Avro Fighter/Bomber
Canada is the source of new, unofficial, information on the Avro Delta-winged fighter/bomber, first announced in Flight of February 19th. Said to be an adaptation of a delta-wing supersonic intercepter now being built by Avro for the R.A.F., it will weigh 8,000 lb and take off fully loaded from a forward P.S.P. strip in less than 1,000 yd. A braking parachute will enable it to land in a similar distance.
The power unit is to be an axial-flow turbojet weighing less than 1,000 lb and having a thrust of just under 5,000 lb. The ground support model should be capable of Mach 1 and the intercepter should attain M2 at heights above 42,000 ft.
C.A.S. in the States
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir William F. Dickson, left Britain last Saturday for a 12-day visit to the United States. With General Twining, U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff, he is discussing matters of common interest, including co-operation between the United States Strategic Air Command and R.A.F. Bomber Command. This last item is presumably the outcome of the recent disclosure that the R.A.F. possesses atomic weapons and that the U.S.A. now wish to share atomic knowledge with certain other countries. Sir William is also visiting General Curtis Le May at U.S.S.A.C. headquarters.
The Martin Canberra
A lecture of the greatest interest to British aeronautical engineers was delivered in Washington recently under the auspices of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Mr. Glen Evans of the Glenn Martin Aircraft Company gave a paper on the production of the B-57A, the American version of the English Electric Canberra. His talk, illustrated by a number of excellent slides, was of particular significance because objective comparisons were made throughout between the British and American methods of doing the same job.
Mr. Evans described briefly how the Canberra had been chosen by the U.S.A.F. on account of its outstanding qualities, mentioning in particular its high manoeuvrability. He highlighted the changes which had been made; as Flight readers are aware, the Rolls-Royce Avon engines were replaced by Wright J65s, rotary bomb doors were incorporated and alterations were made to the cockpit.
The lecturer then dealt with production problems, pointing out the ways in which simpler solutions had been found and assembly made more suitable for an American factory.
Source: Flight International
