JET AIRLINER

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 September 1946, Page 6

JET AIRLINER

LANCASTRIAN PASSENGERS’ NEW EXPERIENCE VIBRATION ELIMINATED LONDON, Sept. 19. The first demonstration flight in a Lancastrian airliner fitted with RollsRoyce nine-jet propulsion units, was Given British and Dominion press correspondents at Hucknall today. The Lancastrian is a standard passenger model but with two outboard motors replaced by streamlined jet units, similar to those on the record-breaking Meteor, the inboaid motors are two standard Merlins. For passengers, the take-off is no diffeient from normal. The Merlins used gave maximum power but once height was achieved, the pilot cut out the Merlins and there was a startling change from all previous experience. Vibration ceased and the noise level was reduced to a point comparable with that of a fast, smoothly running train. The Lancastrian. maintained a speed of 212 to 215 miles an hour in level flight and nearly 300 dn descent on two jet units. It has flown comfortably on one. Rolls-Royce states that the experimental production of jet Lancastrians is part of the development continuously progressing at the RollsRoyce Hucknall division under contract to the Ministry of Supply. Objectives were (1) to assess the efficiency of the jet powerplane under flight-conditions and (2) to investigate the possibility of their development for large and medium air transport.