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Aviation History
1965
1965 - 0070.PDF
40 FLIGHT international, 14 January WORLD NEWS MOMENT OF TRUTH? Following a confidential—yet widely reported—briefing on January 8, Mr Denis Healey, Secretary of State for Defence, is reported to have said that it was "not the duty of the defence forces to act as wet nurse for overgrown and mentally retarded children in our economy." This implied that, in preparing the forthcoming Defence White Paper he wished to take account only of the strict defence requirements of the country and to obtain the necessary equipment as cheaply as possible wherever it might be found. BAC reacted within 36 hours by requesting interviews with the Government and ultimately with the Prime Minister. (On Monday night, as this news went to press, BAC's Sir George Edwards—just back from a Paris talk on the Concorde with Sud's Gen Puget—was meeting the Minister of Aviation in company with Lord Portal, BAC chairman.) Hawker Siddeley, similarly threatened, were not placed in such jeopardy by the implications of Mr Healey's reported words. It now remains to be seen whether the many other factors will outweigh Mr Healey's apparent intention to get the most for the least, regardless of the consequences. On the same day the MoD announced that a study to determine the most efficient and economical organization for the control and employment of air power in support of national defence policy is under way, and is being made by Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Caspar John and Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Barnett. The object is to ensure that there is no duplication or overlapping between the Services in such fields as organization and equipment and to rationalize the control and employment of aircraft for all three Services to the greatest possible extent. CONCORDE COST The Minister of Aviation, Mr Roy Jenkins, said in the Commons on November 5. that the cost of the Concorde was "at least £280m." In Flight of December 31 we said that th? latest Concorde cost estimate, up to certification stage, had increased from £280m to £35Om. The British Aircraft Corporation says that the cost of the Concorde up to certifica- tion stage still stands at £28Om. CONCORDE GO-AHEAD?pagre 43 EUROPE'S COMSAT PLANS DISCLOSEDpage 5 7 BRITISH BUILD-UP IN MALAYSIApage 7 6 TSR.2 TEST PROGRESS The TSR.2 made its fourth flight from Boscombe Down on January 8. It was air- borne for 20min, and Mr R. P. Beamont, the pilot, said it was "making extremely good progress in normal development flight testing." Mr J. L. Dell would probably take over for the next flight. SA 330 BENCH TESTING Sud-Aviation have begun running a full powerplant, transmission and rotor rig for the SA 330 combat helicopter, which is to fly "during the first half of 1965." Other static tests have been in hand since August and the first airframe is nearing completion. The SA 330 is to meet French Army tactical requirements for the next ten vears. MORE HS.125 SALES Hawker Siddeley's best-selling HS.125 continues to net business in North America. By the end of 1964 four more were ordered, bringing North American firm sales to 26, and the grand total to 57. NOVEMBER'S EXPORTS British aero exports last November continued at their depressed level, totalling only £6,407,388 against £9,025,659 for the same month the year before. Aircraft and parts accounted for £2,771,898 of the total (complete aircraft contributing only £548,749 and parts sales being worth over £2.2m). Engines and parts to the total value of £3,358,643 were made up by sales of 125 new engines, 47 other than new engines, and parts worth £1,784,968. Instrument sales were worth £184,516 and tyres £92,331. The cumulative export total for January - November, 1964, was £83,519,148, a poor showing against the total for the corres- ponding period in 1963, which was £104,988,660. Industry manpower has recently increased as its export achievements fall. In October last 265,500 people were employed in air- craft manufacture and repair, according to Ministry of Labour returns; this was 500 more than in September and a surprising 3,100 more than in October 1963. US AWARDS FOR WHITTLE ... A significant award has been made to gas-turbine pioneer Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The AIAA has selected Sir Frank as the first recipient of the Goddard Award—a gold medal and a $10,000 honorarium—which is made "for imagination, skill, persistence and courage in pioneering the gas turbine as a jet-propulsion aircraft engine, thus revolutionizing military and commercial aviation for all time." The Goddard Award is named after US rocket scientist Dr Robert H. Goddard and is presented for a brilliant discovery, or a series of outstanding contributions over a period of time, in the engineering science of propulsion or energy conversion. .. . AND TRUBSHAW The Wings Club announced in New York last week that the 1964 Richard Hansford Burroughs award, for significant contribu- tions to safety and efficiency of flight by a test pilot, has been awarded to Mr Brian Trubshaw, chief test pilot of BAC (Wey- bridge). FURNISHING AND FINISHING .. . ... of aircraft interiors will be the subject of special features in. next week's issue of Flight, dated January 21. 24 Days Ahead of Schedule, the General Dynamics F-IIIA moved its wings through the full sweep range during its second fight, on January 6. Take-off was at 63,0001b, and 460 m.p.h. and 27,000ft were reached. Roll-out had been 16 days ahead of schedule and first flight ten days ahead. Pilot sensations of wing-sweeping were reported to be pleasant, with no difficulties and no surprises
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