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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0058.PDF
I'GHT Internationa!, 9 January 1964 41 crews and technical teams will assist in the flight test programme. With over 11,000 cu ft volume, the Bel- fast's cargo-hold has a cross-section of 12ft at the floor (and is wider at mid-height) by 12ft high, permitting even fork-lift trucks to work inside it. In terms of military loads, the aircraft in its present form could carry 150 fully armed troops and with the addi- tion of a proposed removable lightweight upper deck over 200. Three Saladin armoured troop carriers, four Whirlwind helicopters, six Wasp or Scout helicopters, three Thunderbird or Bloodhound missiles on their launchers, or two Polaris missiles are other potential loads. Between December 26 and January 4 Transport Command flew 2,987 passengers (mostly armed), 120 tons of miscellaneous cargo, 36 Land Rovers with 24 trailers, three Scout helicopters and 39 vehicles in the 15 cwt, 2- and 3-ton categories, from England to Cyprus in 82 flights. Shorts claim that this airlift could have been mounted in only 27 sorties by the present 225,0001b gross weight Belfast. We emphasize the word "present" because Shorts have prepared a number of Belfast developments (detailed in Flight International for September 19, 1963) and are actively promoting them in both mili- tary and civil markets. At the far end of the development scale is a projected marriage of the Belfast's uniquely capacious fuselage with the wings and tail unit of the Lockheed C-141 StarLifter—which made its first First-flight Conference Immediately after the Belfast's taxying trials on Christmas Eve eleven men closely concerned attended a conference at which the aircraft was cleared for fight as soon as the weather would permit. Seated round the table, from the left: R. Steel, flight engineer; J. Patterson, superintendent; G. Thomas and A. Mackenzie, flight observers; M. Wild, flight engineer; J. Donnelly, design; C. Olsen, operations; D. Tayler, chief test pilot; A. Cundick, development. Standing behind Denis Tayler: P. Lowe, co-pilot; W. Mortimer, radio operator flight on December 17—powered by four turbofan engines in the 18,OOOlb-25,OOOlb thrust range. Among other projected developments is a swing-nose, double-deck civil transport, with more powerful Rolls- Royce Tyne engines and enlarged propel- lers, which would carry 141 passengers above and 60,0001b of freight below. Mr C. E. Wrangham, Shorts' chairman, took the opportunity afforded by the first flight to reiterate that Shorts would continue to work hard for civil sales of Belfast de- velopments. Although the present RAF order is worth around £20m, the break- even point has certainly not been reached. The Belfast is the world's first aircraft designed from the outset for a full automa- tic landing system, by Smiths, and is the first British aircraft equipped with an in- flight refuelling system at the prototype stage. The maximum payload of 80,0001b can be carried for over 800 n.m. and 45,0001b over 3,000 n.m. without recourse to in-flight refuelling. The latter, provided by tanker aircraft operating from established RAF bases throughout the world, would permit the aircraft to carry 15 long tons of payload to Australia non-stop. Princesses Sold An unidentified buyer has purchased the three cocooned Princess flying-boats. Announcing this last week, the War Office, acting as agent for the MoA, said that several tenders had been received when the period for offers closed on December 12. The purchaser has requested the War Office not to reveal his identity, and the price he has paid, at present "because of certain negotiations." This phrase could equally well refer to an application for planning permission to use the flying-boats as floating restaurants or to Aero Space- lines' proposal to the US NASA to convert them for the transport of space boosters. There seems little hope that the Princesses, only one of which was ever flown, will ever air their 219ft 6in wings again. Sud-Aviation Chief to Speak in London General Andre Puget, president of Sud- Aviation, will be the principal guest at the banquet of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators at Guildhall, London, on Feb- ruary 27. It is hoped that the Duke of Edinburgh, Grand Master of the Guild, will preside. Members' applications for tickets, price five guineas, should be made to the Guild's offices at 14 South St, Park Lane, London Wl, before February 12. German Starfighter Talks Reopening Officials of the West German Defence Ministry were due to fly to Burbank, Calif, this week to re-open negotiations with Lockheed concerning the purchase of an additional 32 TF-104G two-seat Starfighters. Negotiations were suspended in November as a reprisal by the West German Defence Minister when he protested at Lockheed- Georgia's lobbying methods in respect of the C-130 while the Luftwaffe's Transall C-160 order was being decided. Midget Racer Design Contest A design competition for a "midget racer" having a maximum gross weight of 7501b is being sponsored by Rollason Aircraft and Engines Ltd of Croydon Air- port. Contestants have until March 1 to notify the company of their intention to enter, and until September 1 to submit a full set of drawings and a design summary. First, second and third prizes of 100, 75 and 50 guineas respectively will be awarded. The main factor in the design of the aircraft is that it should be powered by a Rollason Ardem 4CO2 Mk 4 (45 h.p.) or Mk 5 (55 h.p.) engine. The panel of judges will award marks for simplicity of design, ease of construction and the use of cheap and easily available materials. Bonus marks will be earned by amateur designers and by individuals, although professional and group entries are permitted. The design must be capable of receiving a Ministry of Aviation permit to fly. Among the design limitations listed in the competition rules are the following: minimum wing area, 65 sq ft; minimum overall length, 10ft; minimum fuel capacity, 7 Imp gal; maximum stalling speed, 60 m.p.h.; maximum gross weight, 7501b; and maximum empty weight, 5001b. It is suggested that the aircraft should be stressed to a minimum of ±6g with a safety factor of 1.5. A "normal sitting position" for the pilot and a fixed undercarriage are specified. The rules state that entrants must be British subjects and that the panel of judges shall have no connection with the Rollason company. Copies of the rules and further details are obtainable from Mr A. Deverell, Rollason Aircraft and Engines Ltd, Croy- don Airport, Croydon, Surrey. (Croydon 5151.) Fifteen Hundred Skyhawks Douglas Aircraft delivered the 1,500th A-4 Skyhawk strike aircraft to the US Navy at Palmdale recently. The first delivery to the US fleet was made in October 1956. Current production version of the Sky- hawk, a compact delta-wing aircraft sufficiently small to be stowed aboard carriers without the need to fold its wings, is the A-4E, which has two additional bomb stations beneath the wings for a total of five. It is able to carry a number of new weapons, including the Bullpup air-to-ground missile and an external gun pod to augment its installed firepower. The Shrike homing anti- radar missile will follow shortly. The latest Skyhawk, which some months ago demonstrated its long-range strike capability by flying non-stop from Calif- ornia to Virginia without in-flight refuelling, has a USN-Douglas-developed ground- level rocket-powered ejection seat. Empty weight of the A-4E is only 9,3001b, gross take-off weight is 24,5001b and maximum weapons load is 8,2001b.
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