Air Pictorial 1956-08
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"Chronicler" and Bruce Robertson give the full history of Bostons and Havocs based in Britain during the last war on pages 263 to 267 in this issue.
A new nose and paint job for DC-3, TS423.
Long-range tanks are now standard fittings on Boeing B-47s and B-52s. Note the huge bracing struts on this B-47E's tanks.
Supermarine Swift F.R.Mk 5
First report of a Convair 440 Metropolitan in Europe comes from D. F. Gilpin, who took this photograph.
Vickers Valiant
HOWARD AERO SUPER VENTURA - Howard Aero Inc. of San Antonio International Airport, Texas, is doing for the Lockheed-Vega 37 Ventura bomber what Lear Inc . of Santa Monica, California, has done for its civilian counterpart, the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar. Externally, the immediately obvious changes in shape of the Super Ventura include the "solid" nose; more rakish cockpit windscreen; reshaped nacelles with spinners; "king-size" picture windows; revised tail assembly and deeper rear fuselage - the former ventral gun position "kink" having been smoothed out. For the same fuel expended, the Super Ventura will carry nearly twice the useful load of a DC-3 at 50 per cent greater cruising speed. Engines : 2,400-h .p. P. & W. Double Wasp R-2800-C radials driving three - or special four-blade airscrews. Weights (approx.): empty 19,000 lb.; loaded 31,000 lb. Photo shows one of the first Super Venturas, N5390N .
The superb finish of G-AFIR is evident in this photograph, sent in by A. W. J. G. Hume of Pinner, Middx.
LIFE SAVER. During the last war, aircraft of Bomber Command had their sorties recorded by a bomb painted on the nose, while Fighter Command's method was a Swastika for every enemy aircraft destroyed. The Royal Navy appear to have adopted this scoreboard method for their rescue helicopters. For every person saved an image of a man is painted on the nose of their machines. I took these photographs at the R.N.A.S. Station at Abbotsinch, and this particular helicopter was one of those used to rescue forty-one men from the motor-vessel Dover-fjell. Note folded rotors.
VICKERS TYPE 161 / 162. In 1927 the Air Ministry issued a specification (F .29/27) for single-seat fighter to be equipped with a 37-mm. quick-firing gun developed by the Coventry Ordnance Works. Two manufacturers received orders for prototypes to this specification. Westland built one machine (J.9565) which was a modified version of the wirebraced low-wing monoplane they had produced earlier to meet a more conventional single-seater fighter requirement (F.20/27). Vickers produced the unconventional Type 161.
The design of the Vickers 161 was unusual. The radial engine was mounted at the rear of the nacelle containing the pilot and armament, which was itself slung against the under-surface of the upper of the two-bay biplane wings. The tail unit was mounted on a long, tapering,. cylindrical rear fuselage fixed to a bearing on the rear face of the hub of the four-bladed propeller and was braced to the wing cell by tubular metal booms.
Like the Westland C.O.W. gun fighter, the Vickers 161 is believed to have been designed originally to take the British Mercury III radial of 485 h.p., but the prototype (J .9566) was actually built with the earlier Bristol Jupiter engine. It made its first flight from Brooklands in 1931, flown by Capt. J. ("Mutt") Summers, and immediately revealed a lack of directional stability. As a result, the prototype was modified and fitted with a much enlarged fin and rudder and fan-shaped fins extending rearwards from the ends of the tail booms. This modified design is believed to have been designated Type 162. However, the C.O.W. fighter requirement was not proceeded with and the Vickers F.29/27 was not developed further .
VICKERS TYPE 161 / 162.
Supermarine N.113
MEXICAN-OWNED NORTHROP YC-125A-NO RAIDER - All the Raiders (YC-125As and Bs) of Tactical Air Command, U.S.A.F. were declared surplus in 1955 and the bulk were purchased by Frank Ambrose Aviation Co., Miami, Fla. Frank Ambrose Aviation are selling or leasing these tri-motors to operators requiring a rugged, general-purpose cargo hauler capable of using unprepared strips. The original 1,200-h.p. Wright Cyclone 9 R-1820-99s may be replaced (as with XB-GEY) by 1,350-h.p. R-1820-56As, boosting the a .u.w. from 40,000 lb. to 43,000 lb . Empty weight 25,000 lb . Speeds : max . 201 m.p.h., cruise 165 m.p.h., stall 69 m.p.h. Range 1,800 miles. Bucket-seat conversion thirty to forty passengers with rear loading, power-operated ramp drive-in for trucks and bulldozers. For ploughed field operations twin mainwheels may be fitted, or skis for snow/ice. Span 86 ft . 6 in. ; length 67 ft. 1 in .
PIAGGIO P-149-1. The Piaggio P-149 flew for the first time in July 1953 . It is a civilian development of the P-148 two/three-seat trainer built for the Italian Air Force. Indeed, many parts of the two aircraft, including the wings and the horizontal tail unit, are completely interchangeable. The P-149, however, has been given a bigger cockpit cover, as the cabin has been redesigned to take four people. It has a retractable tricycle undercarriage instead of the fixed unit of the P-148.
Salient features: The machine is of all-metal construction; the wings are fully cantilever, of light alloy with slotted flaps and ailerons, and contain the fuel tanks, holding 52 .8 gallons. The fuselage is an oval-section monocoque; the tail unit is constructed in similar fashion to the wings . The retractable undercarriage is electrically operated, the main wheels folding outwards and the nose wheel backwards. The engine is a horizontally opposed flat six. The four-seater cabin is arranged for dual control, with full blind-flying, navigational and radio equipment, and there is a roomy luggage locker at the rear of the seats. The cockpit cover slides to the rear.
PIAGGIO P-149-1. Data: Manufacturer: Piaggio & C, Societa per Azioni. Genoa. Power plant : one 260-h.p. Lycoming GO-435-C2, driving a Piaggio P.1031 three-bladed airscrew, with constant-speed gear. Accommodation : four . Dimensions: span 36 ft. 6 in.; length 27 ft. 11 in.; height 9 ft. 4 in. Weights: empty 2.447 lb.; loaded 3,637 lb.; disposable 1,190 lb. Performance: maximum speed 175 m.p.h . at sea level; 196 m.p.h. at 6,500 ft .; cruise at 155 m.p.h. at 6.500 ft. ; rate of climb 980 ft. /min .; service ceiling 17,000 ft .; range 660 miles .
FISCHER RW-1. In Western Germany, the past few years have produced a number of original light and ultra-light prototypes. Those which have reached the flight trials stage include the Heini Dittmar HD-153 Motor-Move (developed from the HD-53 Segel-Move sailplane), the Fritz Raab-designed and Puetzer-built Moraa and the Scheibe SF-23 Sperling two-seaters, plus the powered-gliders, the Burglengenfeld-built Me 06 Motor-Segler and the DKW pusher-powered, high-wing FIBO 2a. The last-mentioned is a 1951 design, with tandem main wheels.
The Fischer RW-3 is thus the second post-war German light aircraft to employ pusher power. The RW-3 is essentially a powered glider of mixed wood and metal construction, with fabric covering. Three versions are envisaged, the prototype A-1, for development as a motorised sailplane; the A-2 as a club primary trainer and the A-3 as a shorter span, advanced and aerobatic trainer.
Salient features : Of pleasant overall aspect. the RW-3 possesses several uncommon design features. The cantilever mid-wing is swept forward to improve low-speed characteristics, while the Tee-shaped tail assembly acts as the mounting for the propeller which is driven by the engine sited in the rear fuselage . The main wheels are retracted manually as is the semi-retractable nose wheel. First prototype wrecked in June, second is now flying.
FISCHER RW-1. Data : RW-3 A-1, A-2 and A-3. Seating: two in tandem. Power : RW-3 A-1. 40-h .p. Nelson or 55-h.p. Porsche ; A-2, 55-h.p. or 75-h.p . Porsche; A-3, 75-h .p. Porsche. Dimensions : A-1 and A-2 (A-3), span 48 ft. 6 1/2 in . (32 ft . 9 1/2 in .) ; length 23 ft . 11 1/2 in . ; wing area 188.4 sq . ft . (154 sq . ft.); aspect ratio 15.4 (7 .0). Weights: empty 795 lb . ; loaded 1.235 lb . Performance : max . speed 103 m.p.h. (146 m.p.h.) ; cruising 90 m.p.h. (124 m.p.h.); best gliding angle 22 ; minimum sinking speed 2.95 ft./sec. (3 .61 ft./sec.). Photo-Cost. f.a.f., from 16,000 DM . (?1.365) to 19.000 DM. (gl,620), graph shows RW-3 A-1 first prototype, D-EJAS. at the "Flugtag der Nationen", Cologne air display, 3rd June 1956.
TEMCO MODEL 51. In spite of their expressed intention to leave the light trainer field after the non-success of the Plebe, Temco have lost little time in building prototype piston and jet trainers . Evidently the company do not intend Beech to have the market to themselves. Intended to appeal to the commercial and military market both at home and abroad, the Temco 51 prototype, N78856, began flight testing recently . It is entirely a private venture by the company, like the Model 58.
Salient features : Pilot and pupil are seated in tandem in a short fuselage, with a large moulded canopy . The size of th is cockpit cover, and the one-piece moulded windscreen, together with its placing forward of the mid wing, must give exceptional visibility . Aft of the cockpit is mounted the jet engine, with small ear intakes, and the simple tail unit is carried above the jet outlet on a short boom. The undercarriage consists of inwards-retracting, wide-track main wheels and a forward retracting nose-wheel. Construction is all metal, and provision is made for night-flying equipment.
TEMCO MODEL 51. Data: Manufacturer: Temco Aircraft Corporation, Dallas, Texas. Powerplant: one Continental YJ-69-T-9 turbojet giving 920-lb. static thrust. Accommodation: pilot and pupil. Dimensions: span 29 ft. 9 in.: length 30 ft. 7 in .; wing area 150 sq. ft. Weights: normal gross 4.137 lb. Performance: maximum speed 285 kts. at sea-level. 300 kts. at 15.000 ft. Maximum rate of climb 1.900 ft./min. Service ceiling 35.000 ft.