A couple of nuggets from PRONI today: Shorts, Ards

[smudge]

As usual I wandered off on a tangent and discovered a couple of interesting nuggets to follow-up on another visit:

1. In the early 1960s Shorts were promoting the Hiller 12E to the British Army's observation requirement in competition with Westland's AB-47 bid.  In the event the latter was the winner on cost grounds and regardless of the possible long-term benefits:

https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1964/1964%2520-%25200793.PDF

It is believed that Westland's will not have any rights to sell the 47G outside
Britain, unlike Shorts' agreement with Hiller, which would have given them
sales rights in half the world and may have led to a substantial volume of export
business.

There's quite a dossier of Shorts documents about the bid and licensing agreement, I'll have a look through them next time..

2. Amongst early visitors to Ards airport were a Hawker Hind of XV Squadron ( poss. 1938 ) and Cierva C.30A G-ACUT, the latter apparently conveying a director of Airwork and a civilian wireless specialist on a visit in 1935.  I see that XV Sqn now fly the Tornado GR.4, perhaps they'd like to arrange a centenary follow-up...?

[Dr Draken]

There's a photo in 'Fly Navy-Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm' by Ray Williams, of a Hiller at Sydenham being flown by Tom Brooke-Smith

The 50's and 60's seem to be strewn with proposed Shorts collaborations on various projects. Their F8 Crusader for the RN  being a good example of something that never made it past the artists impressions. And ultimately lost to the Phantom.

[smudge]

I'd forgotten that the FAA already had the Hiller '12 types.  Makes the decision for the Army even stranger. 

Possibly the only type in UK service that didn't have a 'name' as such?  Just Hiller HT.{1,2}. Or was it properly Hiller Hiller HT.1

Seems that the Shorts license also covered the turbine-powered derivatives.

[viking9]

Hiller HT.2 in FAA service.

 

[smudge]

Not much in depth at PRONI regarding Shorts and the Hiller.  What I hoped would be a brochure turned-out to be just a promotional photo.

Another Shorts album contained a series of photos apparently relating to comparative trials several years earlier before chosing a type to license.  Unfortunately no text accompanying:

1. May 1954, RN Hiller HT.Mk.1 XB521 being tested, didn't look like Sydenham in the background.
 
2. June 1954, Djinn F-WGVH clearly marked SO-122102.  One of the two prototypes, first flew in December 1953.  Seemed to be much interest in the tip-jet design, lots of photos of the rotor hub.

The Castlereagh office developed a two-seat non-motion helicopter simulator by 1957 which used a concave screen ahead of the simulated cockpit, onto which was projected the image relayed from a video camera moving across a small-scale model scene.  Presumably the camera mount moved according to displacement of the controls.


Next subject to research: original proposal to have 502 Squadron RAuxAF based at Newtownards.  Eventually the decision fell to Aldergrove, how history might have been different if Ards had been chosen.  Vampires cavorting over Smudge Manor?  Yes please!