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September 1953  11

-ceived from the Spanish Navy an initial order for three helicopters, with the possibility that an additional nine machines will be ordered. 

Aircraft industry observers have predicted that even if the Korean truce results in peace, the effect on planned plane procurement will be slight. The Air Force buildup will continue, although on a reduced scale, and modernization of the Navy's 16 carrier air groups will proceed as planned.

Southern California members of the Aircraft Industries Association -- Convair, Douglas, Hughes, Lockheed, North American, and Northrop -- have subscribed to more specific flight test regulations designed to eliminate sonic booms over populated areas.

The aircraft industry reached 120% of its quota in the 1953 Payroll Savings Plan for the purchase of U.S.  defense bonds. The industry-wide drive, chairmanned by Lockheed president Robert E. Gross, added over 120,000 new bond buyers to the plan.

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corp. has received a new contract from the Atomic Energy Commission for aircraft nuclear propulsion (atomic powered) development work. The four major USAF contractors involved in development of an A-bomber -- Boeing and Convair (airframes), and P&W and General Electric (engines)--presumably will continue their studies, but funds previously planned for these projects in the current and future fiscal years will be reduced.

Air Accessories, Inc., has published a new catalog, No. 21b, containing engineering data and purchasing information on its complete line of aircraft seat belts, shoulder harnesses, and accessory straps. Copies are available on request from Air Associates, Dept. AD, Teterboro, N.J.

Hiller Helicopters and Doman Helicopters, Inc., have signed a license agreement for Hiller to produce the Doman YH-31 military rotorcraft. Doman facilities at Danbury, Conn., were insufficient for the volume of YH-31 production desired by the Army. Doman will continue development of civilian sales and is now putting several of the rotorcraft through CAA tests before delivering them to the Army. 

Goodyear Aircraft Corp. has been awarded a Navy contract to build an undisclosed number of ZP4K patrol blimps, an up-to-date version of the K-type blimps developed during World War II.

Several of the more important members of the German aircraft industry -- Focke Wulf, Dornier, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, and Daimler-Benx -- have banded together in an association known as Aero-Union for the purpose of making the best joint use of the companies' various facilities so as to get the German aircraft industry back on its feet as quickly and as economically as possible.

Consolidated Vultee plans to offer airlines by late 1955 or early 1956 a turboprop version of the Convair 340 powered by Allison T56 engines rated at 3750 hp each and having a 400-hour allowable interval between overhauls. Plan also calls for present users of Convair 340's to be able to convert to T56's by using special kits for a cost of about $350,000 per plane, including labor.

General Mills' mechanical division has announced an airborne flight recorder which weighs 16 lbs., and provides a 300-hr. continuous record of altitude, airspeed, vertical acceleration, time, and heading. Unit is expected to be priced substantially below other flight recorders.

Douglas Aircraft Co. has entered into a licensing agreement with Grand Central Aircraft under which the latter will manufacture spare parts and components for the Douglas B-26 military bomber, formerly known as the A-26.


Military

Navy Bureau of Aeronautics is planning to procure a new primary trainer to replace the North American SNJ's and has invited aircraft firms to submit proposals. Trainer will be powered by a single piston engine, will have a top speed of 155 mph, a service ceiling of 15,000 ft., and a tricycle landing gear. Firms which have entered bids include Beech, Douglas, Fairchild, Fletcher, and Temco.

Steam catapults for launching naval aircraft from the large carriers of the Forrestal class are being built for test purposes at the Naval Air Materiel Center, Philadelphia, and at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent, Md.

Kellett Aircraft Corp., Camden, N.J., has been awarded a contract by Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics for conversion of a Kellett autogiro into a flying test plane for the investigation in flight of a partially-loaded rotor system. The autogiro to be converted is the Kellett Model KD-1B, built in 1939 and used by Eastern Air Lines in the world's first regularly scheduled mail pick-up and delivery service in Philadelphia.

The Air National Guard expects to receive 200 jet fighters and trainers from the Air Force by the end of September as part of a long range program of equipping all tactical Guard squadrons with jet-powered aircraft.

Power of the Navy's P2V-6 Lockheed Neptune patrol bomber, which recently completed its first test flight at Burbank, Calif., has been boosted by adding two Westinghouse J34 axial-flow jet engines in pods outboard the Neptune's two Wright R-3350-30WA turbo-compound engines.

The world's largest land-based plane, the Convair C-99, made its first trans-Atlantic flight in mid-August, carrying cargo and passengers from Kelly AFB, Texas, to Rhein-Main, Germany. Plane has been undergoing Air Force tests for five years.


Airlines

Capt. Eddie. Rickenbacker, president of Eastern Air Lines since 1938, has relinquished the presidency to Thomas F. Armstrong, formerly secretary-treasurer, and has become chairman of the board of directors while continuing to serve as chief executive officer and general manager. Rickenbacker said the company plans to give its young men more responsibility all along the line and that he will devote more of his time to policy matters and long range planning.

On July 28, the U.S. scheduled international airlines completed a full year of operation without a passenger fatality in carrying an estimated 2,450,051 passengers a total of 3.3 billion passenger miles. It was the eighth occasion in the history of U.S. international air transportation in