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General Aircraft GAL. 56 - 01 TS507
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General Aircraft GAL. 56 - 01 TS507
General Aircraft GAL.56 - 01 TS507, Medium V at the 1947 Radlett SBAC show, 12-13 September 1947. GAL.56 - 01 TS507 Also known as the " Medium-V" version, had a constant 33.5 deg wing sweep-back at the leading edge, 28.4 deg at quarter chord. On 13 November 1944, Robert Kronfeld piloted the first flight at Farnborough, towed by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.. TS507 conducted numerous flights from RAF Dunholme Lodge and RAF Wittering, variously towed by a Whitley, Supermarine Spitfire, or a Handley Page Halifax. After May 1945, research flights continued at Farnborough, and in August 1947 it was transferred to the GAL Flight Test Department at Lasham Airfield, where the GAL.56 - 03 and GAL.56 - 04 were already employed for trials under contract to the Air Ministry.
Its flying characteristics proved so bad that test pilot Capt. Eric " Winkle" Brown RN later described it as the most difficult aircraft he ever flew, out of the many hundreds of types that he tested. On 12 February 1948, the TS507 was conducting a stalling trial after being towed to 10, 000 ft by a Halifax. The pilot, Robert Kronfeld, initiated a stall that progressed into an uncontrollable dive that caused both crew to lose consciousness. The observer, Barry MacGowan, awoke to find that the aircraft was level but inverted. He baled out successfully at low level, but Kronfeld died in the crash at Lower Froyle, near Lasham
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Media ID 20027016
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This photograph captures the General Aircraft GAL.56 - 01 TS507, also known as the "Medium-V," at the 1947 Radlett SBAC (Society of British Aircraft Constructors) show. The GAL.56 - 01 TS507 was a ground-breaking aircraft with a constant 33.5-degree wing sweep-back at the leading edge and 28.4 degrees at quarter chord. The first flight took place on 13 November 1944, at Farnborough, towed by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Subsequent flights were conducted from RAF Dunholme Lodge and RAF Wittering, with various towing aircraft, including the Supermarine Spitfire and Handley Page Halifax. After May 1945, research flights continued at Farnborough, and in August 1947, the GAL.56 - 01 TS507 was transferred to the General Aircraft Flight Test Department at Lasham Airfield, where the GAL.56 - 03 and GAL.56 - 04 were already undergoing trials under contract to the Air Ministry. Unfortunately, the flying characteristics of the GAL.56 - 01 TS507 proved to be challenging. Test pilot Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown RN described it as the most difficult aircraft he ever flew, having tested numerous types throughout his career. On 12 February 1948, during a stalling trial, the aircraft, towed by a Halifax, entered an uncontrollable dive, leaving both crew unconscious. Observer Barry MacGowan successfully bailed out, but pilot Robert Kronfeld tragically lost his life in the crash at Lower Froyle, near Lasham. This photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the risks and challenges faced during the development of innovative aviation technology.
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