Britain Ahead In Race To Develop Faster Planes

Chronicle (Levin), 4 January 1949, Page 5

Britain Ahead In Race To Develop Faster Planes

Reeeived Monday, 7 p.m. „ LONDON, January 3. It is expected that Britain will gain a clear lead in the race to develop planes faster than sonnd, followjng great advance in air research at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Kent, says the Daily Express. British scientists have, for the first time, flown a robot aircraft in straight and level flight at a speed far above that of sonnd — 750 miles an lionr. The robot— a £20.000 flying laboratory with secret eqnipment— tonehed 850 miles an honr and throughout the flight radioed back to soientists exact details of what happened to the winged machine "vvhen .it passed throngh the sonnd barrier. "Wifh this inforination, engineers can go ahead designing snpersonie jet planes. The robot. was lannched a few days ago seven miles above the Soilly Isles from a Mosquito aircraft. Observers in a jet Meteor watehed il glide graeefnlly for fifteen seconds then streak acrosr the sky as the rocket motor took over. Tiiuiiediately seientists on the gronnd began to' receive signals froni jiressnre tnbes. acceleometers, strain gauges and other instrnmenls located in the wings and fuselage. The signals. when de-einliei-ed, showed how the machine was standing np to the stresses wltcii passing throngh rcgions where the air suddenly becomes turliulent. After flying several minntes, the robot was deliberately nosedived into the Channel-. More robots will be lannched soon.