Air Pictorial 1956-03
-
Several readers spotted this IL-12 which was diverted to Blackbushe from London Airport because of fog .
N17318, a C.C.A. DC-3 is spotlighted in the accompanying letter from reader Powell in Kenya .
This photograph of one of the first production Chance Vought F7U-3M Cutlass single-seat U.S. Navy fighters reveals many noteworthy details.
Under each wing are the Hughes Falcon missile carriers which may be supplemented by a detachable under-belly pack containing 2.75-in. Mighty Mouse rockets. Two of the four 20-mm. cannon ports may be seen at the top of the air intake.
Comparatively old by helicopter standards, the 1945 Piasecki HRO-1 Rescuer (Model PV-3) has seen service on U.S. Navy carriers as a ten-seat utility transport. Twenty were ordered by the U.S . Navy and the U.S. Marines took delivery of twelve . Extremely rare is the H.R.P.1. (shown illustrated), which is powered by a 600-h.p. P. & W . Wasp R-1340-ANI radial.
One of the first air-to-air photographs of the prototype Fokker F.27 Friendship, PH-NIV, shows to good effect the massive dorsal fin fillet and the compactness of the mid-mounted Rolls-Royce Dart 507 turboprops - each of 1.540 e.s.h.p. The first production model of this 28-36 passenger "DC-3 replacement" will be flying in 1957. This version will be powered by two 1,680 e.s.h.p. Dart 511s. The Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation intends to build the Friendship under licence in the United States . A production line of fifty is planned for the Amsterdam factory, two of which have already been ordered by K.L.M.-Royal Dutch Airlines.
Now in service with the U.S . Navy Hunter-Killer Task Groups is the Bethpage, L.I.-built Grumman S2F-2 (unnamed), which differs from the S2F-1 by incorporating a bulged, rotary-type anti-submarine weapons bay amidships. Both versions are powered by two 1,525-h .p. Lycoming-Wright R-1820-82 piston radials giving a maximum speed of 310 m.p.h. Another version in production is the TF-1 general-utility and trainer, which with a crew of two will carry nine passengers or two tons of cargo.
The Olympus is in production for the Avro Vulcan bomber. Its potentiality for high-altitude flight can be gauged by the fact that an Olympus-powered Canberra holds the world's height record.
DOUGLAS DC-7C SEVEN SEAS. Probably the last major civil variant in the DC-4 - DC-7 series, the DC-7C Seven Seas first flew on 20th December and is in production for several airlines including B.O.A.C. - who have ordered ten for North Atlantic operations. The Seven Seas has ten feet greater wing span, forty inches longer fuselage and a two feet taller fin than earlier versions.
Salient features: The ultimate stretch, the Seven Seas has a long slim fuselage with rectangular windows and a stepped cockpit. Wings are of high aspect-ratio. equi-tapered, and with rounded tips. Dihedral begins outboard of the centre-section. Engine nacelles of circular cross section are mid-slung and do not extend aft of the trailing edge. The fin is tall and rectangular with a small dorsal fillet, while the tailplane is set low on the rear fuselage. Mainwheels retract forwards into the nacelles and the nosewheel also folds forwards.
Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas. Data: Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Co., Inc., Santa Monica, California. Power: four Wright R-3350-EA-1 turbo-compound engines of 3.400 h.p. each. Accommodation: 58-62 passengers normal. Dimensions: span 127 ft. 6 in.; length I 12 ft. 3 in.; height 30 ft. 9 in. Weights: empty 72.515 lb.; maximum take-off weight 140.000 lb.; maximum payload 20.083 lb. Performance: maximum speed 406 m.p.h.; cruising 359 m.p.h. at 24.400 ft.; stalling speed 99 m.p.h.; maximum rate of cl imb 845 ft./min.; service ceiling 28.000 ft.; maximum range 6.010 miles.
Successor to the giant C-124 Globemaster 2 is the new Douglas XC-133 (U.S.A.F. 54-135) which was rolled out of the final assembly shop at Long Beach, California, on 8th February. The XC-133, at 255,000 lb., is 70.000 lb. heavier in gross weight than the Globemaster 2. Powered by four 6.000-e.s.h.p. Pratt & Whitney T34-P-3 turboprops, the XC-133 has a span of 179 ft. 8 in. (C-124A, 173 ft. 3 in.) and length of 148 ft . 2 in. (130 ft.).
MARCEL DASSAULT MD-550. Now undergoing rocket tests at Bretigny the MD-550 "Mystere Delta" is a new interceptor powered by two Marcel Dassault MD-30 turbojets (licence-built Armstrong Siddeley Vipers). The MD-550 will have an undisclosed number of SEPR rockets. and afterburning will be fitted to the Vipers. With this combination. it is claimed that the MD-550 will be supersonic in level flight.
Salient features: With a sharp nose and lateral intakes, the MD-550 is compact and small. The cockpit is set well forward, the hood being faired into the fuselage top-line. The rear fuselage is flattened with twin effluxes not unlike those on the Gloster Javelin. The fin is triangular with slight curvature on leading edge at the top. The delta wing has sharp leading edge sweep and the tips are only slightly blunted. Control actuation gear is housed in fairings under the wings. Main undercarriage legs retract into the fuselage.
MARCEL DASSAULT MD-550. Data: Manufacturer: la Generale Aeronautique Marcel Dassault. St. Cloud. Power: two Vipers plus SEPR rockets. No other data available.
SUPER CONSTELLATION 1049G. Data: Manufacturer : lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California. Power: four 3,250-h .p. Wright R-3350-DA3 turbocompound engines. Accommodation : 63-99 passengers and 6 crew. Dimensions : span 123 ft.; length 113 ft. 7 in.; height 24 ft . 9 in . Weights: empty 73 .016 lb.; all-up weight 137.500 lb. Performance: maximum speed 370 m.p.h. at 20.000 ft .; cruising speed 355 m.p.h. at 22,600 ft .; initial rate of climb 795 ft ./min. ; maximum range with tip-tanks 5.840 miles.
VICKERS-SUPERMARINE N.113. The Vickers N.113 is the culmination of a line of research which started with the butterfly-tailed types 508 and 529 and continued with the all-swept type 525. The N.113 differs from the 525 in having a modified fin; all-moving tailplane with dihedral; "supercirculation" blown flaps; long dorsal fillet with intake in front; and full blister hood. The N.113 has been ordered for the Fleet Air Arm for interceptor and strike work, and will have both guns and guided missiles.
Salient features: A mid-wing monoplane. the N.113 has a cockpit set well forward, twin large flank intakes and jet exhausts on each side of the rear fuselage. The wing is of low aspect-ratio with moderate sweep and curved tips. Full span two section slats are carried on the leading edge, and blunt fronted dorsal fillet is carried. The dihedral tailplane is mounted one-third of the way up the fin on a large streamlined bullet fairing. Mainwheels retract inwards and the nosewheel backwards.
VICKERS-SUPERMARINE N.113. Data : Manufacturer: Vickers-Supermarine. South Marston. Power : two Rolls-Royce Avons of over 10,000-lb. thrust each . Accommodation : single-seater. Dimensions : not released , but probably similar to the type 525, i.e. span 38 ft . 6 in .; length about SS ft. No other data released.
A new tandem two-seat jet trainer, the Beechcraft Model 73 is a private venture intended to serve as a transition between the T-34 Mentor and advanced jet trainers. Powered by a Continental J69-T-9 turbojet which permits a high speed of 253 knots at 15,000 ft. with a loaded weight of 4,521 lb. Although in an "Experimental" category (see lettering below canopy), the Model 73 prototype sports a normal civil registration N134B in the new large-style pattern.
Can any reader identify the engine fitted to this Swiss Pilatus P-2 . To the right of the P-2 is a D-3801.
Like the Beechcraft Model 73, the new Temco Model 58 is a private venture, tandem-seat trainer designed for military use. Unlike most tractor Lycoming-powered aircraft, the Temco Model 58's 340-h.p. Lycoming GSO-480-AIA flat-six, drives a three-blade, constant-speed, metal airscrew. With a loaded weight of 2,993 lb., the Model 58 has a maximum speed of 185 knots at 10,000 ft., with a service ceiling of 25,000 ft . plus. Range at 137 kt. is 485 miles at 20,000 ft. Span 33 ft. 2t in.; length 25ft. 10 in.; height 9ft. 10 in. Miscellaneous stores include sixteen 80-mm. rocket projectiles, two 100-lb. G.P. bombs and two under-belly Napalm incendiary bombs. Each wing can mount a single 0.50-in. or 0.30-in. machine gun.
The Breguet 901-03 high-performance glider, an improved version of the Breguet 901, made its first flight at Ferte Allais on 3rd January.
A rare air-to-air view of a 1918 vintage Thomas-Morse S-4C single-seat advanced pursuit trainer (80-h.p. Le Rhone C9) which has been rebuilt by Pau Kotz, Jnr., of Amityville, long Island. Mr. Kotz, who works on Cougar final assembly at Grumman on Long Island, plans to present this S-4C to the Smithsonian Institute when their new National Aeronautical Collection building is completed. He intends to fly the S-4C to Washington. D.C. Colour scheme: olive green overall with black and yellow checkerboard cowling and blue, white, red (hub) wheels. On the fuselage the numeral "5" is in black and on the rudder the stripes are red (fore), white and blue (aft).