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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1743.PDF
SPORT AND BUS!NESS The Swedish-registered Cessna 180 floatplane seen on the left was a recent visitor to the beach at Paignton, Devon. Another marine aircraft, the Seaplane Club's Tiger Moth floatplane (right) is to be named at the club's opening ceremony next Sunday, September 29. Tom Brooke-Smith (facing camera) is one of the pilots who have already flown it The Coupe Marcel Doret During the three-day light aircraft meeting held at Biarritz during September 13-15, 13 men and three women flew a set pattern of aerobatic manoeuvres in standard-class Stampes to compete for the Coupe Marcel Doret. Flying displays, a static exhibition and a business flying conference were held at the same time, and the affair would have made a grand event had it not been for atrocious weather. By comparison with the rather similar type of contest involved in the Esso Tiger Trophy, recently held at Rochester, the plan for the Doret cup was impressively ambitious. Each pilot flew a standard Stampe fitted with a Renault 140 h.p. 4P05 engine with full inverted system. Prescribed man oeuvres, to be performed in a set order, included stall turns in both directions, a loop, roll off the top, slow rolls and flick rolls in both directions, a roll into a downward half loop, spin, half-rolls in each direction, an inverted horizontal figure-of-eight and a cuban eight. This routine was to be completed by a spot landing in which each metre from the spot meant the loss of one point. The whole aero batic sequence had to be completed in 5min at between 200m (660ft) and 400m (1,320ft); and if a competitor missed out one manoeuvre he lost all points. Only three out of 19 did so. Maximum age for competitors was 45. The jury consisted of Gen Cuffaut, director of the Aero Club de France, Jean Passadori, chief instructor of the national aerobatic school at Carcassonne (which has superseded St Yan) and Fred Nicole, French aerobatic champion. Though the top scorers were not (yet) internationally known, it says much for the general standard of flying that so stiff a test was successfully undertaken by such a number of pilots, including women. Though aerobatic skill may not have a strictly useful purpose in general aviation, the practice and encouragement of it cannot but improve the general piloting standard and attitude to flying. Many prizes were presented at the end of the meeting, including cups, cheques or medals for the club bringing most aircraft, the manufacturer or agent showing most aircraft, the most recently qualified and the youngest pilots to arrive as pilot-in-charge, the man and woman with the most flying hours. The prize for the best item in the flying display went to the French Army aircraft team, and the Coupe dela Ville de Biarritz was won by Jean Paul Weiss who arrived in a new Mooney Mk 21 from San Antonio, Texas, via St Pierre, off the Canadian coast—the last leg non-stop in about 16hr. The final evening was also marked by the showing of the French army aviation colour film on tactical use of helicopters, which had won outright first prize at the international aviation film festival at Deauville, held just before the Biarritz weekend. The film was very exciting, though there was hardly any dialogue. Superbly photographed in rolling forest and mountain territory, it gave a vivid impression of the tactical capabilities of the helicopter, by night and day, against vehicles, tanks and troops, as an assault transport and for casualty evacuation. Though it lasted less than 30min, it must stand as a major classic in aviation filming and deserves the widest possible audience for artistic as well as aero nautical reasons. The film bore virtually no credit titles and simply the title ALAT (Aviation Legere de FArmee de Terre). Light-aircraft Accidents In the Ministry of Aviation's Survey of the Accidents to Aircraft of the United Kingdom for 1962 (HMSO, 4s), the following analysis is given of accidents to "aircraft not engaged on public transport." There were 92 accidents to powered aircraft, including helicopers, in this category, 15 of which were fatal (figures for 1961: 93 accidents, including 12 fatal). Of the fatal accidents, two involved aircraft engaged on commercial flights, one involved an aircraft on an executive flight, six involved aircraft engaged in club and group flying, four involved aircraft on private flights and two involved aircraft engaged in training. Sixty-five accidents were attributed to errors or omissions on the part of pilots, five were attributed in part to pilot error and in part to other causes, and 19 were attributed to causes other than pilot error. The causes of three accidents could not be determined. There were 19 accidents to gliders during the year, compared with 18 (two of which were fatal) in 1961. None of the 1962 acci dents was denned as "fatal," although in one case the pilot died some six weeks later. Thirteen accidents were attributed to pilol error, one was attributed in part to pilot error and in part to anothei factor, four were caused by factors other than pilot error and th< cause of one accident could not be determined. "Examination of the circumstances in which accidents occurred to light aircraft" the report states, revealed the following significan causes:— (a) carrying out manoeuvres too close to the ground (b) failure to plan properly, both before and during the flight (c) failure to obtain, or to make use of, a weather forecast (d) inadequate supervision by flying instructor or pilot-ini command (e) failure to maintain flying speed. "The last-mentioned cause was the subject of Informatioi Circular 84/1962, which drew attention to the serious nature o stalling accidents and to the need to bear in mind that the stallim speed of an aircraft is not constant but increases with weight am also in turns and aerobatic manoeuvres." Hansa Go-ahead Hamburger Flugzeugbau announced a September 10 that the company was to begin series production« the HFB.320 Hansa executive jet aircraft, with first deliver* scheduled for the end of 1964. Assembly of the first prototype w stated to be proceeding well, with ground tests likely ^fore end of this year and the first flight at the beginning of 1964, US test pilot, Mr Loren W. Davis from Edwards, California been engaged for the HFB.320 programme and has already work with the German company. A fullscale mock-up of the craft was due to be exhibited at the US National Business * Convention at Houston on September 24-26. ha ,
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