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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 2550.PDF
190 FLIGHT International, 7 August 1969 WORLD NEWS Mars Unveiled The first of the two NASA Mariner spacecraft, launched at the beginning of this year to Mars, arrived in the vicinity of the planet on July 29 and began trans mitting pictures from a distance of 771,500 miles. A series of 50 approach views was taken by a long-focus TV camera. On August 1 a second series of pictures was transmitted of the equatorial region from a distance of only 2,150 miles and disclosed much more detail. The photographs revealed that the southern polar cap has an irregular border and does not, apparently, cover the actual polar areas. The close-up pic tures show a cratered surface similar to that of the Moon (the Mariner 4 pictures, taken in 1965, covered a very much smaller area of the surface). Surprisingly, "quick-look" data from the ultra-violet spectrometer suggest a total lack of nitrogen. It will be some weeks before the pictures, and the data from the science experiments, will be interpreted. Meanwhile a sister craft, Mariner 7, was flying past the planet last Monday, August 4, to take pictures and measure ments of the polar areas. Lockheed's S-3A Contract The US Navy has awarded a contract worth $461 million (£192 million) to Lockheed-California for development of a new anti-submarine aircraft, the S-3A. To be powered by two General Electric TF34 high bypass ratio turbofan engines, the S-3A is being developed by a partner ship, led by Lockheed, of the Vought Aeronautics Division of LTV Aerospace and Univac Federal Systems Division of Sperry Rand Corporation. The contract, for six evaluation models, gives the Navy an option to purchase 193 aircraft. If all are purchased, total cost is esti mated at $3.2 billion (£1,333 million) spread over eight years. The aircraft will replace the Grumman S-2 Tracker in USN service. Dassault Canadian Factory? It has been confirmed in Canada that Avions Marcel Dassault has proposed setting up an aircraft manufacturing facility at Ste Scholastique, near Mon treal, to build Falcons, Mini-falcons and Hirondelles for the North American market. The company's proposal has been made to the Canadian and Quebec Governments on certain conditions, in cluding financial assistance and possible Government orders. Handel Davics Joining BAC Deputy Controller of Aircraft (Re search and Development) at the Ministry of Technology since 1967, Mr Handel Davies, CB, MSC, CEng, FRAes, FAIAA, is to join British Aircraft Corporation as technical director on September 1. BAC states that he will "progressively take over increasing responsibilities in the Concorde programme." Other changes affecting the Concorde programme have been announced by the corporation. Dr A. E. Russell will con tinue to take a prominent part in the Concorde project and remain a director of BAC, but having reached the normal retirement age has asked to be relieved God of War and certainly hostile to human life, Mars was photographed at close range last week (see news item above) from only 2,150 miles. This 28-mile-diameter crater and surrounding plain is apparently characteristic of the surface of his other executive responsibilities. He is therefore resigning his chairmanship and directorship of the Filton division but will become vice-chairman of the BAC/Sud-Aviation Concorde Committee of Directors (Airframe), a post which Sir George Edwards has held since 1962. Mr Handel Davies will be appointed to this committee. Sir George, as chairman and managing director of BAC, will continue to have overall responsibility for BAC participation in the Concorde project. Mr Handel Davies, who is joining BAC as technical director on September I (see news item this page) Harrier's HMS "Blake" Trials A total of 34 landings and take-offs were made by a Hawker Siddeley Harrier aboard the Royal Navy cruiser/helicopter carrier HMS Blake last Saturday and Sunday, August 2-3. The aircraft, which had 100 per cent serviceability during the trials, was flown by Mr Hugh Merewether, chief test pilot of Hawker Siddeley Kingston. Round-the-World Race Postponed The round-the-world-race has been postponed until April 12, 1970, and closing date for entries is now October 31. 1969. Details of the race, organised by Man Productions of Paris, were given in Flight for January 23, page 119. World Airtourer Home Less than three weeks after leaving London on the last half of an attempted solo flight around the world, Mr Cliff Tait has arrived1 home in New Zealand in his Airtourer 115. His original flight plan had been foiled by the Russians, who refused him clearance to fly along their Far Western Peninsula (Flight, July 17) in order to narrow the over- water gap to North America. The Air tourer consequently had to be shipped from Japan to Canada. Mr Tait's journey is nevertheless notable for being probably the longest yet attempted, solo, in an aircraft of such low power—i.e., only 115 h.p. The trip took 80 days and total flying time was 216hr 30min; the pilot's previous flying experience had amounted to only 250hr. The Airtourer's total fuel capacity was 73 Imp gal (extra tankage was in-
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