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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 1465.PDF
RIGHT International, 8 August 1968 tion." The first -32OC will be delivered in October. Meanwhile MEA will continue to charter VClOs from Laker Airways and Ghana Airways until April 1969. The Wet-lcase of the British Eagle 707-320Cwill continue for a longer period. X-15 Accident Finding A NASA Board set up to investigate the X-15 accident near Johannesburg, Calif, on November 15, 1967, has con- cluded that the initial cause was that the pilot (Maj Michael J. Adams, USAF) mistook a roll indicator for a sideslip indicator and used manual reaction con- trol to increase an already incorrect heading to the right. The aircraft (No 3) subsequently went into a spin at about 230,000ft and at a speed of Mach 5. Because of its in- herent stability and the stability aug- mentation portion of its MH-96 control system (this was the only X-15 so fitted) the aircraft recovered from its spin, but immediately developed pitch oscillation. Eventually it broke up under forces in excess of structural limitations and Maj Adams did not escape from the cockpit. Product Support Symposium An international symposium to discuss ways of improving -the interchange of information needed to provide better product support for new aircraft is being held at the Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London Wl, on October 31 and November 1. Under the title European Aerospace Data Exchange, the symposium is being sponsored by the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Society of British Aero- space Companies in co-operation with the Ministry of Technology. Speakers will represent both manufacturers and operators of aviation equipment as well as official aviation organisations. Partici- pation is by invitation only. At Valley on Saturday This Saturday, August 10, RAF Valley (near Holyhead, in Anglesey) will be holding a "Good Neighbours Day." A 22-item flying display will include the Red Arrows aerobatic team and the Blue Eagles Army helicopter (Sioux) team, and there will be a static display of 20-odd aircraft. Gates open at 11 a.m. and flying begins at 2.30 p.m.; car parking is 10s, but admission is free. Racing at Tees-side Rounds one and two of the Royal Aero Club's National Air Races for 1968 took place at Tees-side Airport, County Durham, last weekend. Both races were over three laps of a triangular course to the south of Tees-side. Round one (Postponed from Goodwood on June 22 when bad weather prevented racing) was on Friday, August 2, and was won by ywdon Janney in the Tiger Club Mousquetaire, G-ATKX, at an average speed of 152.5 m.p.h. He was awarded "e Air League Challenge Trophy and a cash prize presented by the Tees-side Airport Authority. Second was Ron 197 Hayter in Hornet Moth G-ADKM who averaged 121.5 m.p.h., and third was Fred Marsh in Emeraude G-ASSU at 125 m.p.h. There were 23 starters. The second round, for the ICI Trophy and the Norton Griffith Trophy, brought out a field of 27 aircraft to face the starter on Saturday afternoon for another three laps of the course. With the previous-day performances to guide them, the handicappers produced an ex- citing race and a very close finish. First was John Marriott, flying Messenger G-AKKO at 127.75 m.p.h. Second came Norman Jones in the Condor G-AWFN at 128.5 m.p.h. and, third, Mike Pruden in the agricultural Chipmunk G-APOS at 125 m.p.h. An illustrated report of the racing and the excellent flying display will appear in next week's issue of Flight. Potez Irish Closure The factory which the Henri Potez Co opened at Baldonnel, near Dublin, in 1964, and which since has never produced a single aircraft, was closed on August 2. It was intended for Potez 840 production and total cost was over £4 million—£3 million in French money and over £1 million Eire Government investment. It was intended that the factory, the first of its kind in Eire, should employ 1,700 people, but on its closure through lack of funds only 150 were employed. Potez managing director M Charhs Erlam stated at a news conference last week that a further £250,000 put into the company by the Government was "not enough." The Minister for Industry and Commerce, Mr George Colley, said the Government would "let the situation take its course." Paris 1969 The dates of next year's Paris Show are Thursday, May 29, to Sunday, June 8. Le Bourget Airport will, as usual, be the venue. RAeS Rotorcraft Dinner This year's annual dinner of the Rotorcraft Section of the Royal Aero- nautical Society is being held on Thurs- day, September 19, at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London Wl, at 7.45 for 8.30 p.m. Application forms for tickets (£3 10s each for Totorcraft section members and their wives; £4 12s 6d each for non-members) may be obtained from Miss S. Rigby, Sections Secretary, Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London Wl. Co-ordinating German Research After prodding by Bonn, similar to that applied to industry (writes a corre- spondent), the three independent Ger- man establishments which have hitherto been engaged in aerospace research, under entirely separate managements and budgets (the AVA in Gottingen, the DFL in Brunswick and the DVL in Porz-Wahn, near Cologne) have now decided to merge into a single organisa- tion. This new body, which also replaces SENSOR By the end of this year more than £10 million will have been spent on paper A-300 and RB.207 studies by the three countries concerned. Expenditure to date is about £7 million, and a further £3 million is likely to be spent on the current further studies. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Roy Jenkins, a former Minister of Aviation familiar with the Airbus, is insisting on a fixed-price, once-and- for-all contract. The ceiling figure now being aimed at of £180 million is last year's £130 million plus inflation, the cost of design improvements, and the "French Revolution" wage increases. The ELDO F7 firing at Woomera, scheduled for November 18 and capable of putting a test satellite into orbit if all three stages fire correctly, is likely to prove crucial for the future of the European space launcher pro- gramme. Success would reassure those doubtful of ELDO's viability; failure could hasten its demise. So far every firing of the major (British) stage has been successful. Britten-Norman hopes to be at the SBAC Show with a turbo-supercharged Islander powered by the 300 h.p. Continental TSIO-520. Although a prototype Islander has been flying with a 30in longer fuselage (for up to 12 seats), it is unlikely to be at Farn- borough. The long Islander will not be promoted until output of the existing model has reached the planned rate. HS.II79 is the designation of the Hawker Siddeley contender for the Advanced Combat Aircraft (ACA) which the company is preparing in competition with BAC as a private venture, though with Ministry of Technology encouragement. Much HS.1154 technology is being embodied. The engine of the Advanced Combat Aircraft is most likely to be a new three-shaft Rolls-Royce design, designated RB.I99, of about 9,0001b static thrust dry and a turbine inlet temperature of 1,700° K. One reason for adopting this layout will be sim- plicity of design of the inlet guide vane system. Two other engine manufacturers, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric, have been invited to submit proposals later this month along with Rolls- Royce/MAN for the ACA powerplant. This move is understood to be more of a basis for comparison rather than a serious attempt to "go American." the old German Society for the Aero- nautical Sciences, will be known as Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsan- stalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Research and Experimental Establishment) and be based in Wiirz- burg. It will take over all the present staff, totalling some 2,500 persons, and
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