THE S.B.A.C. FLYING DISPLAY

THE S.B.A.C. FLYING DISPLAY

This year’s S.B.A.C. Display and Exhibition at the R.A.E., S. Farnborough, Hants., was of considerable interest .to motoring types, judging by the number of fast cars encountered in the vast car parks, and the motoring notabilities amongst the guests. We found that admission and car parking could be accomplished without fuss, while the arrangements relating to refreshments, issue of information, etc., were all that could be desired. The exhibition stands, with standardised nameplates and banks

of floral decoration, were most attractive. The public address system should have been supercharged. The flying display was opened by fly-pasts of our latest air liners, after Nyhich the Prestwick ” Pioneer ” caused a stir by pulling up all-standing after landing and the Boulton Paul ” Banjo’ T.2″ displayed creditable ce climb and manuvera 1 d I i t y, finally side slipping in to a neat landing. The Short ” Solent ” made its fly-past on its two port engines only, the speed record-holding Fahey ” Gyrodyne ” heli copter was impressive, and then everyone stood up as a whistle of jets proclaimed the take-off, in a shimmer of heat-haze, of the Armstrong-Whitworth Nnengined ” A.W.2 ” flying wing, which was quiet and clean in the air. More paraffin odours and the 4-jet A vro Tudor VIII” taxied out and flew impressively about while the knowledgeable proclaimed it to be happier higher up. As this hugely-impressive machine came in to land the Alvis-engined Percival ” Prince,” like unto a flying boat, flew fast, if noisily, in its wake. It landed

neatly on its tricycle. The Airspeed Ambassador,” definitely a Thurston ,James eversharp,” pulled up impressively into a cloud as soon as it was unstuck and then made dis tinguished foreign attaches duck as it flew low over the enclosure on its return Voyage. The Handley Page ” Hermes IV ‘ played the same trick as it came in

to land. Al ea n w I d le, like weird insects,. the Gloster ” Meteor ” zinc’. D.H. ” Vampire 5 ” taxied to the runway. The “Meteor” simply streaked over our heads—a sight no Britisher could fail to find inspiring–then idled about Vs ill I the greatest. docility. The ” Vampire ” SC I I t out an immense cloud of paraffin smoke as its ” (;oblin ” opened up, did a climbing turn off the ground, some excellent rolls, the most effective low fly-past yet, and then a series of rolls in

several movements and the most incredible tight turns, a grand display, under a most depressing low ceiling. The Hawker P1040, very clean to behold, performed much as the” Meteor” had done The smoke cloud heralding the take off of the Vickers ” Nene-Viking ” was even greater than that from the ‘ Vampire ” and the climb of this 27-seater was truly impressive. •

After this the chilly wind, a drizzle of rain and the official tea rapidly emptied the enclosure, which was hard on those with the remaining 23 aircraft to display. Paper-control prevents a survey of the exhibits of the many firms well known to the motoring world—Automotive Pro(huts, Dunlop, Lodge and Lucas amongst them—which are contributing to I he l’; X port 1,:thet i v c I less of our great Aircraft

lodustry,—w, 11.