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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0370.PDF
352 FLIGHT International, 14 March 1963 WORLD E W S Debating the Air Estimates In the debate on the Air Estimates in the Commons last week the Secretary of State for Air told a sparsely attended House that, because the main threat had swung from manned aircraft to missiles, Fighter Com mand was to be reorganized. Routine administrative matters would be handled by Command HQ, while three new sectors— covering Scotland and the North and East of England—would handle day-to-day train ing. Actual conduct of operations would be under the general control of Command HQ. He regretted that Groups of Battle of Britain fame would be abolished. For its tasks the Command would operate progressive developments of the Lightning, with the collision-course weapon Red Top. Mr Fraser vehemently rejected the sug gestion that there was any doubt about the future of the TSR.2, which he said would be flying within the next 12 months. To persistent Opposition requests for informa tion about range which would support the claims of the TSR.2 as a strategic bomber, he would only say it was "considerable." Mr Mulley referred to the US Howze Committee report that the American trans port force should be increased in five years from 1,650 to 5,450 aircraft, including 132 C-141s. Mr Mulley had worked out that the 200 RAF transport aircraft, including 40 Twin Pioneers and Pioneers, had the capacity of only ten C-141s. He asked for more Belfasts, especially to fill the gap to 1970 when the WG.681 could be expected to enter service in a tactical role. Mr Cronin asserted that nine American companies had offered to buy the P. 1127 at a time when the RAF showed no interest in it, and that 75 per cent of the develop ment had been paid for by American money. He contrasted the vacillation of the Air Ministry with the promptitude with which the French had ordered the Balzac, and maintained that " it is certain " that the Mirage III V would fly before the P. 1154. Mr Ridsdale, the Under-Secretary of State, winding up the debate, said that they hoped soon to be able to offer advice to the Minister of Defence about the military use of space. Meanwhile it was essential to gain practical experience and for a variety of reasons satellite communications systems offered the most suitable starting point. The Defence Debate: page 354. AW.681 On March 5 Hawker Siddeley Aviation issued the following statement (see feature article on page 361):— "The Minister of Aviation, Mr Julian Amery, announced today that Hawker Siddeley Aviation is to design a new tactical jet transport with a short landing and take off capability. The aircraft will be based on a design by Whitworth Gloster Aircraft of Coventry, known as the AW.681. "This new transport will succeed the RAF's fleet of Beverley and Hastings air craft. It has a high wing and is powered by four British vectored-thrust engines mounted in pods below the wing. Thrust- vectoring, together with high-lift devices on the wing, give the AW.681 an excellent short-field performance. "The freight-hold can accommodate the majority of current and projected Army vehicles and equipment. It can also be adapted for passenger-carrying, casualty evacuation and paratroop-dropping roles. At a later date, if vertical take-off and landing is required, the aircraft can be fitted with batteries of vertical lift engines in clip-on pods under the outer wings." Repercussions in Ulster The following statement was made on March 5 by Mr C. E. Wrangham, chair man of Short Brothers & Harland Ltd.:— "Naturally we have been disappointed to learn that no Belfast aircraft or deriv atives are to be ordered now. It remains possible that experience of the aircraft in flight may lead to other orders. The management will be reviewing as a matter of urgency the company's future require ments of design staff. "Considerable subcontract work on the VC10 is expected to start immediately, and in a few years' time will be followed by con siderable subcontract work on WG.681. This forms a partial basis for work at a healthy rate in the shops for several years ahead, but additional work will have to be found in the meantime. The management has in hand long-term negotiations for work on behalf of other companies at home and overseas, but these prospects are neces sarily still uncertain. "The Skyvan prototype is in early stages of evaluation, and policy regarding future production must await conclusion of these trials. Seacat production will continue as planned, and export orders already exceed £3m. Follow-on orders for Seacat are con fidently expected and new orders are being vigorously sought. . . ." Jet-lift Transport Four photographs of the original model which accompanied Hawker Siddeley's submission of the Whitworth Gloster 681 tc meet the OR.35I specification for a new RAF Transport Command aircraft to succeed the Hastings and Beverley. In the upper left illustration the jet-lift pods may be seen attached to the wings. The manufacturer's statement is reproduced above; the aircraft is discussed on page 361
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