FARNBOROUGH-1960

FARNBOROUGH1960

flUGE crowds flock annually to the historic aerodrome at Farnborough for the S.B.A.C. Flying Display, this year we chose to go on about the first day of summer and found this the best show ever.

The superb displays put on by the R.A.E. were very dwell a feature of the 1960 Display and, like the top G.P. drivers, the pilots concerned make tlwir exceedingly complicated and polished displays look easy to the layman. The Valiant BI V-hombers of 148scinodrod,, on the firing of a cannon like the start of an ancient motor race, were all airborne in Inc.47s., the first aircraft getting off in 67 see.

An impressive item was the arrival of an Shaeldetim Mk. 3 of 201 Coastal Command which had taken off from the Ihsplay the day before and in the meantime had flown over an area of 16,000 square miles ou submarine patrol, having been over Lisbon at 3.30 a.m. and far out in the Atlantic at breakfast-time !

One of the highlights was the vertical take-off and landing by the one andonly Short S.C.1, which uses air nozzles to give it stability while in vertical flight. The Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 16-18-seater flow almost entirely On its Starboard Alvis Series Ill long stroke engine, after a very short take-off roil, and the four R.A.F. Jet Provost, du a mass

take-off. The Hunter Jet Provost Side-by-side seater, vvIdich does 410 m.p.h. on a Bristel-Siddeley Viper engine, indulged in slow rolls and a prolonged spin. The C.F.S. official acrobatic team id) the aforesaid four Jet Provosts then re-appeared, to break away al 90 deg. from a box ‘at the top a a loop, led by Flt.-1,1. Langstaff.

A real ” aeroplane came next, in the form of the Percivaldesigned Lancashire Prospector Series II, which did some cropdusting, after which 30 troops enplaned in an II.P. Herald. which can carry 47 persons or six tons of freight and cruise at 275 m.p.h. on its Bolls-Royce Dart engines. It took off and landed within 600 yards: which could be why Jersey Air Lines ordered six Heralds during Display Week.

Very impressive was the H.P. Victor 132-, biggest aircraft to have exceeded the speed of sound, using a Ras-Royce Conway engine.

A very line airlinerwas demonstrated next, the Vickers Vanguard, planned to give quiet travel at the lowest cost per passenger/kilo. It cruises at 425 m.p.h. on its four Rolls-Royce Tynes.; which reverse to give an exceedingly short landing rim. Trans-Canada have ordered 23.

Westland’s stable .4 helieopters I4 a VI, their usual confident display —I liked, particularly, the little chap with exposed Blaekburn engine and transmission, reminiscent Id a Shelsley Speeial : The 1).11. Dove 8 is a splemlidl five-seater executive’s 200 m.p.h plus express which now has instromentation for all-Europe operation.

If racing cars sometimes offend because of noise, what of the Avro 748 ? It was, however, built in 17 month,, project to prototype; and is a Mee inexpensive aeroplane-4:176,000 with R-R. Darts. It gave fine proof of its very brief landing run.

The Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy carries 83 passengers or bulky freight. with free-loading each end of the fuselage-no doubt one day it will transport racing ears to long-)listant races. The Bristol-Siddeley-powered delta-wing Avro Vnleard Mk. 11 landed easily V, it bout recourse to its “ehlUte, after an immense vertical

clinch, Om Paco the 30-ton thrust of this machine that will fly at close to roach one.

The Royal Navy’s DM. Sea Vixen did some quite advanced aerobaties and inverted aviating. to show the efficiency Of its 45 deg. swept surfaec, and duplieated power coot rids_ and the Folland Gnat. a nice little trainer with 1.231) II, of thrust, for bee:inners, climbed through the dolly cloud in the deep blue heavens and rolled off the top. A Gloster Javelin did roll after roll and flew inverted, and Bill Bedford gave an outstatolingly polished exhiltitioo in the two-seater Hawker Hunter 66A. zooming to some 17,000 feet and spinning down in 14 or 15 unbroken rotations.

Two Blackburn NA39s, the ” below-radar ” jobs, and the Fl and T4 swept-wing Lightninp,,s gave us a taste of real speed, the latter flying past at Sallie 630 knots and todwhiug down exceedingly fast.

Of the static display, the working modlel showing how freight is loaded into the A-W Argosy 650 Series Turboprop Freightercoaeh was the most eye-catching exhibit in the main hull,W. B.

MINIATURES NEWS

Corgi are first in the field with a model of Bluebird. the car which by now should hold the Land Speed Record for brave Donald Campbell. Campbell took with him to Utah examples of this Corgi model.

No. 153 in the series. the Corgi Bluebird is, as usual With all Corgi toys, an accurate, highly detailed die-east scale model incorporating, in true Corgi tradition, a clear plastic cockpit canopy. complete, in this ease, with helmeted driver. Details of the four jet engine exhaust outlets, of the air brakeS, of the engine and instrument compartment covers, are faithfully reproduced down to the rivets which hold them in place. The huge 52 in. diameter wheels of the full-size Bluebird are reproduced in plastic. At the front are the erossed British and American flags as on the real thing. and the finish is an exact replica of the distinctive fnuebird hlue.

The Corgi model of the Bluebird is 5:in. long, 1 in. wide, weighs a matter of ounces and costs 3s. 11d., making it available to dm infinitely wider range of purehasers all over the world and offering them an opportunity to-examine in detail this fabulous lest of British engineering— real and miniature.

Miniatures of Land Speed Record cars have appeared or a number of years—it would he interesting to know the greatest umnlier. going baek into the past, that any collector cart assemble.

The Corgi. Bluebird.

This latest Corgi model forms an amusing contrast to anot her recent miniature brought out by Dinky Toys., namely ao Albion -Chieftain chassis with cement !Taxer, No. 960 in the Dinky Supertoys series by Meccano Ltd. The tipping cement mixer rotates as the lorry moves along, being driven by pinions and coot rate wheels from the hack axle, and the model is extremely detailed, with twin rear tyres, spare wheel, fuel tank, cement chute and cab windows, etc.

Other recent Dinky Toys include a Healey Sports Boat on a trailer (No. 796) which can be towed by car miniatures, -a LandRover towing a Smith’s CT86 single-horse trailer (No. 073) and a 71-in. long servicing platform vehicle with extensible platform (No. 977 in the Dinky Supertoys series). A catalogue listing over 150 Dinky models io colour is obtainable free from Meeeand) Ltd., 13inns Road, Liverpool. on mentioning MOTOR SPORT. \ ish I were a boy again ] ‘A .

ECURIE ECOSSE IN U.S.

David Murray. patron of Eeurie Eeosse has entered into agreemelds with organisers of three Arneriean races to enter two of his cars. These events will be the Watkins Glen G.P. Oa October 9th, the Riverside C. P. Da October 16th, and at Monterey on October 23rd. Watkins Glen is in New Aork State and both Riverside and Monterey are in California. The cars, which have already been shipped are the 2i-litre Cooper-Monaco which has won six of its seven races this Sea$0,11 and a 3.8-litre l)-type Jaguar. Drivers have not yet been nominated as the rave organisers have requested as a condition of entry that only internatidmally.rated dffivers will be acceptable. Ecnrie Ecosse is popular in the States because of the entry of three sports Jaguars in the 1957 loll Zki 500 mile, rad., when they

acquitted themselves so well. The Ecurie Ecosse a I ic,cc bas 300 members in the U.S. out of a total membership of 3,00]).