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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1596.PDF
Official OffM of the Royal Aero Club First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded in 1 BOS THURSDAY MAY 2 8, 1964 Number 2881 Volume 85 Editor-in-Chief MAURICE A. SMITH DFC Editor H. F. KINO, MM Technical Editor W. T.OUN8TON Air Transport Editor J. M. RAMSDEN Production Editor ROY CASEY Managing Director H. N. PRIAULX ME* In this World News Air Commerce B-7O Roll-out How Much Longer? "Hoo-ray and up She Rises" Straight and Level "Air-Cushion Vehicles" supplement G.222 in the Air Letters Turbo-Sky van Dormer Do31 The Gliding Championships Missiles and Spacefilgttt Industry International Service Aviation issue 876 879 886 888 890 892 893 895 897 902 90S 908 912 914 •Hte Transport Publications Ltd., DorsetHouse, Stamford Street, London, SB1; telephone Waterloo 3333 (Telex 25137).J"**"" FUghtpres London Telex. Annual subscriptions: Home £4 15s.?5 6s- Canada and USA *15.00. ltprivUege8 auth0ri2ed°*"««: «O¥»nlry. 8-10 Corpora- - if6'1 t(*Phone Coventry 25210.S*™Ml .Klng Edward House' New SSSTV Birmingham 2; telephone Mid- M»n I191* *««herter, 260 Deansgate,Manchester 3; telephone BlackfHars 4412 ?*?at 3595" Glaijow, 123 HopeC2; telephone CentaaJ . . " Marsh Street, Bristolhoue Bristol 21491/2. k NY: Thomas Skinner & Co il Ud> U1 Broadway 8;Digby 9-1197. © Ulffe Transport Publications Ltd, ti' W81011 *° "Police fflustra- rprel" can be Sranted °^y Brief extract Brab . . . WHEN Flight put out its first issue,on January 2, 1909, the title page was occupied by a photograph of one of Lord Brabazon's first flights. We reproduce the page here in unprecedented tribute to a man whose death we are grieved to record this week. The inter- national Press bears testimony to his stature as a public figure, and personal recollections voiced on every hand are eloquent of the affection in which he was held. Yet even now the full extent of his deeds is incompletely recognized. Florence Barwood, who knew him well during her thirty-eight years' service with the Royal Aeronautical Society, tells us of a secret committee which he formed in 1941 when he became Minister of Aircraft Production in succes- sion to Lord Beaverbrook. Capt J. Laurence Pritchard acted as secretary to this group, which was composed of leading figures in the aircraft industry, advising in an entirely independent capacity. Originally known as the Advisory Committee to the Minister of Aircraft Production, and latterly as the 1941 Committee, its work was of high importance. Such was its value in fact that it remained in existence until after the war. To the personal recollections we have mentioned the present writer cannot resist adding one of his own. It concerns a telephone call from the great man a year or two ago. "I'm sorry, Lord Brabazon," was the answer, "the Editor has lost his voice and is unable to talk." There was electrifying silence for a moment at the other end; and then the lightning flashed. "Put him on," rolled the thunderclap. '7'w doing the talking." That was Brab. Finding the Answers THE present seems a fitting occasion to reflect on how far aircraftconstruction has progressed since the days evoked by the pictureabove. Truly fitting; for in the present issue we present photographs of an aircraft which even in these times can be adjudged an engineering marvel, transcending even the A-11 (now YF-12A) which we recently described as "astounding". Not only does this newest creation, the North American XB-70A, have a comparable performance, but it is at the same time by far the biggest and heaviest aircraft in the world. (Imagine something longer than the Brabazon moving at three times the speed of sound.) Yet even in America such wondrous artifacts are not brought into existence without travail. This aeroplane, be it noted, becomes so hot in flight that an egg could easily be fried on its skin. The stainless-steel structure is welded (welds almost 100ft long!) and in the interests of safety and correct fuel delivery the wing interior is pressurized with nitrogen. During early tests it was found that, under load, nitrogen and fuel seeped out through the welds, and it became necessary first to apply a sealing compound to the entire wing interior and then to "cook" it. Such difficulties are not always foretold by computer; nor are they always overcome by one. After well over half a century men must continue to find the answers—just as Brab's contemporary A. V. Roe had to solve the problem of keeping the brown paper taut on his triplane.
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