December 26, 1960

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AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Direct-indirect Nuclear Engine Choice Awaits Test Data

This is the second of a series of articles on the various applications of nuclear power to aircraft and space vehicles. Washington—An intense competition between the indirect and direct cycle nuclear turbojet engines has been in progress since the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion program was initiated in 1950, and it is still impossible to show that either engine type is clearly superior to the other.

BUSINESS FLYING

Beech Enters Baron in Light Twin Market

Wichita, Kan.—Beech Aircraft Corp. has filled a gap in its product line with development of the new Model 55 Baron light twin, designed for a high degree of safety, a maximum of speed and performance and an eye on competitive aircraft. The Baron (AW Nov. 21, p. 31) spans the so-called product gap between the Beech Travel Air and the Twin Bonanza, according to V. L. Gaston, manager of Baron and Travel Air Sales, as part of Beech’s continuing development program.

By Herbert J. Coleman11 min

AIR TRANSPORT

Ethiopian Airlines Forges African Link

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia—Ethiopian Airlines, currently winding up its fifteenth year of operation and its seventh consecutive profitable year without subsidy, is following an expansion program aimed at making the state-owned airline the leading carrier of independent Africa.

By Robert E. Farrell11 min

Usaf Orders Pilot Bio-instrumentation

Los Angeles—An unusually short-duration study-to-hardware program in biological instrumentation was launched recently bv the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB. The bioinstrumentation program is expected to provide microminiature biological instruments during the next year for monitoring physiological responses of pilots during flights of forthcoming airborne and space vehicles.

By Barry Miller7 min

AVIONICS

First Details of Centaur Inertial Guidance

Washington—First details of the inertial guidance system to be used on the Atlas-Centaur for lunar and interplanetary missions were reported here recently by Dr. Donald L. Farr of Convair-Astronautics. System also can be used with Centaur to place a communications satellite in a synchronous (22,300 mi.) equatorial orbit.

Letters

While reading about the dent in the air scoop (AW Oct. 31, p. 40) I am reminded of the time I flew through a flock of small birds in England during the war. I had reduced throttle in a P-51 so I could slow down and lower the wheels when I saw a flock of birds ahead.

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Usaf May Order Fluorine Rocket Engine

Air Force, seeking more payload for its satellites, is expected to award Bell Aerosystems a contract shortly for work on a fluorine rocket engine in the 15,OOO-lb.-thrust class. The engine could evolve into a powerplant for a new high-energy upper stage that would be used on an Atlas in place of the Centaur.

By Michael Yaffee6 min

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Simulator to Aid Spacecraft Ground-test

Philadelphia—Simulator designed to improve spacecraft reliability through realistic ground testing in an integrated space environment is under construction here by General Electric’s Missile and Space Vehicle Department. The GE simulator will have a vacuum chamber large enough to accommodate full size spacecraft, and it will have what is expected to be the only collimated sun source in existence when it goes into operation in March, 1962.

By Edward H. Kolcum6 min

December 191960

January 21961

December 26, 1960

December 26, 1960