The Salmon
The vertical take-off Lockheed XFV-1 - has been named the Salmon, presumably with its leaping propensities in mind, but also, no doubt, in honour of its pilot, Herman ("Fish") Salmon. The US Navy has recently disclosed that the Salmon has taken off horizontally and then maintained itself almost vertically, and nearly still, for periods of several seconds on several occasions.
For the Fair Sex
The Women's Engineering Society, who administer the Amy Johnson Memorial Fund on behalf of its sponsors, are offering an open scholarship to the value of £150 to assist a woman holder of a Private Pilot's Licence to qualify for an Assistant Instructor's Certificate.
English Electric P.1
The English Electric P.1 single-seat interceptor fighter prototype WG760, made its first flight at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe down, on August 4th. The pilot was W/C R.P. Beamont, D.S.O., O.B.E., D.F.C., who reported that the flight had been "remarkably pleasant and free from incident." He is also on record as having said, "It's a peach."
10,000 m.p.h. bomber
A manned rocket capable of Mach 14 is foreshadowed by Dr. Walte Dornberger, the war-time chief of Germany's Peenemünde research station, where the A.4 ("V.2") rocket was developed. Dr. Dornberger said that the rocket would be of the two-stage variety, launched from a mother aircraft of similar design at 80,000ft. At separation, both would be travelling at Mach 5. The smaller craft would be rapidly accelerated by its rocket motors to a speed of Mach 14 and a height of 150,000ft. Unable to turn, its residual velocity would take it in a roughly straight line to a friendly airbase, possibly nearly 10,000 miles away. Its pilot could drop his 2,500lb bombs on the way.
Source: Flight International
