Highlights of Farnborough Air Show

Over 300,000 people have come to Farnborough to see some of the world's finest aircraft. This year, the fighters are particularly interesting because this is the first time the public will see and hear Supersonic flying. The Hawker Hunter single seater interceptor is starting up. The Hunter on super priority order for the Royal Air Force. Has a single Rolls-Royce Avon engine. It has great beauty of line and exceptional speed in rate of climb. That was Neville Duke in the Hunter. Flying through the sound barrier. He's now coming over at more than 700 miles an hour. And here comes the Swift. The Vickers Supermarine Swift is also on super priority order for the RAF. It has double the speed of its famous predecessor, the Spitfire, and yet keeps the same fine handling qualities. The Vickers Valiant with four Avon engines is also super priority. It is the first of a new generation of jet bombers. It's exceptionally maneuverable and can operate at very great heights. It's the finest aircraft of its type in production anywhere in the world. The Fairey Gannet It is in super priority production as the standard naval anti-submarine aircraft. Very complete radar equipment is carried the sum and a retractable cupola under the fuselage. Half of the Armstrong Siddeley double member turboprop can be shut down for cruising economy. The work of the ground crews is often overlooked. They put in long hours keeping the aircraft serviceable. A job of increasing complexity as more and more specialized equipment is introduced. This is the Vickers Supermarine 508 with two Avon engines, a prototype naval fighter, of tremendous power and most unusual appearance. It's the only fighter with a butterfly tail, which helps to give it the very wide speed range needed for naval operations. It has folding wings for stowage on aircraft carriers. The short SA.4 jet bomber of which two have been built has its four engines in pairs, one above the other. It will have an important part to play in high altitude research and the development of new equipment. Here is the De Havilland 110 swept wing, night and all weather fighter. It was the first British aircraft to regularly to have exceeded the speed of sound. John Derry obtained much data on transonic flight before he tragically lost his life, flying a similar aircraft at this years display. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon engines. The 110 has a performance comparable to the fastest single seater Yet it carries a very heavy armament and complete radar equipment for all weather flying. To exceed the speed of sound The aircraft usually starts to dive at about 40,000ft eight miles, and passes the speed of sound at about 30,000ft. Another all weather, day and night fighter is the Gloster Javelin. It's the first twin engine delta-wing aircraft to go into production. It's a large aircraft with a span of 52ft. Its two Armstrong Siddeley Saphire engines of at least 7,800 pounds thrust apiece allowed to fly above the speed of sound. At the same time, the delta wing gives exceptional slow flying characteristics and a very quick takeoff. The Avrow 707V is a delta wing aircraft designed for research in low speed flight the research, in which it is only now known, was directed to the production of the world's first delta wing bomber. In contrast, the Avro 707A with a wingspan of 34ft was designed for high speed research. The 707A is a flying scale model of the bomber. And here it comes. The world's first four jet, a Delta bomber. The Avro 698. The 698 shows how slowly it can fly with dive breaks out The Avro 698, with its four Royal rise Avon engines, is the most advanced bomber flying in the world today and perhaps the most beautiful. It is being flown by Roly Falk who is entirely alone in the aircraft. The 698 is a spectacular triumph for Britain's aviation industry today, but has an even greater promise for the future. The Delta wing has many great advantages for large, long range passenger aircraft and offers possibilities of economy and speed, which may well be realized in the next few years. There are four helicopters on show the Bristol 173. The Bristol Sycamore. The Westland Dragonfly, the Saunders Rose Skeeter. The 173 is Britain's first twin rotor helicopter. It has two Alvis Leonides engines and can, if necessary, fly on one alone. It's the only helicopter in the world with this twin engine reliability. It's designed to carry 13 passengers at up to 158 miles an hour. Flying in from Cowes comes the Saunders-Roe Princess ten Bristol Proteus gas turbines, four coupled units and two single, together give a total of over 30,000 horsepower. This 140 tonne giant can be used either as a luxury long range airliner or as a troop transport. Here’s an old friend the De Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner. Now in regular service to South Africa and the East. The comet one is setting a new standard of speed and comfort. The longer range Comet 2 isn't here today, but it will soon be on the transatlantic run. This Comet 1 is being used experimentally with two sprite rocket motors for assisted takeoff. The Vickers Vicount the world's first turboprop airliner, is now coming into general service with British European Airways. It's an exceptionally economical aircraft and can carry about 50 passengers on medium length flights with unequaled smoothness. The Bristol Britannia with Proteus two engines is the latest of the trio of gas turbine aircraft which have put Britain in the forefront of civil aviation development. The Comet is unsurpassed for high speed luxury mainline services. The Viscount is first class for medium range work. The Britannia will be the perfect aircraft for high capacity, long range operation, and can also be used for economical short range tourist services. The Britannias conventional appearance gives no hint of its outstanding quality. It can carry up to 114 passengers. And the version for BOAC with Proteus three engines will cruise at nearly 400mph. Above all, they will operate at a lower cost per tonne mile than any competitive aircraft. 1952 has been a year of practical achievement and great promise, a year in which gas turbine aircraft have first gone into regular passenger service, and a year in which some of the most advanced military aircraft in the world have first flown They tool giving promise of even higher standards for civil aviation in the years to come.