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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 2117.PDF
918 FLIGHT International, 5 December 1963 AIR COMMERCE... PROGRESS WITH THE SKYVAN TEST flying of the prototype Short Skyvan at Belfast is proceeding very satisfactorily since installation of the Turbomeca Astazou turboprops, and interest in the project is being shown by Wien Alaska, Northern Consolidated (both of whom already have Astazou-powered Pilatus Porters), Trans-Australia and AnsettMAL and others. Unfortunately, although the project has been approved by the MoA Transport Aircraft Requirements Committee,Treasury approval for financial backing is still awaited and no steps are yet being taken to begin construction of a second prototype, which would represent the intended production aircraft. This would have Astazou 10s giving 632 s.h.p. each and a gross weight of 12,5001b, as distinct from the maximum 10,5001b of the prototype. In order to save weight, the tailplane is to be lowered to lie within the fuselage contour, the rudder position being kept constant and single large rudders above the tailplane replacing the present two-piece rudders above and below. Rudder horn balance is to be reduced. The landing lights are to be moved into the wing/strut junction fairings and the nose slightly lengthened to accommodate radar. Hanging throttles are to be replaced by conventional levers, mainly because the fingers will then be better able to make other movements while resting on the levers. The large external cargo tie-down doors are to be replaced by much smaller access panels and a single large nosewheel will replace the present twin wheels in order to avoid bogging-down in soft ground. Ground handling has so far proved excellent in calm or cross-wind conditions. Test flying is now taken over by Peter Lowe, as Dennis Tayler is occupied with the Belfast. With Astazou-powered flight time approaching a score of hours, Shorts intend to obtain a special category C of A after 60 or 70hr, in preparation for full C of A testing with the definitive aircraft. Climbs and landings have been made on one engine and twin-engined rate of climb has proved to be l,300ft/min on both engines at 7,000ft. The clean stall has been approached at 68kt, a figure which tallies with calculations. It would be tragic if this promising aircraft were crippled by lack of official support. BARDOCK'S APPEAL DISMISSED LAST May the Air Transport Licensing Board refused to grant Bardock Aviation Services licences for scheduled Rapide services between Cheltenham and the Scilly Isles, on the grounds that there was no need for the service and that the applicant was not "com petent and fit"—to use the words of the Act—to operate the services. Bardock appealed to the Minister of Aviation who appointed Sir Ralph Hone as the commissioner to hear the appeal in July. Mayflower Air Services, who had objected to the application before the Board, appeared at the appeal as respondent. Sir Ralph Hone recommends that Bar dock's appeal be dismissed and the Minister accordingly confirms the Board's decision. It appears from the commissioner's report, submitted to the Minister on August 27 and published on November 18, that Bardock made a late request to him for a month's adjournment of the appeal on the grounds that essential witnesses were unfortun ately abroad and that certain material information had not been received. Sir Ralph granted a month's adjournment despite Mayflower's objections that a postponement would be inconvenient and that Bardock had already had ample time to prepare their case. On July 29, however, Mayflower themselves asked for a further adjournment on the grounds that their managing director, Sqn Ldr K. P. H. Cleife, had sustained serious injuries in a flying accident. Bardock refused to agree to an adjournment. The appeal took place, as requested by Bardock, on August 23. Bardcck produced some further evidence of demand in the form of five written state ments. Sir Ralph was evidently impressed with this evidence for he is "led to the conclusion . . . that there is sufficient need or demand for" the proposed kind of services. But he is not so convinced on the other, and "far more important," issue. On the question of whether they were "competent, fit and proper" persons to operate the service Bardock referred to the private interview they had had with the Board on this subject, described by the commissioner as "a technical examination of an application for Short Turbo-Skyvan trials are well under way at Belfast, as reviewed in a note on this page which the special experience and expert knowledge of the members of the Board especially fit them to undertake." Sir Ralph was supplied with a record of this meeting from which it was clear that the Board were most dissatisfied with the information given and the explanations offered. "This most important document," says Sir Ralph, "signed by the general manager [of Bardock] as being to the best of his knowledge and belief to be true and complete, was found to contain many serious inaccuracies for which no satisfactory excuse was forthcoming. All this evidence throws grave doubts upon the experience, ability, competency and the financial resources of this company." The evidence given to him at the appeal of this aspect of the case, says Sir Ralph Hone, "was not impressive and in my view did virtually nothing to retrieve the appellant's position." It is on these grounds that Sir Ralph recommends the Minister to dismiss the appeal. Footnote British Westpoint are planning to take over the control of Mayflower Air Services. ALL-WEATHER PAPERBACKS IN 203 closely printed quarto pages, supplemented by a compre hensive index, appendices and 18 pages of official appraisal, some industrious but unidentified IATA precis-maker has lucidly brought together the verbatim discussions of all-weather landing and take-off held at the 15th IATA technical conference in Lucerne from April 26 to May 5 this year. The volume, All-Weather Take off and Landing, Part I, is available from IATA in Montreal. One of its most valuable sections is the sunmary of progress reports made by organizations working on blind landing problems —seven airlines, three government agencies (one British, two US) and ten manufacturers. The discussions are gathered in four mam sections, dealing respectively with operational and flight technical aspects; radio guidance and flight control systems; instrumentation and displays; and supporting facilities and services, visual ai"s and ground movement guidance. Thrcuihcut the nummary frequent reference is made to trie working papers which were presented at the conference—151 ol them. These are listed in an appendix and, in order that their valuable information should not be lost, they have been collected together in one volume, as Part II of the conference report, smal stocks of which are still available from IATA.
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