Minutes of D.Eng.RD meeting held at Armstrong Siddeley Motors on 29 September 1953

Agenda;(a) Budget estimates for 1953-54. (b) Possibility of winterisation tests in Great Britain. (c) Engine deliveries to prototype aircraft. 169 (126) Sapphire. 170 (127) test position sapphire 7 Sa.403, Sa.402 and Sa.401. 171 (128) Future programme. 172 (129) Sapphire 6: 25-hour test completed to clear HP.80 2nd aircraft installation. 173 (130) Future programme: 25-hour test to clear Canberra installation. 150-hour modification test to clear Javelin engine. 150-hour modification approval to clear outstanding items for the Hunter engine; (e) English Electric P.1 intake tests (Using two engines). Fatigue failure after 46 hours running as a first row compressor rotor blade; reheat was in operation when this occurred. 174 (131) Sapphire 5: (a) Sa.551 has suffered 5th row rotor blade failure. The blade had failed in the root section. 175 (132) Future programme. 176 (133) General development: (a) Titanium development. (b) Thrust reversal. (d) Tests with fuel containing foreign matter .(f) Possible Sapphire Sa.5 development with cooled turbine for EE.23/49. Mr Lindsay had notified Mr Page of EE that the Sa.7 could not be installed in the P.1 aircraft, and that it would be necessary to carry on the development of the Sa.5 with the cooled turbines if progress was to be maintined. Sapphire flying test beds: 177 (134) AST Lancastrian VM.733 (2 Sa.6 outboard); 178 (135) GLoster Meteor WA.820 (twin Sa.2); 179 (137) Canberra 2nd aircraft VW.787 (twin Sa.2);180 (136) Canberra WD.933 (twin Sa.3); 181 (138) Javelin aircraft (twin Sa.6); 182 (139) Gloster Javelin WD.827 (twin Sa.6) 3rd aircraft; Gloster Javelin (twin Sa.6) 4th aircraft; 184 (140) Handley Page Victor WB.771 (4 Sa.6) 1st aircraft; 185 Handley Page Victor (4 Sa.6) 2nd aircraft; 186 Avro Vulcan VX.770 (4 Sa.6); 187 (141) Hawker Hunter WB.202 Sa.6); 188 (142) English Electric P.1 (twin Sa.5); 189 (143) Hawker Hunter Sa.7; 190 Handley Page Victor (4 Sa.7). Viper: 191 (144) Contract position. 193 (146) test position. 194 (147) Future programme: (d) Supply od first Provost engine. 195 General development. 196 Aircraft: (148) Viper in tail of Mamba Lancaster SW.342; 197 (149) Provost aircraft provisioned for Armstrong Siddeley Motors. Double Mamba: 198 (150) Running times. 199 (151) Test position. 200 Armstrong Siddeley Motors D.3 engines. 201 (152) Future edvelopment: (a) 3-stage turbine. 200 (153) Fairey gannet VR.546; 203 (154) Fairey Gannet (2nd aircraft) VR.557; 204 (155) Fairey Gannet (3rd aircraft) WE.488; 205 (156) Blackburn GR.17/45 WB.797. Mamba: 206 (157) Running times. 207 (158) Test position: Armstrong Siddeley Motors.3 engines. (a) Failure of reduction gear in M.123.D. Armstrong Siddeley Motors.5-6 engines. Flight engines: Future programme: (a) Additional engines for Dakota aircraft. 208 (160) Dakota KJ.839; 209 (161) Balliol VL.935; Short SB.6 (Ma.123.D) 1st aircraft; 211 Short SB.6 2nd aircraft; 212 Short SB.6 3rd aircraft. Python: 215 (165) Wyvern VW.868 provisioned for Armstrong Siddeley Motors; 216 Wyvern Mk.4 VZ.747; Wyvern VZ.746.). Rocket: 218 (166) Screamer rocket motors. 219 (167) Provision of meteor 8 aircraft for Screamer tests. 220 (168) Dsign study for rocket unit. 221 APU operating on rocket propellants. 222 Delivery dates required for Avro prototype. Aerodynamics: (1) Choking in compressors; (2) Three-dimensional flow in compressors; (3) Engine intakes. Combustion: 1 Vapourisers; 2 Combustion: Flame vibration; Altitude rig. (3) Ignition: High-pressure chamber. 4 reheat. Mechanical engineering: Blade vibration; fatigue testing of blades and roots. Bearings: Cirical temperatures for different lubricants. Scuffing rig. Appendix 1: Sapphire. Appendix 2: Python. Appendix 3: Mamba. Appendix 4: Double Mamba. Appendix 5: Adder. Appendix 6: Viper. Crigendum of minutes for 29 September 1953: Page 6: Minute (129) Section (f) bndix air turbo starter. Page 11: Minute 181 (138) Javelin aircraft