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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1691.PDF
FLIGHT International, 30 August 1962 327 trunk-route stages of up to 1,700 miles. Engines are three 9,8501b Rolls-Royce Speys, grouped at the rear, and the Smiths/Sperry flight-control system is de signed to provide for eventual automatic landing. The main undercarriage units have four wheels side-by-side and the nose gear retracts sideways. Careful study of market requirements has led to concentration upon design studies for larger and heavier versions. Provisionally designated Trident IE and IF, these would be powered by uprated Spey engines, and have wing span in creased by 5ft with slats to enhance air field performance. The new wing and increased power can be used either to increase fuselage length (IF) to accom modate three more seat-rows or to improve existing pay load/ range perform ance. A weight of 128,0001b is envisaged for these larger developments. New customers can be offered delivery early in 1964, and production capacity at Hatfield and Chester can be geared to a rate of six aircraft per month. At present assembly is at Hatfield only, the line there being fed with components and sub assemblies from other factories. Folland Gnat T.ls D.H.12S de Havilland's jet successor to their best-selling Dove made its initial flight at Hatfield on August 13. It is a small twin-jet transport with a spacious cabin for 8-12 seats, powered by two rear- mounted Bristol Siddeley Viper 520 turbo- jets of 3,0001b static thrust. It is suitable for private business travel and for numerous other civil and military jobs. The 125 is an aircraft of simple and robust design able to fly at 500 m.pJi. with pressurized comfort for the passengers and relatively generous headroom (5ft 9in). There is adequate space for the installa tion of comprehensive equipment to en able the type to be used for such specialist roles as navigation training. It is designed to operate from grass fields of modest length. Production of a batch of 30 aircraft began in April 1961, and the flight-test programme now under way is aimed at achieving full ARB certification in group A by June 1963. Deliveries can be made soon afterwards from the DH Chester factory where the type is being built. A number of firm orders have already been booked and it is expected that before the SBAC display opens an order for the RAF will be announced. D.H.126 Still only a project, the D.H.126 is a jet transport which might be described as a " DC-3 replacement re placement." General layout of the aircraft conforms with that of die D.H.125, though the 126 is of course larger, having accommodation for some 25 to 30 seats. The engines will be turbofans. Folland Gnat T.l The first production Gnat trainers are in service at the Central Flying School, and the type will become die standard advanced trainer for RAF pilots destined for high-performance air craft. Powered by a Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 101, the Gnat can easily exceed Mach 1 in a shallow dive and attain operational height very quickly, thus pro viding an excellent training vehicle for high-performance flight. Slipper tanks each holdmg 59 Imp gal are standard, nut can be replaced by various combina tions of gun, rocket and bomb armament. The latest instruments and radio are fitted, and the airframe is designed for a minimum operational life of 5,000hr. Hawker Hunter The F.6, T.7, FGA.9 and FR.10 versions of the Hunter con tinue in wide service with the RAF. Two squadrons of Hunter FGA.9s are part of the tactical close-support force of No 38 Group, and other squadrons are stationed in Germany, Cyprus, Singapore and Hong Kong. Their performance, range and load-carrying ability, combined with ex cellent handling characteristics, versatility and accurate weapon delivery, continue to prove valuable. More than 2,000 Hunters have been built, and adopted by a large number of foreign air forces. The T.8 and GA.ll, both with arrester hooks for runway use, are in service with the Royal Navy. Hawker P.1127 Resulting from private co-operation between Bristol Siddeley and Hawker Aircraft, the first P.1127, powered by the vectored-thrust Pegasus engine, was built in 17 months and began tethered hovering trials on October 21, 1960. In just under a year, the first two of six ordered by the Ministry of Aviation, had proved the complete transition cycle, short take-offs and supersonic speed in conventional flight. During 1961 the German Government agreed with Britain to a joint development programme, and on February 20, 1962, the MoA announced a joint United States, British and West German programme of develop ment, which would entail the construction of a service test batch of nine P. 1127s (three for each country) and formation of a joint trials squadron in Britain. The P.1127 is a high-wing single-seater, with the engine mounted on the aircraft e.g. Cold and hot jets are discharged through four nozzles which can be rotated by the pilot from horizontal to slightly forward of vertical, giving complete flexi bility for engine running without ground erosion and any degree of conventional, very short or vertical take-off. Stabiliza tion is provided by bleed air nozzles at nose, tail and wing-tips, the system being extremely simple to manage even without stability augmentation. An RAE pilot was taught to fly the full performance envelope of the P.1127 in a flight time of 43min, only 16 of which were needed for transition and hovering practice. Auto-
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