U.S. Navy Flying Boats Proposals for a flying-boat of exceedingly advanced design capable of being employed as an integral member of air, surface and underwater anti-submarine teams for the U.S. Navy recently led to a design competition to which tenders were submitted by Grumman, Martin and Convair. The last-named concern has now emerged as winner of the competition. It is expected that the resulting flying-boat will have very great range and endurance and will be able to operate in almost any sea state. Martin's production of the P6M SeaMaster has been stretched out to allow a completely new design of empannage to be incorporated (faults in the tail and the tailplane-actuating mechanism in particular, caused the loss of the first two prototypes). Martin are to build six YP6M-1 aircraft powered by afterburning Allison J71 turbojets. The first pre-production machine was to have flown before May but is now unlikely to take to the air until September. Nationalist Helicopter A report from Formosa says that the first helicopter built by Nationalist China - described as a "flying banana type designed by Maj-Gen. Chu Cmia-Jen, a Chinese Air Force aeronautics specialist" - has made a successful test flight. Vampires for Austria Three de Havilland Vampire trainers, which are the first to be fitted with both Marconi A.D.F. and I.L.S. equipment, were on March 27 delivered to the Austrian Air Force. Austrian pilots had previously taken a short conversion course at the de Havilland Servicing School. |
Source: Flight International