A rare photograph illustrating a de Havilland Venom I at R.A.E. carrying R.F.D. highspeed containers designed to permit target-towing by the fastest fighters. Each container holds a nylon drogue which can be streamed automatically.

CONVAIR F-102A. First flown in October 1953, the XF-102 single-seat all-weather fighter was initially disappointing, being unable to perform over the sound barrier. Application of the N.A.C.A. "Area rule" to the fuselage has now resulted in the F-102A having an excellent supersonic performance. The F-102 in its early stages was to have been remotely controlled, but this idea has now been dropped . The heavy armament consists of six Hughes F98 Falcon guided missiles and unguided rockets.
Salient features: The nose of the F-102A is pointed, there are twin lateral intakes and the rear fuselage is "waisted" up to the tailpipe where two large hollow bulges protrude, one on each side, to improve aerodynamics. The rear of the cockpit is faired into the fuselage, while the windscreen is of the "knife-edge" type. The delta wing has very sharp leading-edge sweep and pointed t ips and the whole assembly is set well back on the fuselage. The fin of delta shape has an extension aft of the rudder and over the tailpipe. The fin carries small fairings to house the rudder movement gear. The main undercarriage wheels retract inwards into the fuselage and the nosewheel forwards.
The photo shows: (left) the TF-102, serial 54-1351 "TC-351" and (right) the F-102A, 53-1801 "FC-801".

CONVAIR F-102A. Data: Manufacturer: Convair Division of the General Dynamics Corporation, San Diego, California, U.S.A. Power: one Pratt and Whitney J-57 of about 10.900-lb. thrust. Accommodation: single seat. Dimensions: span 38ft.; length 68ft. 3in. Weight: approximately 26.000lb. gross.Performance: maximum speed Mach 1.5.

Unusual formation photographed by a Meteor of No.541 Squadron, R.A.F., Laarbruch, during the 3rd Central Region Reconnaissance Symposium held at H.Q. A.T.A.F. The Swift F.R.Mk.5 (XD 905) shows for the first time the ventral slipper tank. The all-silver Canberra (WT758) is a P.R.Mk.7, while the Shooting Star (TP-20) is a "rare bird", an RT-33A of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

The second prototype Blackburn Beverley (XB260) flying in civil guise as G-AOEK.

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.31 HARROW. A two-seat, general purpose, shipborne torpedo aircraft, the Harrow 2 could be fitted with a 550-h.p. Napier Lion Xl , 480-h.p. Rolls Royce F.XII.A, 450-h .p. Bristol Jupiter VIII, or 450-h.p. Lorraine Dietrich engine. This machine had a 470-h.p. Lion V. Floats could be fitted as an alternative to wheeled undercarriage. Provision was made for a Vickers gun firing forward and a Lewis gun on a Scarff ring aft. Span was 44 ft., length 34 ft.; height 13 ft. 4 in.; wing area 563 sq. ft. ; top speed 115 m.p. h. at 1.000 ft. and loaded weight 7,140 lb. (These figures are supplied by the manufacturer which differ from reference books of the period.)

Reference to the original Handley Page works' three-view, E.A.I., dated from 22nd October 1925 to 20th March 1926, provides some of the data listed below, and shows the original 470-h.p. Napier Lion VA installation and the raised rear gun position as shown in the accompanying silhouette of the Harrow Mk. I.
The photograph shows the Harrow Mk.II (N205) with the more powerful 530.h.p. Lion Mk.IXA. the re-shaped nose (plus spinner) and the cut-down rear fuselage.
The H.P.31 Harrow was designed to A.M. Spec. 21/23 as a two-seat carrier-borne torpedo bomber. A second Harrow was fitted with a twin-float undercarriage and is claimed to be the first military seaplane incorporating the then revolutionary leading-edge wing slats - the patented Lachmann-Handley Page "Slot". The Harrow was otherwise of conventional design and of all-wood construction. The two-bay wings could be folded back to a mere 18 ft. for carrier stowage. Armament consisted of a .303-in. machine gun above the engine on the starboard side of the nose, plus the single rear gun .

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.31 HARROW. Data: Manufacturer: Handley Page Ltd., Cricklewood, London. N.W.2. Harrow Mk. I (landplane: first flight, 24th April 1926). Power plant: one 470-h.p. Napier Lion VA. Dimensions: span 44 ft.; length 33 ft. 9 5/8 in.; height (tail down) 13 ft . 3 in.; wing area 563 sq. ft. Weights: empty 4.403 lb.: disposable 2.737 lb. (including 1,650-lb. war load); loaded 7.140 lb. Performance: maximum speed 115 rn.p.h, at 15,000 ft.; cruising 98 m.p.h.; range 440 miles. Tank capacity: 160 Imp. gal.

HEINONEN HK-1. Dipl.-Ing. Juhani Heinonen worked on the design of the trim HK-1 (OH-HKA) single-seat ultralight during his time off as a member of the Valmet O/Y (government-sponsored aircraft factory) design team. He assisted in the design of the new air force advanced trainer, the Valmet VH-2 Vihuri (Squall).
The HK-1 was built at the Central Gliding School at Jarnijarvi and Dipl.-Ing. Heinonen flew it for the first time in August 1954. The HK-1 is a cantilever monoplane of wooden construction with plywood sheet covering. The 65-h.p . Waiter Mikron III was recovered from a wrecked Praga Air Baby, and drives a 5-ft. diameter two-blade wooden airscrew. The main undercarriage is fixed (sprung steel) and the tailwheel is steerable.
Salient features: Straight lines to the wings, fuselage and tail assembly give the HK-1 a businesslike air, while the deep canopy presents a slightly humped-back appearance in side view.
Photograph shows the designer "prop.-swinging" in unconventional manner at Tampere.

HEINONEN HK-1. Data: Heinonen HK-1 (OH-HKA). Power: 65-h.p. Waiter Mikron III four-cylinder inverted inline. Accommodation: single-seat. Dimensions: span 22 It. 6 in.; length 19 ft. 0 1/4 in.; height 6 ft. 10 1/2 in.; wing area 75 sq.ft. Weights: empty 550 lb .; loaded (aerobatic 795 lb., (normal) 880 lb . Performance: maximum speed 135 m.p .h . at sea-level; cruising 115m.p.h .: landing 47 m.p.h.; range 430 miles.

COLONIAL C-1 SKIMMER. After seven years of development the Colonial Model C-1 Skimmer has recently gone into series production. The post-war market for light utility single-motor amphibians was pioneered by the 1944 Republic RC-3 Seabee, of which over 1,000 had been built when production ceased in 1947. The prototype Skimmer (N6595K) was first flown on 17th July 1948 and apart from a new paint finish and a taller fin and rudder, appears to have undergone little external re-design . Dual controls are provided.
Salient features: Of all-metal construction the Skimmer has a single-step hull supporting a cantilever mid-wing with marked dihedral. The clean hull lines are broken by the semi-retractable nosewheel which also serves as a bumper. The trousered wingtip floats do not retract but the main wheels fold inwards and remain uncovered. The 150-h.p. Franklin O-320 flat-six drives a two-blade Sensenich propeller and is mounted on a simple streamlined pylon supported on each side by single struts.
Photograph shows N6595K over Oyster Bay, L.I., N.Y.

COLONIAL C-1 SKIMMER. Data: Manufacturer: Colonial Aircraft Corporation of Deer Park, L.I., N.Y., and Sanford, Maine, U.S.A. Power: one 150-h.p. Franklin O-320 horizontally-opposed, six-cylinder. air-cooled motor. Accommodation: three, plus baggage stowage of 40 cu. ft. Dimensions: span 34 ft.; length 23 ft. 6 in.; height 8 ft. 10in. Weights: empty 1,400 lb.; useful normal load 700 lb.; loaded 2,100 lb.; maximum fuel 35 U.S. gal., 270 lb.; normal 30 U.S. gal., 180 lb . Performance: maximum speed 125 m.p.h. at 5,000 ft.; cruising (at 62 per cent power) 115 m.p.h.; stalling 50 rn.p.h.: range 700 miles.

An all-silver Meteor F.R.Mk.9 (YZ438) from R.A.E., South Farnborough. which was used to photograph the test ejection from the Meteor "7 1/2" (WA634) at 40,000 ft.