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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 3180.PDF
Straight & Level roger. bacon@flightinternational.com My engine is bigger than yours (Overheard on GE 747 testbed flightdeck) Unidentified aircraft: "Is that the big 100,000lb engine on your wing?" GE testbed: "115,000lb actually- Unidentified: "Jimminy Christmas!" ATC: "Lima Golf clear to cross taxiway Golf behind 747. Caution jet blast." Lima Golf: "You're not kidding!" Test pilot report Our test flight experts Max Cue and Norbert Tailspin report from the latest test pilots' meeting in Los Angeles, where the closing talk was by the "test pilot's test pilot", X-15 veteran Scott Crossfield. Showing footage of recent hops in a reconstructed 1902 Wright Flyer glider, one of which showed the 81-year-old Crossfield being tossed violently out of the contraption like a rag doll on contact with the ground, Crossfield said the tests showed the Wright brothers "had an indifference to, rather than ignorance of, stability". Crossfield, who took the chance to deny he had "flown air cover for General Custer", said his sudden exit proved "this was the first vehicle to have an operational ejection seat". He also had the chance to chat about the project with aerobatic champion and aviatrix Parti Wagstaff. "She said she liked new aircraft and older men. I suggested we could run away together, but she declined, saying she was thinking more of 'classic' than 'antique'!" Lessons learned 1 Testing enhanced vision systems can be difficult if the weather is nice. Lessons learned -fog doesn't always stick around. "We could never find it- unless of course we were running out of gas and we HAD to land. Most people wouldn't understand that we wanted bad weather. They'd say 'hey..good news...it's cleared up for you - that's nice!'," recalls Gulfstream EVS tester Gary Freeman. 2 Testing a satellite navigation dependent system near a big military base which, without telling you, suddenly decides to test a GPS jamming system. 3 On high-altitude, weight critical tests of a terrain awareness and warning sys tem (TAWS) - don't take half the FAA along with you. Avoid maximum gross weight take-off TAWS test flights! Shoe-ins What's the difference between an extrovert and introverted flight test engineer. According to Boeing's Ricardo Traven, "an extrovert stares at your shoes when answering tough questions, while an introvert stares at their own!" Underwater tests of the Scruggs Aeroscrape Sea Harrier Mk 3 are pro gressing well, says the company, with maximum depth reached being around 2m (1 fathom). "The aircraft sinks to cruise depth virtually by itself," says project director Cdr Troy "Mad Jack" McLooney. Trouble spots to date appear to be persistent engine flame-out problems, fish- strikes, pond weed ingestion and poor pilot visibility. The team is pleased, however, with the performance of the innovative snorkel (seen to right in this picture) which provides a back-up air supply in case of a failure of the on-board oxygen generating system (OBOGS). "The spike on the fin is also jolly useful for spearing the odd fish," adds McLooney who says similar development plans are in the pipeline for the next great "transformational" aircraft, the JSF (Joint Submarine Fighter). AIRCRAFT ENGINEER FLIGHT 24.10.1952 U.S.-U.S.S.R Incident Following the disappearance of a B-29 off Northern Japan on October 7th, the United States Government has delivered a note accusing the Soviet Union of a "wanton and unjustifiable attack" on the bomber. The protest flatly rejects a Russian allegation that the B-29 had violated Soviet terri tory and opened fire on fighters which intercepted it. The Russian version of the incident was that the interception took place over Yuri Island, which is claimed by the U.S.S.R. as part of the Kurile Islands. The incident first came to light when an American radar plot of the B-29's track disappeared from the screen after a "blip" had been seen to meet it. 50 YEARS AGO Bombers in Manchuria The U.S. Secretary of the Air Force, Mr. Thomas Finletter, has stated that a new type of Russian twin- jet bomber "similar to the British Canberra" had been seen in Manchuria. He added the warning, "It is a potentially dangerous factor in the Korean war." According to Mr. Finletter, the Russians have sent more than 4,400 aircraft, including 2,000 jets, to the Chinese and North Koreans. Coincident with Mr. Finletter's statement came the news that the Glen Martin concern has received a second order for a "substantial number" of B-57s. This type is a night-intruder version of the Canberra. Another Security Leak Yet another deplorable leakage of British secret information has occurred in America with the release of the name and some details of a new Rolls-Royce gas turbine. The U.S. report refers to the Conway as a ducted-fan unit to power the Comet 4 in 1960. Jobs for Jerry Middle East Airlines of Beirut, in the Lebanon, is seeking to recruit pilots among ex-members of the Luftwaffe and Lufthansa. Fifteen applicants- some with over 3,000 flying hours and good records- have been interviewed. Ground Duty The fact that several independent airlines employ stewardesses is often overlooked, and the spotlight of publicity is more often focussed on their counter parts in B.E.A. or B.O.A.C. At the reception preceding last week's B.I.A.TA. annual dinner, drinks were served by stewardesses of several member-companies. 48 29 OCTOBER - 4 NOVEMBER 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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