a hand. On May 2 Mr Wimpenny made a flight which has won him £50 offered by an anonymous member of the Royal Aeronau tical Society for being the first to fly a man- powered aircraft half a mile. At an average speed given as "approximately 19£ m.p.h.," he flew 993yd at an average height of 5ft and maximum height of approximately 8ft over the level runway at Hatfield. The flight was officially observed by Mr B. S. Shenstone and witnessed by representatives from 13 countries attending an IATA technical committee meeting. Immediate goal of the various man- powered aircraft groups is to win the £5,000 Kremer Prize for a figure-of-eight of a specified form. The original closing date of February 1962 has been extended indefinitely. Quick Work on the One-Eleven It is now just a year since the British Aircraft Corporation took the decision to go ahead with their One-Eleven airliner, yet today a total work-force of 2,000, including 800 design staff, are engaged on this aircraft. Design of the primary structure is com plete; first- and second-stage jigs at four factories are erected and loaded with work; several thousand details are being made each week; and planning for the final assembly of the aircraft at Hum is complete. The project team controlling the One- Eleven is based at the Corporation's Weybridge factory, and the project co ordinator is Mr Arthur Summers, managing director of Hunting Aircraft, another BAC subsidiary. The team was formed in Signing a contract for a number of the latest Mk 4 Jet Provosts for the Sudan Air Force is Mr Abdel Bagi Mohammed. With him, in the first picture, is Mr David M. Bay of Hunting Aircraft Ltd. In the second picture Col Joseph El Jack Thaa, Sudan Armed Forces, and Mr William Webster, representing British Aircraft Corporation in the Sudan, are witnessing the signatures. A Sudan Airways order for two Comet 4Cs is recorded on page 747
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