FLIGHT, 11 November 1955 741
Seen in its "anti-atom" finish, the Conyair
AIRCRAFT INTELLIGENCE
Great Britain
Mixed-Power Intercepters. It is reported
in Italy that two mixed-power intercepters
—;one a Saunders-Roe, the other an Avro—
will soon make their first flights. One of
these machines, it is said, will have a de
Havilland Gyron or Gyron Junior and a
Spectre, whereas an Orpheus and an
Armstrong Siddeley rocket are specified
for the other.
U.S.A.
Piasecki YH-16A. Since this, the world's
largest helicopter, was illustrated in Flight's
special Philadelphia Show reports (Sep-
tember 16th and 23rd), the tail has been
completely revised, now having anhedral
horizontal surfaces and vertical fins at the
extremities.
FairMd C-119 Flying Boxcar. The last
machine of this type—the 1,112th—re-
cently left the Fairchild production line at
Hagerstown, Maryland.
Bell Helicopters. Three gas turbines are
the intended powerplants of a 28/36-
passenger transport development of the
Bell HSL anti-submarine helicopter. Pre-
sent powerplant of the HSL is the Pratt and
Whitney R-2800 piston engine. Troubles
continue to be encountered with the anti-
submarine version. Rotor blades of larger
diameter are to be fitted.
Boeing KC-135. It is intended that this
tanker equivalent of the 707 transport shall
have a starter on only one of its four turbo-
jets. The other three will be started by
compressor-bled air from that engine
blown into the intakes, thus saving space
and weight.
Hiller Rocket Helicopter. The destruc-
tion by accident is reported of a recently
completed Hiller helicopter developed from
the Hornet but with the ramjets replaced
by "oxygenated water rockets." Addi-
tionally there was a small piston engine
mounted in the fuselage and driving a
propeller. The machine is reported to have
climbed vertically with the rockets and to
have flown horizontally as an autogiro. It
is surmised that "alterations of dynamic
stability and insufficiency of directional
control" may have been the causes of the
accident.
BoeingKB-50. One hundred Boeing B-50
bombers are being converted by the
U.S.A.F. into KB-50 three-point tankers.
They will be employed by Tactical Air
Command, T.A.C. having long stated a
requirement for multiple-point refuelling
for its fighters and fighter/bombers.
Hitherto.. KB-29s, equipped with the
Boeing flying-boom system, have served.
Aerodynamic improvements will add a few
knots to cruising speed.
Stroukoff MS-S-l. This designation de-
6-36 on the left was photographed recently
over Kent. A B-36 reconditioning and modifi-
cation programme is now under way at Con-
vair's Fort Worth plant. Seen below in the
new U.S. Navy colour scheme of grey and white
is a Chance Vought F7U-3M Cutlass. The
missile launchers are clearly seen under the
folded outer wings. Note also the slats.
notes a forthcoming development of the
Avitruc. A "pantobase" transport, it will
have turboprop power and boundary-layer
control.
France
Nord 1500 Guepard. The name Guepard
(Cheetah) has been conferred on the
Nord 1500 experimental delta-wing fighter,
which made its first flight from Melun/
Villaroche on September 20th. Officially
admitted to be "characterized by two sorts
of powerplants," the Guepard is under-
stood to have a turbojet arranged along the
axis of a ramjet.
S.E.210 Caravelle. The latest price
unofficially quoted for this twin-Avon
transport is $1,857,000 (approximately
£664,000). During October the machine
was inspected by—among others—Alexan-
der Kartyeli and officials of the Republic
organization; directors of U.A.T.; Messrs.
Gray and Campbell Orde, respectively of
the M.O.S. and B.O.A.C; and Dr. Kimura,
technical adviser to Japan Airlines.
S.N.C.A.S.O. Vautour (Avons). As re-
ported in Flight of October 28th, a Vautour
all-weather fighter has been fitted with two
Rolls-Royce Avon RA.41 turbojets. The
thrust of this Avon is now given as 9,925 lb,
and it has been disclosed that the particular
Vautour is No. 09, one of the six pre-
production aircraft being delivered this
year. Together with the three prototypes,
these machines will serve for operational
development work. It is officially stated
that, while endurance tests and armament
trials with bombs, guns and missiles are
being effected with the other prototype and
pre-production aircraft, No. 09 will "con-
tribute practical information on the be-
haviour and performance of the Vautour
airframe equipped with high-thrust
engines." Deliveries of Vautours to the
French Air Force will begin in the spring
of 1956, but all these machines will be
powered by S.N.E.C.M.A. Atar 101E3
turbojets of 7,720 lb thrust.
Potez 75. Having undergone gunnery
tests at Cazaux, this twin-boom pusher left
Les Mureaux recently for tests in North
Africa. The aircraft is now equipped with
four machine guns and has provision for
eight rocket projectiles.
S.N.C.A.S.O. Djinn. The first Djinn
helicopter to be sold outside France was
delivered recently to a Swiss company.
Marcel Dassault Mystere IVA. Some
days ago M. Roger Gromand, Assistant
Air Prefect, visited the Cambrai base of the
French Air Force to witness resumption of
flying within the framework of "Operation
Cormy." This operation had previously
been interrupted as a result of a "jet engine
failure." Operation Cormy is described as
a stepped-up Service exercise involving all
Dassault Mystere IVAs powered with the
Hispano-Suiza Verdon turbojet. The first
squadron was equipped with these machines
at Cambrai in May this year. Principal
object of the exercise is to determine
requirements in spares, supplies and main-
tenance of the Verdon-Mystere over a
4,000-hr flying period.