May 4, 1959

May 4, 1959

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SAFETY

Pilot Error Blamed for Nantucket Crash

The Year in Review

Space Technology

Nuclear Rockets May Operate By 1970

By Michael Yaffee12 min

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More Features
182183
SAFETY

Pilot Error Blamed for Nantucket Crash

About 2334,1 Aug. 15, 1958, Northeast Airlines Flight 258 crashed during an instrument approach to the Nantucket, Mass., Memorial Airport. The crew of three and 22 of 31 pasengers received fatal injuries. The nine surviving passengers were seriously injured.
9697

The Year in Review

1958 was the twenty-first year of airline operations under the Civil Aeronautics Act. The year saw, not only the inauguration of commercial jet transportation, but other developments that will also have significance in the years to come.
8283
Space Technology

Nuclear Rockets May Operate By 1970

New York—Nuclear-powered rockets are almost certain to be flying major space missions by 1970, scientists working in the field believe. High specific impulse and sustained power capability give them a strong competitive edge on their chemical counterparts and, despite several important problems such as materials limitations that still have to be solved, assure them a significant role in future space exploration.

By Michael Yaffee12 min

4041
AIR TRANSPORT

Piston Fleet Phaseout Will Cut Capacity Over Atlantic

New York—A sharp dip in the curve of transatlantic airline capacity is in prospect for this year as most carriers, their last piston fleet units already in service, wait to enter the jet competition on the route. The total of scheduled seats available on the North Atlantic, which rose a record 33% in 1958 over the previous year, probably will go up only about 10% in 1959, an AVIATION WEEK survey shows.
2627
AIR TRANSPORT

U. S. Airlines May Hit Record Earnings

New economic study indicates airline growth trend will parallel an increase in U. S. gross national product.

By L. L. Doty9 min

126127
AVIONICS

Faa Will Operate Civil Beacon System

New York—Nine ground installations of the Air Traffic Control radar beacon system will be transferred from experimental to operational status by the Federal Aviation Agency this summer. The decision is based on the preliminary results of a recently-concluded five month evaluation conducted jointly by FAA and the Air Force’s Rome Air Development Center.

By James A. Fusca9 min

3839
AIR TRANSPORT

U.s. Airlines Accumulate Jet Experience

Turbojet transports require precise handling in air and on ground; ingestion so far is no great problem.

By Glenn Garrison9 min

6061
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Jt4 Designed for Growth as Transport Size Increases

East Hartford, Conn.—Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division of Unitêd Aircraft Corp., scheduled to deliver its first production JT4 commercial version of the military J75 turbojet engine sometime this month, has moved to meet an expected growth in the size of subsonic jet transports by planning a 50% growth factor into this basic engine design during the next few years.

By J. S. Butz8 min

5455
AIR TRANSPORT

British Weigh Entering Supersonic Race

London—The British aircraft industry must enter the supersonic airliner race if it is to survive, according to opinions expressed by top management, production and design officials in discussion at a conference arranged by the Institution of Production Engineers at Southampton.

By John Tunstall7 min

116117

Assets, Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

U. S. Scheduled Airline Industry (As of Dec. 31, for Selected Years, In Thousands of Dollars) THIS TABLE SHOWS WHAT THE SCHEDULED AIRLINES OWN AND WHAT THEY OWE (Sept. 30) 1939 1949 1955 1956 1957 1958 Domestic Trunk Airlines b Assets Current
April 271959 May 111959