WORLD AIR SPEED RECORD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 255, 9 August 1946, Page 3

WORLD AIR SPEED RECORD

FRESH BRITISH ATTEMPT

SPECIALLY-PREPARED METEOR planes (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) LONDON, August 7. Britain’s High Speed Flight, using Meteor V aeroplanes, has a “reasonable chance” of exceeding any speed established by the jet-propelled PBO Shooting Star, even if the American machine is considerably improved, said Air Marshal Sir Alec Coryton, Controller of Aircraft Si|pplies of the Ministry of Supply.

The Air Marshal was speaking at Tangmere, where the Royal Air 1 orce crews are preparing for their record bid, which will be made after August 14. He added that new materials, details of which were secret, had been incorporated into the Rolls-Royce Derwent jet engines with which the Meteors are attempting the record. Special aircraft will be delivered at Tangmere on August 14, after which Group Captain Edward Donaldson, leader of the High Speed Flight, will make daily test flights on the Little Hampton course. Official timers will attend all tests, one of which might develop into a record bid. The pilots hope for conditions combining low barometric pressure and a temperature oE at least 80 degrees. If these do not occur before September 15 the attempt will be postponed until next summer. The attempt on the record will be made off the coast, of Sussex, between Barking and Worthing. The main difference between the new machines and the aircraft which set the existing record of 606 miles an hour, is the strengthening of the cockpits of the new machines. New Zealanders Interested One of the men most interested in the attempt of the Royal Air Force High Speed Development Flight to establish a fresh world speed record with Meteor aircraft at Little Hampton is Group Captain G. E. Watt, of Auckland, reports the special London correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association. This New Zealander, who is deputy-director of turbine engines at the Ministry of Supply, has worked for five years on jet and turbine engines, first on the research and development side and then on production. Group Captain Watt was responsible for the igt-engines used when the record was established at Herne Bay last November. He is hoping that a speed of 1000 kilometres an hour, or 625 miles an hour, will not only be attained during the forthcoming attempt, but excelled. ... The Meteors are being fitted with more powerful Rolls-Royce Derwent engines, and a new type of secret material is being used in the turbine blades. The engines, which on the last occasion were given a ‘ thrust of 36001 b each, will this time be capable of delivering 42001 b each. Group Captain Watt, formerly ol the Auckland University College, who left New Zealand in 1933 to join the Royal Air Force, works in the Ministry 1 of Supply in London, but he pays frequent visits to the flight at Tangmere. . This Royal Aii* Force station, where No. 486 R.N.Z.A.F. Typhoon Squadron was stationed during the war, is now commanded by Wing Commander W. G. Clouston, ■ D.F.C., of Wellington, one of “the few,” who was taken prisoner by the Japanese. The pilots of the High Speed Development Flight are Group Captain E M. Donaldson, D. 5.0., D.1.C., Squadron Leader W. Waterton and Flight Lieutenant N. Duke, D.S.U., D.F.C. and two Bars. They have been flying over the course at Little Hamplon twice a day when the weather allows. When they attempt, the re'eord they will be timed over a stretch ot three kilometres and fly at a height of about 120 feet. The pilots at present- are practising and accustoming' themselves to the aircraft and the course in standard Mark IV Meteois. Special Aircraft Two special aircraft with new engines are expected to be delivered at Tangmere next Wednesday and the attempt on the record will be made when the weather is suitable. Ihe conditions required combine still, cloudless weather with a temperature of 30 degrees Centigrade (85 degrees Fahrenheit) and low barometric pressure. Considerable patience may be needed in waiting .for these conditions. The pilots will judge their speed by a mach meter. Briefly, this automatically divides the speed of sound (760 miles an hour) into the true air speed of the aircraft-. The pilots will fly with the meter indicating up to about .8. The meter is placed in the cockpit on a level with the pilot s eyes. • . , The timing will be done by pairs ot cameras, cine and still, and by equipment linked*with the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington. Ibis equipment supplies signals at the rate of 1000 cycles a second. These will be reduced to 200 a second and transmitted by land line from Teddington to the timing base on the course at Little Hampton. It- will take from six to eight hours to work out the times established. •

Flying at High Speed What is it like to fly a Meteor at high speed? Flight Lieutenant Duke, chatting about his reactions, said it was not "nervy” work. There was far less strain than when flying fighters on operations—and Flight Lieutenant Duke should know something about that, as he shot down 28 enemy aircraft. . . .. ■‘On the take-off,” he said, we keep the brakes on and open the throttle to the full. Then we release the brakes and take off at 110 miles an hour. The climbing speed is about 360 miles an hour and we fly straight to the course at 1100 feet. We are allowed to dive toward the course fiom that height at full throttle and to level off at 500 metres from the measured stretch. We judge our height byballoons which hover at 230 feet, and go below them. We keep our eyes ahead of us and glance at the mach meter, but do not get. much feeling of speed except to notice that the ground is being covered rather smartly. “At more than 500 miles an hour it gets hot in the cockpit. This is

caused by the friction of the air flowing round the hood and fuselage. We just fly in shorts and sweat pretty freely.' When we have covered the course we ease back the throttle and then begin a slow turn to get in position again. We fly for about half an hour and then return to the airfield.”