December 1, 1958

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SAFETY

Cab Cites Raised Gear Latch in Piedmont Dc-3 Accident

N 3947A departed Washington, D. C., at 1130 as Flight 85. Its destination was Knoxville, Tenn., with intermediate stops scheduled at Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke, Va.; Bluefield and Princeton, West Va. and Tri-Cities, Tenn.

MANAGEMENT

Usaf Traces Ramo-wooldridge Growth

Washington—Revealing portrait the Ramo-Wooldridge Corp., financing of its remarkable growth in four years to a $43 million business in 1957 and its relationship to Thompson Products is disclosed in a recently released summary of Air Force Survey of Management of Ballistic Missile Program.

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Letters

We have read with interest your editorial, “Missile Industry Myth Fades,” in the Nov. 10 issue of AVIATION WEEK. We certainly agree with you that the concept of “. . . a new and separate industry, having no roots in the technological past . . .” is a false one.

AVIONICS

Boom Predicted for Molecular Amplifiers

Washington—Impressive variety of Masers, parametric and other molecular amplifiers whose extremely low noise characteristics promise major improvements in the performance of radar, infrared and communication systems, are under intensive investigation and development by more than a dozen avion1cs manufacturers and research laboratories.

By Philip J. Klass6 min

MISSILE ENGINEERING

Douglas Tailors Plant for Nike Hercules

Charlotte. N. C.—Producibility factor of the Army’s Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile has resulted in a Douglas Aircraft Co. plant designed exclusively for missile production and believed to be the largest effort of its kind in the United States.

By Michael Yaffee6 min

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Explorer Data Analysis May Take Years

New York—New details on the Army’s Explorer satellite program—which probably will attempt to orbit a 100-ft. inflatable sphere as its next step—were revealed by G. Robillard of California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the American Rocket Society’s annual meeting here.

By Evert Clark5 min

EDITORIAL

The Soviet Nuclear-powered Bomber

On page 27 of this issue we are publishing the first account of the Soviet nuclear-powered bomber prototype along with engineering sketches in as much detail as available data permits. Appearance of this nuclear-powered military prototype comes as a sickening shock to the many dedicated U. S. Air Force and naval aviation officers, Atomic Energy Commission technicians and industry engineers who have been working doggedly on our own nuclear aircraft propulsion program despite financial starvation, scientific scoffing and top-level indifference.

By Robert Hotz5 min

November 241958

December 81958

December 1, 1958

December 1, 1958