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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0601.PDF
350 FLIGHT International, 5 Alorch 1964 AIR COMMERCE The second BEA S-6 / N, seen here at its Gatwick base, arrived in the UK on February 17. A paragraph on this poge gives an account of the training and route proving flights so far competed "Flight International" photograph IRISH SSTS AER L1NGUS Irish International Airlines have reluctantly joined the queue for supersonic airliners. The airline's general manager, Mr J. F. Dempsey, always an outspoken opponent of supersonics, said in announcing the decision to reserve two delivery places for the United States aircraft that the move was purely to protect the airline's long-term competitive interests. The key to Mr Dempsey's statement is clearly the "airline's long term competitive interests," since the FAA's order book had already reached the point where, subject to no redirection of the programme (see col. two), deliveries of new orders were unlikely to be made in time for the first season of SST operations; also Concords will in all probability be in service some years before Aer Lingus get an American SST. Asked why Aer Lingus—of all the airlines, the one with the shortest North Atlantic routes—did not order the Concord, Mr Dempsey said that the American SST would best suit their require- ments on the North Atlantic routes, and the aircraft appeared likely to emerge dominant on that route because of its greater projected range and payload. Mr Dempsey amplified this point, saying: "We have not ordered anything and don't have to consider making a firm order until November 1, 1965. The §200,000 returnable deposit puts the Irish airline in the 80th and 85th position for delivery of the US SST. Although the company has until late 1965 before being committed to an SST, the company could still decide to order some of the shorter range Concord, but the ordering conditions of the Anglo- French supersonic aircraft are more binding than those at present for the American aircraft." He then pointed out: "We have no desire to operate an SST in the first year of commercial SST operations. Our present position in the queue would enable us to see the snags being eliminated from the aircraft, whichever is chosen by the American Government, if it seems necessary to order aircraft in the next few years." Anticipating comment on his action Mr Dempsey further said: "During my term of office as president of IATA, I availed of many opportunities to express views about the dangers of premature introduction of the SST. These views indicated my sincerely held beliefs that civil aviation would be best served by an orderly approach to supersonic flight—by holding firm to the priorities dictated by our experience in air transport over close on 30 years. I have in no way changed my mind on this. Besides, there are indications that the priorities are likely to be observed. The timetable for the introduction of supersonic aircraft affords ample opportunity for improving the various supporting systems— navigational aids, landing aids, weather forecasting, communications and air traffic control—to the standard necessary to meet the advanced technical requirements of the supersonic transport. Action is now being taken to ensure that the solution of these problems will form an integral part of the development of super- sonic transport, thereby providing the orderly approach for which so many of us in the world's airlines have been pleading." A total of 69 firm delivery places have now been booked with the FAA as follows: Pan American, 15; TWA, 10; American Airlines, 6; Alitalia, 3; Northwest, 4; El Al, 2; J apan Air Lines, 5; Qantas, 6; Air France, 6; BOAC, 6; TAC, 1, CPA, 3; Aer Lingus, 2. US SST—POSSIBLE REDIRECTION ACCORDING to the Interavia Air Letter, the two financial advisers appointed to study the commercial and financial aspects of the United States SST programme—Mr Eugene R. Black, former World Bank president, and Mr Stanley de J. Osborne—have recommended to President Johnson a drastic redirection of the programme. In addition to suggesting an increase in the US Government's contribution from 75 to 90 per cent of the estimated Sl,000m development cost (as forecast in the February J3 issue of Flight International, page 234), the two consultants are reported to have recommended that the management of the programme be transferred from the FAA to a new independent authority with special responsibility for this one problem alone and reporting directly to the White House. The reason for this apparent criticism of the FAA's handling of the programme and, by implication, of the Administrator Mr Najeeb Halaby, is the advisers' combined view that too much rigidity and close planning is being adopted for what is still a very long-term project. Also criticised by Mr Black and Mr Osborne was the decision to take airline bookings for delivery line positions; they felt that the Government's incursion into such purely commercial functions should stop, and the present order book be scrapped. The Black-Osborne proposed revised programme calls for manufacturers to submit, by June 15, 1964, their proposals for the construction of prototype aircraft. Cost-sharing would be on the basis of the Government paying 90 per cent of the bid together with any agreed follow-up work, and 80 per cent of any more follow-up work up to 25 per cent of the basic bid and agreed follow-on work. BEA HELICOPTER PREPARATIONS THE second S-6 IN helicopter for BEA was flown to Gatwick from Southampton docks on Monday of last week and is now being used for crew training pending completion of radio installations on the first machine. The first will then take over training while the second has similar radio fitted. Ten pilots are to be trained, flying lOhr each locally from Gatwick and then no less than 20hr of route practice between St Just airfield, nine miles west of Penzance, to St Marys in the Scilly Isles. This will be the route first flown this summer, and bookings are already on hand to fill all 25 seats on no fewer.than 350 flights, A temporary hangar is being built at St Just to provide a maintenance base, but planning permission has now been received to start work on the new heliport at Eastern Green, only three-quarters of a mile from the centre of Penzance. The work is to be complete in September. BEA will fly the S-6 IN with two pilots and a cabin attendant, according to present plans. The machines will be refuelled at Penzance only, having then sufficient endurance for the return journey and safe diversion to their alternates of Culdrose and St Mawgan. So far, the S-61N has proved to be extremely quiet when flying from Gatwick. The present engines are rated at 1,250 h.p- and allow a single-engined rate of climb in forward flight of 100ft/ min, according to Sikorsky figures, which have been consistently bettered in practice. Shortly, the 2imirt, 1,350 h.p. clearance «"» improve this performance.
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