Faire4 flies the first Vertical Take-off Airliner Adding achievement to achievement, Fairey Aviation have now built potentially the most important transport aeroplane in the world, the Fairey Rotodyne. Carrying 48 passengers or 41 tons of freight it takes ofT vertically as a helicopter and having gained height flies forward as a normal twin-engined airliner. It is the most adaptable rotary-wing aircraft in the world and the first to offer operating economy directly comparable to that of fixed-wing aircraft over ranges of up to 400 miles. The arrangement within the Rotodyne's capacious fuselage can readily be adapted to suit civil or military applications. Powered by two Napier Eland propellor-turbines with Fairey Pressure-Jets at the rotor-tips Jor take-off and landing. 48 passengers . 185 m.p.h. cruising speed otodyne 400 miles maximum range. THE FAIREY AVIATION COMPANY LIMITED HAYES MIDDLESEX ENGLAND' AUSTRALIA' CANADA Edilorial Offices: 19 PARK LANE, LONDON, W.I Telephone: G ROsvenor 1530 and 1382 Adverlisemel1l Manager: Proprietors: Derek Merson Assistant Editor: 2 BREAMS BUILDINGS EDWARD SHACK LADY AIR LEAGUE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE LONDON, E.C.4 LONDONDERRY HOUSE, 19 PARK LANE, LONDON, W.1 Telephone: HOLborn 5708 VoI. XX MARCH 1958 No. 3 The Virtue of Learnillg By Sir Miles Thomas, D.F.C. A Member of the Council of the Air League THERE is no area of activity in our particular walk of occupation he would Accuracy; a sensitivity to the charac­ complex modern society more im­ tread. teristics of various materials; an eye for portant today than that of training in Maybe it has taken two wars, world line; an appreciation of economy of engineering. Not only our national inflation and the threat of space domina­ structure, and the ability to design com­ security but our prosperity as well tion to bring into proper relief the ponents that are capable of being made depend basically on there being forth­ sterling qualities of engineering as an at prices that are not exorbitant; all coming a regular and dependable supply essential thread in the variegated weft these are features that command respect of engineers and technicians who can and warp of our modern turgid civilisa­ and reward in all walks of life. not only evolve and develop but can also tion. While recognising that the financial manufacture and maintain the increas­ Now among the various kinds of benefits that are likely to accrue out of ingly ingenious and intricate mechan­ engineering which open the gateways to the aircraft-making industry over the isms and systems that this day and age personal advancement and prosperity, next decade in terms of manufacturing demand. the science of making and maintaining fighters and bombers are likely to be Not so long ago, certainly within the aircraft ranks high. Not merely because less numerous-and ergo less attractive span of a half-century, the engineer was an aircraft has to have weight saved in -than they might have been had a looked down upon as a man of doubtful every possible way, not only because manned-aircraft programme continued social status. It was the poet, the artist structural strength and mechanical re­ to develop apace, there is no doubt at and the music-maker who were revered liability are sine q/fa nOI1S, but because all that the guided rocket, whether it is and lauded as the intelligentsia. Landed every aircraft reflects in fact the very used for the purpose of carrying missiles gentry, sturdy of stock and hard of soul and substance of its sponsors is or, as may well be, for the purpose of physique, were roots of the social aircraft engineering a thoroughly good swift global carriage of the written system. They paid due regard and rever­ training for the young man who wants missive, means that there should be ence to the intellectuals; they patronised not only to express himself and make plenty of scope and outlet for the young the writers and men facile of speech. It his impact on the community in which man trained in engineering to the high was not until they were driven to the use he lives, but who also has the natural standards that these fields of endeavour of mechanised equipment on their land healthy desire to eat well at regular demand. and found that even their kitchens had intervals. It is a resilient springboard for There thus should be no slackening of to be invaded by mechanical substitutes a launch into life. effort on the part of sponsors for train­ for the serfs and skivvies that had hither­ Engineers have to be weJl disciplined. ing in aircraft engineering and no fall­ to pandered to their needs that they had Better indeed is it if they are self­ out in the student body. Socially, to recognise as important units in the disciplined; and nothing teaches this economically, and in terms of a good social system men who could effectively admirable trait more readily than air­ life, well spent among intelligent and use spanners, screwdrivers, and occa­ craft engineering. appreciative colleagues, there is a worth­ sionally a brazing lamp or a soldering When, as a result of the Sandys axe, while future in aircraft engineering. iron. grave and in part realised fears about the The engineer also had to fight for future of manned bomber and fighter recognition against the claims of the aircraft assailed people's minds there "professional man". The white-collared was a natural reaction that training in THIS MONTH'S COVER worker, tripping nattily to his City office; aircraft engineering was not now such the solicitor; doctor; accountant; all an attractive syllabus. THIRD prototype of the Martin YP6M-J Sea Master has begun test flights and these and others laid claim to the atten­ To take such an attitude would, in my differs from the two earlier aircraft in having tion of the young man on the threshold judgment, be wrong, because the kind outswept engines and a modified tail unit. of life who had to decide, either in the of requirement that qualification as an The black outline on the rear hull arm is one light of his own inclinations or by virtue aircraft engineer demands is of great of a set of hydroflaps for water manreuvr­ of the advice that he was given, which value in other spheres. ~bility. 73 requirements that were made at the frequent discussions and meetings with the Services and the Ministry of Supply. These meetings were followed up by friendly visits to R.A.F. stations, and one fact which soon became clear was the eventual necessity for air-to-air radar, homing devices and elec­ trical equipment which would be indepen­ dent of altitude. Yet the design of much of this equipment was only beginning, and if full provision had been made for it in the S-R.53. it would have been out-of-phase with the time scale. Thus, late in 1953 and in parallel with the design and construction of the S-R.5~. Saunders-Roe began to design a direct development ofthisaircraft. This was known as the S-R.I77. Proposals for this very advanced inter­ ceptor were placed before the Ministry of Supply in 1954, and the design contract for this aircraft was finally received in 1955. Unless there is a sudden change of Government policy the S-R . I77 will not be built. and The S-R.I77 is aerodynamically similar it is to be regretted that this interesting design has been shelved owing to lack of funds to the S-R.53, the ma in difl'erences being in and foreign orders. The history of the development of the 177 is in itself of interest. and its armament, interception equipment and it is published here by kind permission of Saunders-Roe. automatic pilot equipment. In addition, by combining the cruising economy of a much more powerful turbojet with the great high­ altitude thrust of the Spectre, it ca n make much wider use of the advantages of the The Saunders-Roe mixed power formula than can the lower­ powered S-R.53 . The basic ideas which led to this Saunders­ S-R.177 Roe mixed unit conception are simple. An interception operation calls for the aircraft to perform a flight sortie that involves THE story of the S-R.I77 began when were considered, and it was obvious from periods of low and medium speed flight and Saunders-Roe started a serious study of the start that the choice of the oxidant to be also calls instantly for high acceleration and aircraft for combat at extremely high alti­ used was a vital factor. H .T.P. was studied, rates of climb and turn. To achieve this, tudes. The company had put forward so were Nitric Acid and Liquid Oxygen. high thrust is essential, especially at proposals for a water-based transonic The natural qualities of each, both pros and altitude. fighter aircraft which was a natural develop­ cons, were carefully evaluated. and the final This can be achieved in many ways . ment of the S-RjA.I. jet-propelled fighter choice of H .T .P. was one that we have by propeller . .. by jet . by rocket ... by flying-boat. never regretted. ramjet. But whatever method is used the Whilst these proposals did not receive So, the S-R.53 was conceived with the basic quantities are, "the weight of engine interest and support the work which had Spectre rocket engine and the Viper which to give one pound of thrust at the height been done did enable the company to was the most suitable jet engine at that required", "the weight of fuel consumed by break new ground and turn to the design of time.