British Advances In Jet Aircraft Production

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14927, 15 March 1949, Page 6

British Advances In Jet Aircraft Production

Sixteen Different Types Of Gas Turbine's

Immediate Use Of Propjet Airliners Advocated

Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, world pioneer in jot-pro-pulsion, has revealed that six British firms have 16 different types of aircraft gas turbines in production or in an advanced stage cf development. writes Courtenay Edwards in the Overseas Mail.

Eleven of these designs are still on the secret list, said Sir Frank, whose disclosure shows that Britain is not willing, just yet, to give up her undoubted world lead in turbojet development. Sir Frank, now adviser on gasturbines to British Overseas Airways, again expressed that propjet airliners, using gas turbines to drive their propellers, could be used on the airlines immediately without serious difficulty. The chief obstacle is the inadequacy of the present system of sir-traffic control in handling large numbers of fast airliners in bad weather. This leads to 1 lie “stacking,” in the vicinity of an airport, of aircraft waiting their turn to land. Propjet airliners cannot afford to queue in this way, as their gas turbines use much more fuel than ordinary piston engines. This problem is of vital concern to Vickers-Arrnstrongs, who have built an excellent turbonrop airliner—the four-engined Viscount—which runs the risk of being ahead qf its time because of air-traffic control limitations.

Mr George Edwards, the firm’s chief designer, does not agree that the Viscount would prove expensive to operate in comparison with pistonengined planes. His view is shared by ArmstrongWhitworth Aircraft Ltd., who are pressing on with their 31 -sealer Apollo. This aircraft, like the Viscount, has four propjet engines. Foreign Interests

On the military side of gas turbine development there arc reports from Copenhagen that a Danish purchasing mission is coming to London soon to negotiate for jetplanes, of which the Danish Government are to buy 60 over a period of three years. Like the Swedish. Swiss, Norwegian, and French Air Forces, the Danes are reported to be particularly interested in the de Havilland Vampire. Arrangements have already been made to double the production of Vampires and twin-jet Gloster Meteors.

The do Havilland Engine Co. Ltd., which makes the Vampires’ Goblin lubojet, has just appointed Mr A. F. Burke' managing, -director. Chairman of ' the company is Major Frank Halford, one of Britain’s leading aero engine designers, and Mr J. L. P. Brodic is engineering director. Commander B. J. Hurren, sales development manager of Fairey Aviation, Ltd., tods mo his firm have developed a target-towing version of the two-seat Firefly naval fighter. The first rf n number of three aircraft ordered by Sweden was recently delivered by air to Stockholm bv the Company’s chief testpilot, Group Captain G. Slade. It has a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine and carries a 7,000 ft. tow line.