CANBERRA JET BOMBER

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27148, 18 September 1953, Page 10

CANBERRA JET BOMBER

DEFECT IN STARTING GEAR TESTS OF EQUIPMENT TO BE MADE TODAY Until after the arrival of the Skymaster from Melbourne at Harewood this morning, the Royal Australian Air Force Canberra twin-jet bomber, at present resting on the tarmac at the airport, will not be able to take off. A defect in the starting gear of one of the Rolls-Royce Avon jet engines grounded the aircraft yesterday, when it was planned to fly tests for the distance-measuring equipment installed for the London-Christchurch air race next month. The Skymaster will bring a replacement part for the engine, and the programme of test flights will start this morning. Flying out from Harewood until contact is lost and then turning back and flying north and south, checking indicator readings, the Canberra will probably devote about three hours to .testing the distance-measuring equipment. Runs will be made at 25,000 ft, 30,000 ft, and 35,000 ft. Tests of the ground-controlled approach radar equipment will take about half an hour.

The crew of operators for- the ground-controlled approach equipment will arrive this morning on the Skymaster from Melbourne, and will begin their tests soon afterwards. For these tests the Canberra will circuit and approach the runways on the direction of the operators inside the radar “hut.”

The starting gear for the Avon engines on the Canberra seldom has a chance to break down, because it is replaced after a given number of starts, usually with a very safe margin from the stage at which defects are likely to occur. The defect found yesterday is, therefore, regarded as rare. The engines used' on the Canberra are started by a cartridge about three inches wide and about seven inches long. This is fixed in a chamber in the central boss of the engine intake and fired by the pilot.