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NORTH AMERICAN "The supersonic transport proposed by North American Aviation would have a speed of Mach 2.65. The design provides for development to Mach 3 operation if desired. It would be powered by four engines housed in single two-engine nacelles mounted on the lower side of each wing. Each nacelle would contain independent inlet air ducts for each of the engines and space for the retracted landing gear. The engines would use conventional, commercial jet fuel. "The North American SST would have a range of 4,010 statute miles with 35,000 pounds of payload, or be capable of non-stop Paris-New York flight, with 40,000 pounds of payload. "The aircraft would be 195.4 feet long and 48.4 feet high, and the fuselage would be 151 inches in outside diameter. This allows seating capacities ranging up to 187 passengers, depending on seating arrangement. Passengers would be seated four, five or six abreast. Windows would be placed at 17-inch intervals. "Design of the North American SST includes a modified delta plan-form wing with a span of 121.4 feet. It would have a 65-degree sweep to the inboard panel, and a 50-degree sweep to the outboard panel. The wing incorporates camber, twist and dihedral. The aircraft would have a fixed canard surface. The trailing edge canard flap would have a maximum deflection of 40 degrees. Titanium would be the primary material for the wing, fuselage, canard and single vertical tail. "The aircraft could have a takeoff gross weight of 480,000 pounds for maximum range and less than 400,000 for transcontinental range. It would be able to use existing airports, and would be compatible with existing ground support equipment and facilities without compromise to operational efficiency. "The forward windshield is fixed, and provides the flight crew with adequate vision angles for airline operations." FOR CARGO AIRCRAFT ALPA Seeks Improved Survival Provisions ALPA has formally requested the Federal Aviation Agency to reevaluate the provisions for crew survival in cargo aircraft and adopt regulations which would improve them. The request was made in a letter to the FAA following recent conferences between top level ALPA and FAA officials. With present methods of loading cargo aircraft, an ALPA study has shown, over-the-wing emergency exits and those others aft of the cockpit would often be inaccessible in the event of a ditching at sea or a ground crash resulting in fire. "The present concept which permits loading cargo aircraft so that over-the-wing emergency evacuation exits or others are inaccessible can only result in the eventual loss of life to flight crew members," ALPA officials said. The problem currently exists on three major air lines which carry cargo, but may spread to others when aircraft now on order are delivered. It results from the practice of "bulk" or "palletized" cargo loading which completely fills the plane cargo cabin from wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling. This leaves the crew with only the small cockpit windows or a forward door for escape, both of which may be submerged in water or surrounded by fire. Favored by the Air line Pilots Association to provide crew safety is installation of an escape hatch over the cockpit, but they have also recommended an overhead crawl space above the cargo or an aisleway along the side of the cargo compartment leading to wing exits which by the record of ditchings are above water and most suitable. ALPA is asking for adoption of regulations because it does not feel the companies would voluntarily take such actions so long as usage of present escape means, which pilots feel are inadequate to insure crew safety to the greatest possible degree, continue to bear FAA approval. "It is and has been the desire of the Air Line Pilots Association to do all we can to promote the use of air freight as an air service to the public," said C. H. Ruby, ALPA president, in commenting on the need for more safety measures for cargo plane flight crews. "However, cargo operations must be conducted in a manner which will assure proper safeguards for occupants in the airplane." [[image - cartoon of worried male desk worker and female worker]] TCA Interliner Mathios "Management Development keep asking me to attend their course in 'Dynamic Decisions' but I just can't make up my mind!" FEBRUARY, 1964 PAGE 21
