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Aviation History
1965
1965 - 1465.PDF
FLIGHT International, 27 May 1965 813 One Month Early, the DH Canada Twin Otter, powered by two 579 e.s.h.p. UAC PT6A-20s, made a 2hr 50 min first fight from Downsview, Ontario, on May 20. The flight even included some single-engined handling. The aircraft is jointly funded by DH Canada and the Canadian Depart- ment of Defence Production Safety Award; and he was awarded the RAeS Gold Medal for 1964. Martin-Baker ejection-seat research began in 1944, and notable achievements included the following: first live test ejection (Bernard Lynch), July 1946; first emergency escape (J. O. Lancaster), May 1949, first ground-level ejection from a moving aircraft (Sqn Ldr J. S. Fifield), September 1955; and first zero-height, zero-speed ejection, with rocket seat (W. T. Hay), April 1961. ECAT COSTS It is reported from France that French costs for the airframe and engine proto- types of the first-stage Ecat, based on the Breguet 121, are estimated at £9.4m. Engine development, by Snecma, for the later v.g. aircraft is estimated to cost £10.07m, with final specifications of the airframe, to be designed by BAC and Dassault, due in one year. The costs are to be shared equally between Britain and France, implying that Britain will commit the same amounts as above. Production costs will be shared according to the numbers ordered, and exports revenue will be shared on the basis of tne initial order placed by each of the manufacturing countries for its own needs. Further comments on the Ecat programme appear on pages 815 and 816. NEW HEAD FOR MET OFFICE Prof B. J. Mason, FRS, has been appointed Director-General of the Meteorological Office. He succeeds Sir Graham Sutton, CBE, FRS, who retires on September 30. During the war Prof Mason served in the RAF on radar and telecommunications duties, and since 1961 he has been Professor of Cloud Physics at the Imperial College of Science. BRITAIN AT LE BOURGET British participation in the Paris Air Show (U Bourget, June 11-20) will be the biggest yet, with the products of over 50 companies tong exhibited. ,uE'fhteen British types will take part inae nying displays on the closing Saturday and Sunday. The RAF, too, will be there, resented in the Sunday display by the Ked Arrows Gnat team from CFS, Little K'ssington, and by ten Lightning F.3s of : Scln> whose demonstration will includea tor mation take-off followed by a near- vertical reheat climb. There will also be fly-pasts by Victors and Vulcans. Naturally enough, various aspects of Concorde development will be emphasized, both by the industry and the MoA. On the latter's stand, also, blind landing research and development will be illustrated. "ROLY" STANDS DOWN Though continuing as special director and manager, flight operations, of the Preston Division of BAC and "keeping current in Lightnings and Canberras," Wg Cdr R. P. Beamont has now retired from experi- mental test flying. Project test flying is being taken over by Wg Cdr James Dell, chief test pilot of the Preston Division. "Roly" Beamont was responsible for the prototype development flying of the Can- berra, Lightning and TSR.2, the three post- war English Electric aircraft projects, and gained a national reputation both for his test and demonstration flying. - ,.„.::,. INTER-CITY RECORDS Starting from London (Northolt) Air- port, the British racing pilot Miss Sheila Scott broke (subject to FAI ratification) 15 inter-city class C-lc records on May 19 and 20. The old records were set up 12 years ago by Fred Dunkerly in a Miles Gemini. Miss Scott flew a Piper Comanche. Timings were from a flying start and finish at Northolt without intermediate landings and three records per destination were at issue: time out, time to return and the elapsed out-and-return time. Typical figures were: to The Hague, 179 miles, 206 m.pb.; Brussels, 190 miles, 205 m.p.h.; Dublin, 244 miles, 199.9 m.p.h.; Belfast, 280 miles, 204.3 m.p.h.; Paris, 192 miles, 201.6 m.p.h. NO SHOW AT BLACKBUSHE To all who went to Blackbushe last Saturday to see a non-existent air display— Flight's apologies. But we are hardly to blame: though the date had appeared in our Diary column for several weeks the organi- zers did not advise us of its cancellation, and we only heard of it by chance two days after last week's issue had closed for press. According to a news-agency report, hand- bills advertising the show were being distributed by local garages, though the event had been cancelled in March. SENSOR Engine of the new Anglo-French v.g. fighter will probably be a turbofan development of the Bristol Siddeley/ Snecma M.45, developing up to 13,0001b thrust with reheat. Go-ahead on the Rolls-Royce RB.I72 for the Breguet 121 in collaboration with Turbomeca may be expected to advance a decision on the civil jet feederliner, to which a bigger fan development would "read across." Imminent first flight of the Britten- Norman BN-2 light civil transport is heightening interest among British Army airmen in a possible military version. Army Aviation regards the aircraft as a potential replacement of its de Havilland Beavers and is likely to press for a lifting of the restriction which limits the Army to aircraft of under 4,000 Ib gross weight. The BN-2, though smaller than a straight Twin Pioneer replacement, would go some way toward meeting the RAF/ Army agreed need for more short-field light transports in Malaysia. The US Government's claimed total prohibition against US exports of military equipment to Indonesia— imposed following British pressures last year—is being circumvented. Pass- ing through Sola, Norway, on May 15 was a brand new radar-equipped Aero Commander destined, said its pilot, for the Indonesian Army. The aircraft carried temporary taped-on US civil registrations and the Indonesian pentag- onal emblem modified by the addition of a centre star. Concerned that the BOAC/Qantas/ Air-India "tripartite" pool agreement has been leading to a serious slackening of the competitive stimulus on the eastern routes between London and Sydney, the three partners have privately agreed to share out revenues according to a new incentive formula. This means, in effect, that the actual carrier will get more than the 50 per cent share of revenues from third and fourth freedom traffic, and more than the 33-J per cent from fifth freedom traffic. Sizeable USAF and RCAF orders for the Northrop F-5 may well be an- nounced before the Paris Salon. Northrop shares rose sharply last week. The RCAF order, if it materializes, will not be for less than 100 aircraft, to be built by Canadair at Montreal. Skyways Coach Air, who have three HS.748s, envisage a need for one more every other year for as far ahead as they can see. Trials with Elliott autoflare in a BOAC Super VCI0 should begin at the end of July, with full automatic- landing trials to start in another VCI0 late this year. By early 1966 fleet-wide equipment with autoflare should be under way. VCIOs already have a smooth auto-throttle system.
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