BRITAIN NOT KEEPING PACE WITH U.S. IN HIGH SPEED FLIGHTS

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 January 1949, Page 5

BRITAIN NOT KEEPING PACE WITH U.S. IN HIGH SPEED FLIGHTS

LONDON, Jan. 6 (Recd. 6 pm).— Concern is felt at Britain’s failure to overtake the United States lead in high speed flight research, says the

“Daily Telegraph's” air correspondent, Air Commodore L. G. S. Payne.

He points out that while a Vickers pilotless rocket-driven model reached 915 miles an hour after being launched from a Mosquito, United States Air Force piloted research planes ere reported to have flown at more than 1000 miles an hour, end the U.S.A.F. intends to achieve a speed of 1700 miles an hour at 80,000 feet. Air Commodore Payne also says the American National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics revealed that the United States has an engine of

"stovepipe,” ram-jet type, without moving parts, which develops 20,000 horsepower at 1500 miles an hour, or 50 horsepower per pound of engine weight. This compares with one and alhalf lb per horsepower of aero engines used in the last war. The committee also claimed that an American pilotless test missile, with ram-jet engine, exceeded 1600 miles an hour in drop tests.