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Aviation History
1967
1967 - 1655.PDF
FLIGHT International, 17 August (967 245 Vintage '04 A replica of the Lebaudy airship being prepared for its first flight on August 9 (see below). The pilot was Mr M. A. Brighton radio frequencies are 130.4 MHz and 121.9 MHz. The field is PPO to non- radio aircraft, and pilots who are un- familiar with it are advised to telephone the manager on Dunstable 63419 before- hand. Britain Builds Airships Again A flying replica of the French Lebaudy airship of 1904 has been built for War- field Productions' musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, now being made at Turville Heath, near Henley-on-Thames. The 137ft-long airship, with an envelope of rubberised cotton, a Duralumin keel and a wooden gondola to carry two people, is powered by a Volkswagen 1,200 c.c. engine driving the two propellers. Its constructors—the Blackbushe firm of M. A. Brighton & Co Ltd, who are specialists in lighter-than-air craft—are also building a stand-by air- ship, powered in this case by a 1,500 c.c. VW engine. The first of the two has already flown (on August 9)—a flight of 18min which ended in a tree, but with little damage done. The pilot, Mr M. A. Brighton, reported excellent directional control, but said that attitude control was in need of some improvement. Concorde 001: to Straighten the Record As many readers will have guessed, the caption to the Concorde 001 picture on this page last week should have given the location as Sud-Aviation, Toulouse, and not BAC Filton. Our acknowledg- ments to those who have written in—but no more letters, please, however wittily barbed. Full circle Illustrating the nostalgic propensity of the British aviation world for putting old names en new bottles is this picture taken at Bristol Siddeiey's Patchway establishment. On the right is the Kestrel VTOL aircraft being used as a flying test-bed for the uf>-roted Pegasus vectored-thrust engine for the Harrier VTOL fighter. On the (eft, w'th its nine-cylinder Pegosus radio/ brazenly exposed, is the Royal Navy's last flying wordfish. In the foreground is Mr "Harry" Pol/itt, Bristol Siddiley deputy chief test pilot SENSOR Anglo-German courtship on a VG aircraft to replace the AFVG may be clouded if the MoD insists on an overseas ferry range. This would throw weight and cost out of alignment with European needs. In other respects, BAC are happy about the possibility of collaboration with the Germans, both on an "AGVG" and Jaguar. They expect a decision in October on a tripartite Jaguar programme. Following French withdrawal from the AFVG, with a resulting lapse in Dassault-BAC conversation, it might have been expected that Dassault control of Breguet would lead to some Breguet-BAC embarrassment over Jaguar. This has not been the case; there has been no change of attitude on the French side and the project is progressing very smoothly. Dassault (who were beaten by Breguet in the original ECAT competition) are not interfering. British Eagle is looking at the Boeing 720B and 707-I20B (ex-Qantas) to follow up the 707-320C due to be delivered in December. Delayed delivery of this aircraft due to con- tinuing refusal of the BoT to waive duty will cost the independent more than $1 million in lost North Atlantic revenue this season, nearly enough dollar exchange to have earned the duty. The independent's inclusive-tour programme to Bermuda and Nassau, and the charter programme across the North Atlantic, is scheduled to start in the spring. British Eagle is still looking for a chief executive, a function at present carried out by the chairman, Mr Harold Bamberg, who wants to be free to give more time to future policy planning and to his other associated interests, including hotels. Without much hope of any early decision, Westland is pressing for Government assistance to build a large V/STOL wind tunnel. Britain at present lacks such a facility; only model-sixe tunnels are available. No Government support for West- land WE.0I and 02 tilting-rotor convertiplane projects has so far been forthcoming. Westland does not expect a decision before the three Anglo- French helicopter programmes have been sewn up in all details. Britain is standing by her insistence that a British engine must power the WG.I3 utility and SA.340 light-observation helicopters. French efforts to get Turbomeca engines adopted are bound to fail. The report of the special air safety inquiry instituted by the Board of Trade is expected to be completed within two months. p,
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