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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0037.PDF
32 FLIGHT International, 2 January /964 SPORT ••MM AND mmmmm B U SI N ESS This Auster J. IN has been acquired by Diantella Ltd of Plymouth and is flown by company pilot Michael Anderson. In the picture is Miss Teresa Stevens, a director of Diantella ABAC Elections At the annual general meeting of the Associa- tion of British Aero Clubs and Centres on December 11, Mr R. A. Smith was elected chairman of the Association. Mr Smith is managing director of British Executive Air Services, operators of the Oxford Air Training School and Oxford Aeroplane Club. He has been a member of the ABAC Council for two years, and during the past year was chairman of the Pilotage Committee. Wg Cdr R. J. Pearse, last year's chairman, was elected vice-chairman. Council-members comprise P. S. Clifford, representing Portsmouth Aero Club; E. Thurston, Herts & Essex Aero Club; D. F. Ogilvy, Midland School of Flying; R. R. Paine, London School of Flying; and L. V. Worsdell, Cambridge Aero Club. The Association's new Handbook of Flying Training is now almost complete, and Handling Notes for Chipmunk, Tri-Pacer, Colt, Auster J.1N and Tiger Moth have been brought up to date. In its annual report for 1962-63, the ABAC Council has this to say on the subject of collaboration with other bodies: "This has been particularly effective during the past year, and representatives have continued to sit on the Aviation Committee of the Royal Aero Club and have attended numerous meetings with the Ministry on the revised licensing proposals, medical standards, use of airspace, etc. The formation of a completely new body to represent sporting and private flying has been proposed and its sponsors have in fact approached the Association. The Chairman and Vice- chairman have had a long discussion with our President on this matter, at which the strong position of the Association has been emphasized. The matter is still under discussion and before any decision is made a special meeting will be called. New premises will soon be required for the Association offices and in this matter, at least, we can probably combine with advantage with one or more of the other aviation bodies." Membership of the Association, at June 30, 1963, consisted of 149 clubs, centres and groups. This total was made up of 44 members, 90 associate members, 13 affiliate and two auxiliary members. Turbulent Accident Report A fatigue failure of the crankshaft of the Ardem engine in Turbulent G-APIZ, which crashed near Guildford on May 26, was disclosed in the Ministry of Aviation report on the accident, published on December 20. The pilot, Flight Cadet J. P. S. Larbey, RAF, was seriously injured. Owned by Mr Norman Jones and operated by the RAF College Flying Club (on loan from the Tiger Club), the aircraft was on a flight from Cranwell to Redhill. The report states: "The aircraft took off from Cranwell at 1230hr. About 1425hr it was observed over Well House Farm, about three miles south-east of Guildford. It had approached from the direction of Guildford, flying at a height of 70-100ft. As it passed the farm- house it banked steeply to the left, turning towards a field forming one of the two steep slopes of a valley. During the turn the engine was throttled back and the aircraft lost height rapidly. It straightened out on a north-westerly heading to glide across the field up the slope. It continued to descend, but less rapidly, to a height of about 30ft, and then dived to the ground a few yards from the further boundary of the field. The fuselage forward of the cockpit disinte- grated and the wings became detached. There was no fire. The unconscious pilot was released from his harness and extricated from the wreckage by rescuers from the farm." Inspection of the wreckage, the report continued, confirmed that the aircraft had dived into the ground at an angle of about 45\ There was no evidence of pre-crash damage or malfunction of the airframe. When the engine was dismantled the crankshaft was found to have fractured. The faces of the fracture were typical of a low-stress, long-life, fatigue fracture, and there was no evidence of mechanical damage, surface defects or dimensional errors which would have initiated failure by fatigue. Micro-examination showed that the steel was not fully hardened below the outer surface; the plain carbon steel used for the crankshaft had an inherently low hardenability which would preclude the possibility of obtaining a fully heat-treated structure in a component of this mass by conven- tional methods. Under "Observations," the report states: "(1) The airframe and engine of the Druine D.31 were not built to British Civil Airworthi- ness Requirements and the aircraft is not eligible for a certificate of airworthiness. Instead, a permit to fly was issued by the Ministry of Aviation on the recommendation of the Air Registration Board. The scheme under which permits to fly are issued to ultra-light aircraft was introduced in 1948. It provides for airworthiness safety control by limiting the conditions under which the aircraft may be flown. "(2) The motor-car engine of which the Ardem engine is a develop- ment now has a crankshaft of improved design. This should increase the fatigue resistance of the crankshaft of the engine in its aircraft application. "(3) In this instance the failure of the crankshaft resulted in engine vibration; loss of oil through the rear oil seal was a consequence and hot oil carried back in the propeller slipstream and covering the windscreen severely restricted the pilot's forward vision. A forced landing became a matter of urgency but the terrain over which the aircraft was flying was wooded and hilly and the most suitable field available was on the slopes of a valley. These diffi- culties combined to prevent a successful landing." The report concluded that the documentation of the aircraft was in order; the pilot was properly licensed; the engine crankshaft failed by fatigue; there were no surface defects or dimensional errors on the crankshaft which would have initiated failure; and the failure of the crankshaft made itnecessary for the pi lot to attempt a forced landing in difficult circumstances. In the accident inspec- tor's opinion, the accident "was the result of loss of control during a forced landing in difficult circumstances arising from theJailure of the engine crankshaft by fatigue." §: Rogers/ARC Agreement The Aircraft Radio Corporation o! New Jersey have appointed W. H. and J. Rogers (Aviation) ol Bedford as UK agents for the supply, sale and installation of ARL aircraft radio and other electronic products. Swiss Sportsmen The Uetz company of Fehraltolf, near Zurich maker of the Pelikan tourer, has acquired a licence to build tw Volmer VJ.22 Sportsman amphibian. The first of two -aircraf ordered will fly next spring.
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