RIGHT Interniuionnl. 31 July 1976
266
Etiquette for guests
LETTERS
Why no acceleration c h e c k s ?
S I R , — I believe that t h e A n c h o r a g e DG-8 accident, described
in " P e r f o r m a n c e m e a s u r e m e n t : time for a c h a n g e " (Flight,
July 10), could h a v e been p r e v e n t e d by an o p e r a t i n g technique which had been in use some y e a r s earlier.
In t h e early y e a r s of j e t operations a n u m b e r of airlines
timed take-off acceleration to lOOkt or, in t h e case of t h e
Caravelle. to 90kt. 1 quote some observed take-offs:
Elevation
(ft)
CV-880
12
35
35
81
81
86
90
311
1,414
80
12
80
132
1,563
13
80
744
707-465
707-437
VC10
Caravelle IA*
Caravelle V I N *
Temp
(C)
30
27
29
32
28
21
17
25
24
10
27 5
8
34
36
4
11
15
Brake-release
weight
(lb)
Time
(sec)
181,500
165,400
185,000
160,000
188,600
161,500
175,000
190,500
190,000
289,843
251,165
298,605
231,000
279,400
89,760
87,560
100,000
27
25
28
24
26
23
23
29
30
27
28
28
18
25
17
18
23
• T i m e l o 90kt
The above figures include elevations up to 1,563ft and
t e m p e r a t u r e s as high as 36°C, but in no case does the
time to lOOkt exceed 30sec. Yet in t h e case of the
A n c h o r a g e DC-8, a t an elevation of 121ft and at very low
t e m p e r a t u r e , it took 33sec to achieve 98-3kt. I should like
to know why these acceleration safety checks w e r e given
up.
With regard to runway m a r k e r s , 1 r e m e m b e r seeing
these at Dacca as long ago as F e b r u a r y 1962.
41 Park
Street,
Nairn IV12
JOHN STROUD
4PP
S I R , — I t is h i g h t i m e t h a t someone spoke up on behalf of
air display organisers about the behaviour of m a n y of t h e
people who fly in to t h e s e events by private aircraft. T h e
organisers h a v e m o r e t h a n enough worries without having
their hard-working helpers (usually volunteers) distressed
by arrogance and bad m a n n e r s .
The offending private owners fly in with their families,
avoiding all the queuing, p a r k i n g and jostling for positions
t h a t t h e general public h a s to p u t up with. They g r u m b l e
at paying even a small landing fee and try to avoid t h e
charity collection boxes.
I would say to t h e m : " P l e a s e respond to the privileges
you enjoy by securing your aircraft in t h e space allocated.
Move quietly behind t h e barrier, respect special enclosures,
pay your small landing fee w i t h o u t grumbling, and do not
begrudge a donation to t h e charity being helped by the
event."
Skyfame
Aircraft Museum,
PETER THOMAS
Staverton
Airport,
(Director)
Cheltenham.
Clou
IN BRIEF
The Eagle Squadron Association holds its t e n t h annual
reunion at t h e S t r a n d Palace Hotel, London, on S e p t e m b e r
7. Details of t h e full p r o g r a m m e of services, visits and
functions may be had from association vice-president J a m e s
A. Gray, of 7283 Kolb Place, Dublin, Calif 94539, USA.
No 258 Sqn, which flew H u r r i c a n e s and T h u n d e r b o l t s in
England and t h e F a r East d u r i n g t h e Second World War,
is planning a reunion at t h e R A F Club, London, in
November. All f o r m e r s q u a d r o n m e m b e r s a r e welcome,
and details may be h a d from reunion o r g a n i s e r Ron Goldsmith, of 2 Cheynham Way, C h e a m , Sutton, Surrey.
R e a d e r s who enjoyed S t e p h e n Piercey's " T h e last of t h e
A r g o n a u t s " (Flight, July 10, 1975) will b e sorry to h e a r
t h a t t h e T u r k s Air C a n a d a i r N o r t h Star is no m o r e .
CF-UXA—replaced last October by an even older exE a s t e r n DC-4, N88939—has been cut u p for s c r a p along
VRIGHT
S I R , — T h e r e were two e r r o r s in the " V W H A T " letter in
Flight for July 10. one of your m a k i n g and one of ours.
In t h e eighth p a r a g r a p h t h e m i n i m u m gradient of climb
at V.. for a four-engined aeroplane should have been 3 per
cent, not 2 per cent. In t h e ninth p a r a g r a p h t h e gear-limit
speed symbols should h a v e been V,,, and V , , , not V,.-r and
VFK.
Civil Aviatiori Authority.
L. J. w. HAI.I
Airworthiness
Division,
Brabazon
House,
Redhill, Surrey RH1 ISO
False Fokkers and bogus Bleriots
S I R . — T h e m e e t i n g at Sywcll (Flight, July 17) m u s t have
been very interesting. But it does not astonish me that
"disbelieving o n l o o k e r s " saw an alleged replica F l a n d e r s
monoplane. I am surprised for quite a different reason.
I do not believe t h a t any F l a n d e r s had a double invertedV " c a b a n e " (as on early B l e r i o t s ) , or a t r i a n g u l a r fuselage
with t h e r e a r p a r t uncovered, or a tail unit of anything
like t h a t s h a p e .
This, r a t h e r , was a typical British replica. I have seen a
Morane-type F o k k e r m o n o p l a n e " r e p l i c a " with a fixed tailplane and conventional elevators, p r e s u m a b l y to appease
m o d e r n pilots. Yet I saw Gustav H a m e l do his first loop
on a Morane-Saulnier; his first a t t e m p t e n d e d in a
gigantic tailslide, b u t t h e all-flying (stupid expression)
elevators didn't seem to mind. British replica-makers
m i g h t t a k e a few lessons from t h e A m e r i c a n s — t h e i r
replicas really deserve t h a t name.
19 Manor Road,
A. H. CURTIS
Potters
Bar,
Herts EN6 IDG
•
• : • •
*•*:#
*«?*<-'••««*.>
with sister ship CF-VLZ at Florida's Sarasota-Bradenton
Airport. The picture shows t h e aircraft d u r i n g its last few
h o u r s : t h e forward fuselage h a s already b e e n loaded
aboard t h e w r e c k e r s ' truck and t h e r e m a i n s of t h e cabin
floor point forlornly skywards.
DIARY
J u l y 31
J u l y 31,
Aug 1
July 31Aug 7
July 31Aug 8
A u g 3-12
Aug 4
A u g 6-8
Aug 7
Aug 7
Formula One air r a c i n g ; Blackbushe A e r o d r o m e , Surrey:
telephone J o h n Taylor or Michael J o n e s , Nuffield Ridge 2212.
International A i r Tattoo 76; R A F Greenham C o m m o n , Berks;
telephone R A F Benevolent Fund, 01-580 8343, extension 35.
International Vintage Glider Rally; L o n d o n Gliding C l u b ,
Dunstable, Beds.
Experimental A i r c r a f t A s s o c i a t i o n : 24th Fly-in; O s h k o s h ,
Wisconsin, USA.
US Unlimited Class National Gliding C h a m p i o n s h i p s ; El
Mirage Field, A d e l a n t o , Calif, U S A .
R A F St M a w g a n : Fourth International A i r Day; St Mawgan,
Cornwall.
Eighth International Ulster Flying Rally; Newtownards A i r p o r t ,
Ulster; telephone Sqn Ldr Roberts, Newtownards 813326.
R A F Bentwaters: A r m e d Forces D a y ; Bentwaters, Suffolk.
R N A S Lee-on-Solent: air display; Lee-on-Solent, Hants.