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Aviation History
1966
1966 - 0295.PDF
176 FLIGHT International, 3 February 1966 Letters Letters for these columns are welcomed, though "Flight International" does not necessarily endorse the views expressed. Name and address should be given, not necessarily for publication, in full. Brief letters will have a better chance of early publication. It Stays de Havilland SIR,—As chairman of the board of the de Havilland Air- craft of Canada Ltd I would like to take a stand with regard to recent speculations [in Sensor's column] on the question of the identity of this company. First let me state quite simply that there is no intention to change the name of the de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. This Canadian company has over the years established a world-wide reputation for the design and manufacture of aircraft with STOL capability. At a time when we are marketing three new aircraft, the Turbo- Beaver, the Twin Otter and the Buffalo, each an advanced version of its respective predecessor, it is our aim to maintain as close an association as possible with a name that is synonymous with the main characteristics of these aircraft. As to the recently publicly announced arrangement between de Havilland Aircraft of Canada and Douglas Aircraft Canada Ltd, I fail to see how this can be inter- preted as a loss of identity on de Havilland Canada's part. I can only reiterate the facts presented in the joint de Havilland-Douglas announcement. In closing I would like to thank you for the excellent coverage your publication has recently provided de Havilland Canada's products. Office of the President, T. J. EMMERT Hawker Siddeley Canada Ltd, Toronto, Ontario V/STOL in Lancashire SIR,—It is being put about (not, I am glad to say, by Flight) that a wind tunnel recently brought into opera- tion at Hatfield is "the first" and "the only one of its kind" in Europe designed specifically for V/STOL research. Sight of this statement in the national Press and other literature has prompted me to refer you to a recent paper read in the USA by Mr Keith Emslie, chief wind- tunnel engineer of the Preston Division of the British Aircraft Corporation, in which he describes the V/STOL tunnel completed at Warton in 1963. The paper tells how models of this tunnel were pre- viously tested in some of the other six tunnels that form part of the facilities at this design, research and develop- ment establishment, and goes on to describe the useful work done in our V/STOL tunnel during 1964 and 1965. The purpose of my letter is to contradict, through your pages, the implication that Lancashire is not properly to be regarded as part of Europe. Preston Division, TREVOR TARR, Warton, Lanes Divisional Sales Publicity Officer, BAC (Operating) Ltd Interjection SIR,—As captain of the British United One-Eleven on the inaugural Interjet service from Edinburgh to London- Gatwick on January 4,1 would like to reply to the letter from Captain Ainger of BEA (January 20), who claims, contrary to my announcement to passengers at the time, that I did not overtake the BEA Vanguard which he was that day flying from Edinburgh to London-Heathrow. Captain Ainger is mistaken: the facts are as follows: — I took off from Turnhouse at 1440, nine minutes after his departure. On reaching Pole Hill, near Oldham, I reported my position to Preston Centre; and while still listening-out on the ATC frequency I heard the Van- guard's captain giving his position, which revealed that he and I had reached Pole Hill simultaneously. At that time the One-Eleven was at 23,000ft, with the Vanguard at, I believe, 17,000ft. Allowing for the possibility of confusion on my part over timings, positions or callsign, let us examine the mathematics of the situation to see whether or not they support my claim. I reached Pole Hill (147 n.m. from Turnhouse) 23min after take-off; thus my average ground speed up to that point was 383kt Flying time for the Vanguard (assuming we did, indeed, overtake it at Pole Hill) would have been 32min—the sum of my flying time plus the interval between our departures. This would give the Vanguard an average ground speed of 276kt— i.e., approximately lOOkt less than mine. We had been climbing at an average IAS of 295kt, and our level speed was 460kt true; I am told one might expect the Vanguard's TAS, in the cruise, to be 35Okt. It would seem, therefore, that an average speed differen- tial of lOOkt between the two aircraft is no more than one would expect; in fact, it would be remarkable if a One-Eleven did not overtake a Vanguard in these circum- stances—without, incidentally, having to travel at Mach 2, as Captain Ainger suggests. He seems to base his claim that I could not have passed him upon the fact that our flight times—his to Heathrow and mine to Gatwick—were identical. They were (we were both airborne for 58min), but I reported over Chertsey, south-west of Heathrow, at 1524, after flying for 44min: as I was No 3 to land, there was then a delay of 7min between Chertsey and Gatwick which, added to the normal 7min flying time, brought the total elapsed flying time to 58min. Now that Captain Ainger has all the facts, I hope he will accept that I was not mistaken. My announcement was a simple statement of fact—not, as perhaps he felt, an exaggerated claim made in an attempt to be "one-up" over BEA. London-Gatwick Airport, CAPTAIN P. SIEGEL, Surrey British United Airways Not-so-sweet Nostalgia SIR,—If Roger Bacon had consulted his colleagues before confounding his readers I should have been happy to have identified for him the background of his Hawker Demon picture published on January 27. It shows Haver- gate Island and the Suffolk coast immediately south of Orfordness, which is branded upon my mind in the bitter nostalgia of, I hope, several never-to-be-recaptured hours when a small sloop I was sailing solo was totally be- calmed about 200yd off that very beach. The engine was a non-starter, the temperature was in the eighties and the bright soul for whom I was delivering the yacht to Lowestoft had overlooked putting any fresh water in the tank. Yes, I know there are marine equivalents of air- men's pre-flight checks! London SE1 ROBERT R. RODWELL [More about the Demons: From 64fF) Sqn, they were at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, in 1937 for gunnery trials. See also Straight and Level, page 202, this issue.—Ed] Kansas City Hazards '<• SIR,—Your December 16, 1965, issue (pages 1040-41) summarised jet accidents. You missed one at Kansas City, involving a TWA Boeing in 1964. Although there were no fatalities, as one of the passengers I can assure you it was a major accident. Both main gear were torn off by the aircraft striking a dyke that is about 16ft above the runway level at the centre of the field. It is to me one of the classic landing accidents, since this airport appears to violate about everything and is still in opera- tion. Less than a year later a Continental 707 was lost on a slippery runway. With poor clearances and short runways with 16ft of slope it is a wonder there haven't been some more. Northport, NY. o. LITCHFORD USA Diary of events: page ""
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