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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1733.PDF
952 fUGHT International, II June (964 WORLD E W S BLUE STREAK'S "TEXTBOOK LAUNCHING" After four delays, Blue Streak F.I was successfully fired from launcher 6A at Woomera at 0914 Australian time (0044 BST) on June 5. The Mo A Officer in Scientific Charge, Mr H. G. Robertson, described it as a "textbook launching"; but a slightly early shutdown signal resulted in the range being considerably shorter than the programmed figure of 960 miles. Mission objectives were to test the ability of the vehicle to lift-off cleanly, climb vertically, turn to a 30° angle, and accelerate to a velocity at which it would be possible to launch the ELDO second stage. All these objectives were fulfilled, but a normally sequenced termination of engine thrust took place at 147sec from launch, instead of at 153sec; as a result the vehicle re-entered the atmosphere and impacted at slightly less than 600 miles. Engines are a pair of Rolls-Royce RZ.2s, and their behaviour was perfect. Prelimin- ary information suggests that the telemetry also worked perfectly, and all detailed in- flight information is expected to be pro- cessed during the next few weeks. One of the Hawker Siddeley Dynamics trials team, Mr Ian R. McKenzie, got quite carried away in drafting a cable to his colleagues in Britain: "I have never seen such a magnificent sight in all my life. The sky was beautifully clear and blue, and the vehicle seemed to float upwards just as it had always been designed to do. Everybody here is thrilled to bits." And Mr C. R. Hume, HSD assistant trials manager, added: "Hearty congratulations to the design and production members of the team in the UK from all Australian and UK members at Woomera for this magnificent effort, and continuing good fortune for F.2 and beyond." Lift-off Blue Streak leaving the pad at V/oomera under the thrust of its twin Rolls-Royce RZ.2 engines last Friday (picture by radio). Reporting the suc- cessful outcome in the House of Com- mons, Mr Amery, Minister of Aviation, said "We have thus confirmed that Britain and Australia can meet their obligations under the first ELDO programme." (News story above; descrip- tion of B/ue Streak and the Europa I vehicle, pages 969- 978) Swiss Transalls and Italian Hercules? An unconfirmed report current at last week's Turin Air Show (the show is reported on pages 988-990) stated that a small number of the Franco-German Transall C-160 tactical transports have been ordered by the Swiss Air Force after a comparative evaluation with the Lockheed Hercules. If this story proves to be true it will signify the first order for the C-160 originating outside the two countries which shared design of the aircraft, and also the first sale of a NATO-sponsored aeroplane to a non-NATO country. The Hercules is by no means out of the European picture, however, for prominent on the Caselle Airport apron during the early part of the show was Lockheed's civil-registered Hercules demonstrator, which landed at Turin after a non-stop flight from Marietta, Ga, to make its first call on a round-the-world sales tour. Talks are known to have taken place between Lockheed and Fiat concerning the possibility of the Hercules being built under licence at Turin—probably, in the first instance, to meet a substantial Italian Air Force order. Certainly, assembly in Italy is likely to be a condition of any Italian order, for considerable productive capacity at Fiat will be released when G-91R and -91T production ends shortly, with F-104G production declining later. Building the Hercules would more than fill the gap until the Italo-German VAK-191V/STOL fighter and Fiat's own G.222 V/STOL light transport are ready for production. There have recently been studies at Fiat aimed at lengthening G-91 production by further developments of this aeroplane. The most promising is understood to involve developing the G-91T two-seat trainer into a single-seat, twin-engined fighter. Deletion of the second cockpit would give room for two unspecified engines, more modern than the single Orpheus now installed, to give substantially more thrust and better s.f.c, for both higher performance and longer range. Engines for VAK-191 By the time this issue appears the German and Italian Governments, and the air- frame companies VFW and Fiat, will probably have decided upon the engine for the FW1262 V/STOL tactical strike fighter, which has been adopted by the two nations as a standard type to replace the Fiat G.91- The FW1262 was originally a German project only, designed to meet Requirement VAK-191 and generally referred to under this designation. Initially the thrust required was approxi- mately 8,0001b from a single vectored lift/ thrust engine, supplemented for VTOL by a pair of 4,4001b RB.162 lift jets (without the latter the main engine would have had to be
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