FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0745.PDF
FLIGHT International, 10 May 1962 743 AIR CO E R C E TROUBLES IN MEXICO FROM Mexico come reports that CMA Mexicana have defaulted on the last two payments due on their three Comet 4Cs, and that the strike by the airline's pilots, which started on April 1, continues to ground the airline. It is reported that local financial interests may cover the outstanding payments. Mexicana lost more than £3£minl961. Meanwhile the Mexican Government's plan to unite the three carriers Mexicana, Aeronaves and Guest, possibly under the name "Aeromex," has still not borne fruit. The joint operation of Comet 4Cs by Mexicana and Guest to Europe (aircraft bearing the name Mexicana Guest) ceased some months ago and it is now expected that Guest will operate DC-8s on the route if and when the con sortium is formed. It is reported that initial capital of the consortium would be SlOm with the Government contributing 50 per cent, CMA 25 per cent, Aeronaves 15 per cent, and Guest 10 per cent. LANDING WITH ONE WHEEL UP THE March issue of Flight Safety Focus records some opinions on how best to land when only one or two of the undercarriage legs can be locked down—whether to land with the available gear down or whether to retract it and make a belly landing. The July 1961 issue of Focus recorded Boeing's and BEA's opinion that a belly landing was the less desirable alternative. At the Right Safety Foundation Seminar at Naples last Septem ber, Lockheed's view was that there was considerably less likelihood of incurring major damage to a Super Constellation or Electra through a belly landing than generally results from a landing on an asymmetrical main gear. Lockheed's experience is that if a Constel lation was landed with only the nosewheel extended, this would result in the fuselage breaking. Douglas favour landing on the legs that can be extended. CRICKETS AND AN ELECTRA CRASH THE Electra crash at Boston on October 4, 1960, in which 62 people were killed, may have been caused because starlings ingested into the intakes were attracted by the engine noise resembling that of a swarm of chirping crickets. Observations of bird behaviour patterns at Oklahoma City airport have established that at certain times of the year, when natural food is scarce, starlings near the airport appeared to be attracted by, or disturbed by something in the Allison 501's sound; and a large number of chirping crickets make a sound virtually identical in frequency and wavelength with that of a slow-moving Electra. This sound is heard as a high-pitched twitter. A change in take-off r.p.m. has been recommended. This is an interesting recommendation in view of the fact that the Allison 501 is a constant-speed engine (13,820 r.p.m.) This theory has been put forward in a report by two members of the FAA's aero-medical research institute at Oklahoma City, Mr John Swearingen and Dr Stanley Mohler. They note that on several occasions large flocks of starlings have gathered around Electras soon after engine starting, forcing the pilot to stop the engines to prevent bird ingestion. The CAB has not yet published its findings on the Boston crash. This is the Sud-Aviation Caravelle I0A demonstrator (GE CJ805-23C turbofans) which is at present touring the Far East. The aircraft has been demonstrated in Bombay and Calcutta. A further note on a possible IAC order for four aircraft appears on page 748
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
