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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1282.PDF
132 FLIGHT International, 26 July 1962 21 Sqn technician A Gnat being brought in for maintenance. Note the heavy curtains to help keep the heat in the hangar STINGERS OF THE NORTH pretty brisk handling of the air craft in and out of the big heated hangars. Care has to be taken in landing and taxying on the hard, frozen runways and perimeter tracks. It is not normal practice to use the brake chute, and a touchdown with any appreciable cross-wind component requires a deft touch and a delicate use of the brakes. As the heat from the efflux is inclined to melt the top layers of snow—which naturally freeze again as solid ice—especial care is taken when taxying always to use the dead centre of the track so that the area affected in this manner can be kept to a minimum. Both airframe and engine minor inspections are carried out by the squadron's technical flight; and this also applies to the ten Vampires which are on the unit's strength. Major overhauls are carried out at Valmet OY, the state-owned aircraft and aero engine factories at Tampere. High powerplant servceability is not merely desirable but essential in cases where the number of operational aircraft is relatively small. In this con text, the Orpheus has proved itself to be exceptionally reliable. Only one unscheduled engine change has been made since the aircraft first went into service with the Finnish Air Force in 1958—and that was due to ingestion of a foreign body. Being basically a simpler engine than many of its counterparts, there are fewer parts both to go wrong and to inspect and main tain, all of which leads to greater utilization. In conclusion, it is worth noting that the other country successfully using the Gnat 1 as an operational weapon is India. A greater contrast with Finland could hardly be found. Ground running—with chocks belayed by chains • •• • The squadron's communications aircraft—Saab Safir —and Fouga Magister
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