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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0968.PDF
STRAIGHT a LEVEL 40YEARSAGO Extracts from Flight International, 23 March, 1961 ••• P. 1127 in shakedown sortie As intimated in Flightiest week, flight trials of the Hawker P. 1127 as an ordinary aeroplane have begun from the runway of the RAE Bedford. The company's chief test pilot, A. W. "Bill" Bedford, took off just after 4pm on March 13 for a 22min shakedown sortie; and he flew again the following day. Thus Sir Sydney Camm's VTOL strike fight er continues to surmount its development hur dles in a most encouraging manner. Powered by a single Bristol Siddeley BS.53 lift/thrust turbo- fan, it completed tethered and free flight hover ing trials at Dunsfold in about a month last year, and is now well into its free-flight programme. On the first flight the propulsive nozzles were kept facing rearwards at all times, but when basic handling has been investigated the nozzles will be rotated to produce increasing increments of lift until jet thrust is sufficient to support the air craft without assistance from the wing. For the earliest hovering trials the thrust available was marginal, so that - even allowing for the low ambient temperature - weight was reduced by removing non-essential equipment, and such superficial items as undercarriage fairings. The latter, at least, are now on again. The aircraft has also been painted a pale grey, and given RAF roundels and the serial number XP831. The sec ond 1127 fast approaches completion. ••• SC.l Flown From Unprepared Concrete Short Brothers & Harland and Rolls-Royce have jointly announced that, during recent tests at RAE Bedford, the SC. 1 VTOL research aircraft had oper ated from unprepared concrete surfaces. Previously this had never been attempted, partly owing to the fear of causing severe damage to the surface, but chiefly because reingestion of the exhaust gas from the four lift engines would have resulted in a substan tial drop in thrust, probably at a critical period. To overcome the latter hazard, Short & Harland and the MoA have co-operated in studying several types of operating platform, finishing up with a metal floor raised about 12 in from the ground and provided with a grille directly beneath the aircraft through which the lift-jet gas passes, finally escaping round the edge of the platform well away from the aircraft. Silver City Airways, Bristol Freighter STOVLdejavu department • Col Jasper Jumpjet: "Sir, you know those JSF flight tests that are due to start at the end of the month?" Gen J Strike Fighter: "You mean the conventional take-off, followed by tran sition to STOVL and then vertical landings on a spe cial grid to disperse the hot gases?" Jumpjet: "Yes sir. I've been reading Budgie News and according to the column '40 years ago' it's all been done." Fighter: "Done when?" Jumpjet:"Er, 40 years ago sir. March 1961, England." Fighter:"OK. scratch the test programme and go straight into production. Oh, and Colonel?" Jumpjet:"Yes sir?" Fighter:"Gethold of more old Budgie News. I want to see what we need to do next." • Talking of short take-offs and vertical landings, the American Society of Travel Agents and Fodor polled travel agents to come up with the WORLD'S MOST DRAMATIC AIRPLANEDESCENTS. Top of the international list was Hong Kong, (the new airport, not the truly remarkable Kai Tak approach), London, St Barts, St Thomas, Paris, Sydney, Mexico, Rio, Zurich and Athens. Not a mention of London City anywhere, I am afraid. High on the US list were San Diego, New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston and Aspen, Colorado. • Brussels International Airport Company (BIAC) was under strike watch as Uncle Roger went to press, but it wasn't exactly sure why. The management had received a letter from the ACOD trade union notify ing all concerned that its members would stage a strike starting on 13 March at 22.00 exactly. What the letter did not say, however, was why. According to nephew De Wulf, a spokesman for BIAC says they don't know either, but it has been rather wet and miserable lately and there seems to be a few extra charter flights scheduled for that night. ,J • British Air Ferries ATL Carvair, Southend Airport 104 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 March 2001
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