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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0612.PDF
^JGHT) THE R.F.C. AT the resumed public sitting of the R.F.C, Inquiry Committee on July nth neither General Henderson nor Mr. Pemberton Billing were present. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who had already given evidence, submitted a tabulated document comparing the R.A.F. 90 h.p. engine with other types, and contended that these showed the R. A. F. engine to be the most extravagant in consumption of petrol and the heaviest per horse-power of six typical engines. He also read a letter from a manufacturer's point of view, which stated that a large number of zoo h.p. engines had been ordered without efficient test being made. He said that he proposed to call two witnesses, relying upon the intimation by General Sir David Henderson that their position wbuid not be prejudiced. The Chairman said the promise wa? General Henderson's. The members of the Committee could neither prejudice nor do anything else to the position of those gentlemen. Lord Montagu: You consider I am safe in relying on that promise ? The Chairman : We think so, yes. Ix>rd Montagu added that the witnesses desired to remain anonymous. The first witness, whose name was written down by Lord Montagu and handed to the Chairman, was referred to as " Mr. A." He stated that he had had long experience in textile manufacture and in engineering and had managed works in England and America. He had been at the Royal Aircraft Factory for four or five weeks, having gone there to learn. Lord Montagu: Have you noticed whether material is wasted or not ?—Oh, yes, a tremendous lot of scrapping, quite excessive. It is reported—of course, I cannot prove it—that 27,000 pieces were scrapped in June. General Sir H. Smith-Dorrien : Finished pieces, or pieces which did not come up to specification ?—Some possibly are half-finished. The Chairman reminded Lord Montagu that a separate committee under the chairmanship of Sir Charles Parsons had inquired into the Aircraft Factory, and the present inquiry was not concerned with the factory except in the matter of design and manufacture. They were not inquiring into the administration of the Aircraft Factory. Lord Montagu : That is one point I criticised very strongly, and was asked to bring evidence about. The Chairman : There has been an independent'inquiry about that. Lord Montagu : I am going to show by my witnesses that that inquiry did not learn the truth that they should have learnt. The Chairman : We cannot inquire into an inquiry. Sir Charles Parsons pointed out that if there were 27,000 parts scrapped they would want to know how many parts altogether were made in the month. In the best regulated workshops there was a lot of scrapping through workmen's carelessness. It spoke for nothing. Lord Montagu : There have been several visits of committees to the factory, and two visits by the King ?—Yes; and special instructions were given on these occasions to keep the machines busy in all the shops. Parts of aeroplanes were fixed up to look • real, and soon after the King left some of the shops were as empty as they had been before he came. In other words, there was a good deal of window-dressing ?— Yes, a very great deal. Mr. A declared that there was a lack of supervision of persons going in and out of the shops, and that on most fine after noons the men played cricket. This went on until it became too thick altogether, the men were found out, and six or seven of them dismissed. The Chairman : Playing cricket in Government time ?—Yes, every day they were doing it. Then again there was an extra ordinary number of " dud'mechanics. I should say that 25 per cent, of the men employed in the Royal Aircraft Factory are really good men, 50 per cent, are just ordinary people, and the other 25 per cent, are " duds." A lot of them came there to avoid mili tary service ; indeed, several actually told me they did. All sorts of jobs were given to all sorts of men. An ordinary carpenter was appointed a " viewer " for instance. " I don't think,'* saiil Mr. A , "that a carpenter is a competent man to pass material." Another viewer was a jeweller's assistant from Birming ham, and a lorry driver was given the important job of drawing wires. Mr. Balfour Browne : What is a viewer ?—A viewer is a man who inlets material befort it is put into the machine. Lord Montagu : Will you tell us something about the proportion of foremen to workmen?—I never saw a place with so many JULY 20, 1910. INQUIRY. foremen. The general way of putting it at the Royal Aircraft Factory is, " One man, one foreman." Mr. Balfour Browne : We really cannot inquire into this. Lord Montagu : Surely this sort of evidence affects the efficiency of engines and the quantity of the output ? Witness said that he did not get enough work, and he had met a man who had been at the factory for two years and who was leaving because he was "fed up." He was a plumber, and said that he had not done a real day's work in the two years. Until recently men were paid for bad work as well as good, so- that there was no incentive to turn out first-class work except for the good name of the factory. There was now a rule that work was not paid for until it had been inspected. An order would be given, say, for forty aeroplanes. Material for them would be obtained, and then when ten had been made orders would come down to do no more, whereupon the material for the balance of unfinished machines would have to be " sold cheap." It was commonly reported that materials which had been scrapped had been buried. Lord Montagu : Is there anything to prevent men taking things out of the factory ?—No. It is reported that one man, who wore a big coat with big pockets, had taken out enough parts to put aa engine together. What is your general impression of the works ?—The works are fine. The machinery is tip-top, and cannot be better. If I wanted, a man, and he said that he had worked for three years in the Air craft Factory I should say that I did not want him. A good man would be made lazy. Men are not fully employed, and overtime is worked when there is no necessity. Take my own case as- an example. If it is fine weather in the evening I go out and see the country on my motor-bike. If it's raining I go into the factory and draw overtime pay. I think it is monstrous the way in which, this business is conducted. It was stated that the witness had only been at the factory for four weeks, and the Chairman refused to hear him about matters that had occurred before that time. The Chairman again told Lord Montagu that the Committee were not inquiring into the administration of the factory owing to- the fact that an independent committee had inquired into the matter. He said that they were not prepared to hear any more witnesses of that character. Lord Montagu : I think it is a pity that you do not hear cor roborative evidence as to the special preparation made for the visit of the King. The Chairman: We do not want any more evidence. Lord Montagu : May I take it that you do not contest that point ?' The Chairman : You can only take what I have said. Lord Montagu : I have a witness here who specially prepared the factory for the visit of the King and the Committee, and he can speak first hand on that point, showing that the factory was " faked "for the purpose. If the Committee do not wish to hear him there is no more to be said. I have my own remedy to make it public through other channels. Lieutenant Whitehouse, R.N.A.S.,was next called. He gave evidence when the Committee was sitting in camera, but desired, publicity for his statement, and therefore attended again. His evidence was a denial of the statement that when a R.F.C.. machine fell into the sea at Dover he prevented two of his officers going to the assistance of the pilot, and reprimanded and punished them for so doing, and that he refused to render assistance to safely land the aeroplane. Witness explained that the machine alighted about 50 yards from the shore in 3 ft. or 4 ft. of water. A party equipped with waders- for handling seaplanes waded out to the machine, and a motor-boat also. He did not know then whether the aeroplane belonged to the Naval service or the Flying Corps. He only gave orders that the skilled ratings were not to knock off their work, because it would have meant delay in work on machines which were urgently required. The aeroplane was towed in, and subsequently R.F.C mechanics came and took it apart, loaded it on a lorry, and took It to their aerodrome. The officers he reprimanded were two who- left their station without his permission or orders in the motor-boat. There was no question of saving the life of the pilot. The pilot did not even get wet, and could easily have waded ashore. There fore the statement that he said the pilot ought to have stayed there and drown was absurd. As to the ill-feeling between the two- services it might or might not exist. As far as he knew it did not. Before and after this incident several R.F.C. machines had been salved. Dr. R. Glazebrook, Director of the National Physical Laboratory- and, Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, gave [O
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