December 15, 1958

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BUSINESS FLYING

260 Hp. Engines Improve Cessna 310's Performance

New York—Increases in speed, rate of climb and service ceiling, that exceeded specification figures in those phases checked during AVIATION WEEK flight, mark the addition of Continental 260-hp. engines with fuel injection to Cessna’s new twin-executive Model 310C.

By Robert I. Stanfield9 min

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EQUIPMENT

First Details of B-58’s Air Conditioner

Windsor Locks, Conn.—Convair B-58 Hustler’s extended flight envelope, endurance and heavy avionic cooling loads demand an environmental control system described as the most comprehensive on any military production aircraft. System was developed by HamiltonStandard, which will develop air conditioning systems for the North American B-70 chemical bomber and F-108 Mach 3 interceptor (AW Dec. 8, p. 34).

By Barry Tully8 min

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

X-18 Rollout Accentuates Vtol Research

Moffett Field Calif.—Hiller Aircraft Corp. last week rolled out its X-18 research vehicle, which is expected to supply realistic flight test data upon which requirements for future VTOL aircraft may be based. Aircraft will undergo engine run and tethered liftoffs at Moffett starting early next year, primarily as systems shakedown work.

By Richard Sweeney8 min

Space Technology

Soviets Use Electronic Network to Track Sputnik Iii

Washington—Soviet scientists claim to have made several surprising discoveries with the mass of instrumentation carried in their third earth satellite, according to the Communist newspaper Pravda. Pravda also printed what is believed to be the first admission that Russia has an extensive electronic tracking network.

BUSINESS FLYING

Pawnee Ag-plane Stresses Pilot Safety

Lock Haven, Pa.—Production of the new low-wing Piper PA-25 Pawnee agricultural airplane, designed to provide operators with a low cost aircraft capable of carrying a high payload and incorporate numerous pilot safety features, will be started on a limited basis in the first quarter of 1959.

AVIONICS

Usaf Evaluates Single Sideband System

Rome, N. Y.—Change from amplitude modulation to single sideband communications systems for long range ground-air communications by the military services has received increased encouragement from results of evaluation tests conducted by USAF’s Rome Air Development Center.

By James A. Fusca6 min

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Metal-base Fuels Tested for Turbojets

New York—Use of more refined scientific yardsticks for rating high energy fuels appears to strengthen the position of metal base materials but doesn’t diminish the problems involved in trying to use them in operating jet engines. Substitution of certain metal base fuels for current hydrocarbon fuels during part or all of a flight mission can yield significant improvement in aircraft performance, according to J. R. Branstetter of National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory.

By Michael Yaffee5 min

Space Technology

Radiation Belt Explored By Army's Pioneer III Probe

Cape Canaveral, Fla.—Army’s Pioneer III lunar probe made two long instrumented passes through the radiation belt surrounding the earth and provided the most extensive survey thus far of the belt’s extent and intensity on a 38 hr. 6 min. trip that carried it 66,654 mi. into space.

By Evert Clark5 min

December 81958

MID-DECEMBER1958

December 15, 1958

December 15, 1958