FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1996
1996 - 2940.PDF
\»> S wm^^M^BIFmi - v—«- —J^B w 15fa ^5YEARSAGO ••• Extracts from Flight, October 26,1921 On Manufacturing Airscrews Probably it is true to say that in no other branch of wood-working, as far as aircraft is concerned, is there still as great a call for skilled craftsmanship as in the making of laminated wood propellers. The reason is not far to seek. The wood components of an aeroplane or seaplane may have to be manufactured to fine lim its — many of them do — but they all have this advan tage over the propeller, that they are not called upon to have the same aerodynamical accuracy, nor to be in perfect balance when being rapidly rotated. The con sequence is that propeller making is a fine art, and one in which, for best results, machinery cannot quite replace the skilled craftsman. ••• Wireless Men for Aircraft Volunteers are required from the wireless branch of the Navy for duty as operators in aeroplanes working with the Fleet. Accepted candidates will be required to undergo a course of training in aer ial gunnery. Extra pay will be paid to selected rat ings at Is a day during preliminary training, and thereafter at 2s a day continuously while detailed for aerial duties. ••• King Albert Still Leading the Way Whenever opportunity offers, King Albert of Belgium always selects the air for his journeys, there by enabling him to undertake engagements which would otherwise be impossible to entertain. Last Friday the King left Casablanca about 7am by the Postal Service aeroplane for Toulouse, via Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona, arriving about 5pm the same day. At Toulouse he took the train to Paris and, after a call next day upon M Millerand, he left Le Bourget in his own aeroplane, and arrived at Brussels a little after 3pm. What an example! ••• One-Million Franc Engine The announcement recently that a French Prize of one million francs has been offered for the "best" aero engine has now been confirmed... Even at the present rate of exchange, counting 50 francs to the pound sterling, one million francs represents £20,000, which should be sufficient to see a firm just about reimbursed for its outlay in producing an engine. • Last .Monday, 2 October, the Work should have been cele brating the 36th anniversary of the first tethered flight of the Hawker P. 1127, the precursor of the great Harrier. Instead, it was mourning the death the previous day of the pilot on that pioneering occasion, Bill Bedford. Bill was the prototype Total Aviation Person: fighter pilot, research and test-pilot, salesman and marketeer - and always a memorably brilliant raconteur. Even at 75 he was still at work, speaking, judging for the 1996 International Aero space Industry Awards and our welcome guest as recently as Farnborough. • Happier anniversaries on 21 October: to the day, it was 86 years since Tommy Sopwifh's firstflight, and 60 since Chris Staniland and a certain P G Masefield tried to lap the Brooklands race track as fast in the Fairey Swordfish as the Lion- engined Napier Railton car had just done (143mph). Alas, at something under 200ft altitude, the aviators managed only 136mph... • The now Sir Peter Masefield hosted a party at Brooklands Museum on the 21st to celebrate (amongst others) the completion of the Museum's collection of "Edwardians" - the Vickers civil aircraft designed post war by Sir George Edwards - with the arrival four days Gary West, Sir Peter Masefield, Peter Moore and Jock Bryce celebrate: the last Vanguard to fly agrees... earlier of the last airworthy Vickers Type 950 Vanguard /Merchantman, courtesy of Hunting Cargo Airlines. • Present on both occa sions was Jock Bryce, who with Brian Trubshaw con ducted the Vanguard's mai den flight on 20 January 1959, from Brooklands. Nearly 3 8 years later he saw Capt Peter Moore and Capt Gary West make the type's last-ever (and almost cer tainly shortest-ever) land ing, on Brooklands' mini runway. Even with thresh old trees (temporarily) removed, there were only 500m (1,600ft) available - less than half the Van guard's textbook minimum of 3,5 00ft. After two inspec tion passes, Moore and the specially re-activated rever sing propellors brought ev erything to a safe halt in less than two thirds of that... Cynthia Strap-in: "Good morning, ladies and gende- men. Welcome to our flight from Rome to London. This aircraft is equipped with the manual push-back system. Would passengers in rows One to Five now leave the aircraft by the for ward door: those in seats A to C report to the left main gear; those in seats D to F to the right. Odier passengers seated by windows should get a clear view of heart- attacks on the apron. Thank you for flying Birdseed." FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 30 October - 5 November 1996
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
