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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0933.PDF
BAC model of a TSR.2-dass aircraft, with the caption "For the same requirement, the variable-sweep aircraft is smaller, lighter, uses shorter airfields and costs less than the fixed-wing aircraft." Just visible in the background is part of a comparative weight breakdown PARIS REPORT... flying in a most convincing manner But it would not quite match the field performance of the Fiat machine, which has two 3,030 h.p. Dart RDa.10 turboprops (or military 3,245 h.p. Dart RDa.l2s), with three RB. 162-31 lift jets in each turboprop nacelle. The arrangement is pictured on page 903. Originally Fiat were thinking of having four lift jets on each side, but the present arrangement should give about 30,0001b lift and suffice for very short take-offs and vertical landings (and vertical take-off from forward airstrips, fuel having been burnt on the outward journey). Though originally evolved by Fiat and Finmeccanica, the Cervino is now an industry-wide venture, with Aerfer, Agusta, Macchi, Piaggio and Siai also participating. An eventual 32/40-passenger civil version is mentioned. Military loading arrangements are based on variable-height undercarriage and rear ramp, sample alternative loads being three jeeps, six Orpheus engines, 24 stretcher cases, 40 infantrymen or 32 paratroopers. At full weight it can reach 50ft in 650ft in an STOL take-off, and land in the same distance. Range is 750 miles at 250 m.p.h. and 13,700ft. The tactical mission would involve 185 miles at 13,700ft and 125 miles at low altitude, a VTOL turn- round and a similar return flight. Low-speed control is by twin puffer jets at nose and tail for yaw and pitch, and multiple wing-tip jets, with a single duct each side, for lateral control. The jets are controlled from the normal stick and rudder. Fiat have patented the lift/thrust installation. One of the evolving group of "Italo-German" tactical VTOL studies (the others are mentioned elsewhere) is the Dornier Do31 military tactical freighter, two prototypes of which have been ordered, the first flight being expected at the end of 1964. The definitive aircraft will have a VTOL gross weight of 52,5001b and STOL limit of 58,4001b, with VTOL and STOL payloads of 8,8001b and 13.2501b respectively. Powerplant is to be two 9,0001b- thrust turbofans with deflection, pod-mounted beneath the wing, and 12 lift engines of 4,5001b thrust in two pods mounted further outboard. It will have a T-tail, rear loading and fuselage-mounted undercarriage. Conventional control surfaces will be fully powered, while low-speed control will be by puffer jets for the pitch axis, differential lift-jet tilting for yaw, and thrust modulation for roll. Bodenseewerk Perkin-Elmer are providing an attitude stabilization system and autopilot, with subsequent extension to all-weather and blind-landing operation. The two prototypes will differ somewhat, having Bristol Siddeley Pegasus 5 main engines and groups of three Rolls-Royce RB.162s in tip-mounted pods. The main gear legs will be in the Pegasus nacelles and the tailplane will be low-set. Gross weight for VTOL will be limited by available thrust to 44,0001b. The ERNO North German group of companies will assist in construction. With NFlOOm now voted for the establishment of a production line, and with some very successful flying behind them, Breguet have high hopes for the 941, and are experimenting to achieve even higher STOL performance. They want yet more drag for landing and are thinking of increasing maximum deflection of the inner flaps even beyond the present 98°. They have also shown the ability to fly in all regimes wtihout the ailerons, using spoilers and differ ential outer propeller pitch. The ailerons could then be fully em ployed as flaps. The approach is made at 60 per cent power, with the inner 904 FLIGHT International, 13 June 1963 propellers pulling and the outers at zero thrust. After touchdown all four propellers are immediately put into full-power reverse. A two-piece rudder now allows rudder chord to be doubled at low speeds. The prototype has landed at its maximum 19 tonnes in still air and stopped in just 55m. As well as having a longer fuselage, production 941s will have a rear ramp operable in flight for paradropping and a "normal length STOL" capacity for 26.5 instead of 24 tonnes. The Hispano Suiza flexible-shaft transmission linking propellers and engines (picture, page 913) is working very satisfactorily. A proposed visit to Britain in May was postponed because of a hard landing at Istres by a pilot who had not been fully briefed on some control changes, but the 941 is flying at Le Bourget and should come to Northolt in July. For civil operations of the 941, one of the main problems will be a new set of regulations to cover this type of aircraft. Handling is no problem and one pilot has executed a three-engined take-off without realizing that one engine had been switched off. Breguet's co-operative maritime project, the Atlantic, is also now properly launched, the production contract for 20 aircraft each for France and Germany having been completed last Thursday. The type should become operational early in 1965. There is still no firm prospect of British orders, but "the door is open for them any time." Dutch requirements will be met from the next produc tion batch. It seems that the RAF still cannot decide whether it wants yet another version of the Shackleton, an "Atlantic Mk 2" with auxiliary turbojets, or a satellite to do its ASW job. The first Atlantic is at Le Bourget, showing no external changes except the MAD tail and ECM dome on the fin. Most of the operational equipment is installed and there have been no major systems changes. The second prototype broke up in the air through "an unfortunate combination of circumstances," which have been explained to the satisfaction of German and French authorities. The third Atlantic has a 3ft fuselage extension ahead of the wing, designed to give more space in the operations control centre. Another multi-purpose, propeller-driven V/STOL transport is the Canadair CL-84, two prototypes of which are being built with Government and company money. Much smaller than the 941 or Cervino, it was to have two 600 h.p. PT6 engines on its tilting wing, but the 1,000 h.p. Lycoming T53 has now been chosen instead. Already announced Flight International, May 16, page 700), but a subject of interested discussion at the show, was the Miles Group proposal to the South African Air Force for the Graduate, which is simply a Turbomeca Aubisque-engined Student. This proposition —a direct result of Mr Harold Wilson's speech concerning the supply of arms to South Africa—provides for a cheap trainer to replace ageing Harvards, and it would be built by a newly formed company in South Africa, Miles Aircraft (SA) Pty Ltd. Potential competitors, such as the Jet Provost, Potez Magister and Macchi 326, are much more expensive and would be very difficult to "de- anglicize" in terms of engines and equipment. The Graduate is offered, with "average instruments and no radio" for £32,000, and Brazil is reported to be interested, too. The Aubisque doubles the power of the original Student, allowing an increase of gross weight to 4,1501b and a tankage of 120 Imp gal, giving a range of 1,000 miles and better all-round performance. Endurance will allow three consecutive 45min training flights with a 20min reserve thereafter. Time to 15,000ft is 8min and take-off distance to 50ft 1,940ft. Although Aubisque modification had actually began, the Student has been bought to Paris with its original Marbore. A wide range of Dassault Mirage His is to be seen, both in flight and on the ground. The batch of 100 or so Mirage IIICs are now nearly complete, with occasional IIIB two-seaters interspersed. The HIE and R are taking their place. It is reported that there if consternation in the Swiss camp concerning the matching of the Hughes Taran fire control with the Mirage HIS and with the exist ing Swiss ground control system. There is also some doubt about the ability of the radar-homing Falcon missile, which the Swiss are obtaining, to avoid homing on mountains instead of on airborne targets. The name of Ferranti is mentioned (not by Ferranti, as an alternative fire-control supplier. In the VTOL field, Dassault have made 38 flights with the RB.108 lifted Balzac V test-bed, have completed transition trials and have shown at Le Bourget that they can, with clouds of dust, operau from grass. The aircraft is obviously rock-steady in the VTOl mode. The larger TF-106-engined Mirage HIT! test-bed is to fly ver> soon, and the definitive Mirage HIV—same size as the niTx ana
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