FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0247.PDF
"FEBRUARY 26, 1920 constructors, is, in our view, essential to the conduct of research in theindustrial aspect. Education.34. Access to research facilities is required (a) to enable the Imperial College to discharge its responsibilities for higher education in aeronauticsand allied branches of knowledge, and (6) for the furtherance of knowledge as an end in itself and without reference to any immediate needs, whether ofthe State or of the industry. It is not necessary for us to labour the import- ance of adequate provision for independent research of this kind, but wedesire to make clear our opinion that it is essential to the progress of know- ledge in aeronautical and the allied sciences. During the war purely theo-retical investigations have inevitably been subordinated to those undertaken ior war requirements. It is important that under peace conditions dis-interested research should have proper scope. The State as Regulating Authority o Civil Transport.35. It>ppears from the terms of the Air Navigation Act that the State as a regulating authority has powers, inter alia, to test and pronounce upon theairworthiness of machines in use for public purposes (that is to say, for carrying ior hire or for the transport of mails). These functions imply the laying down.of conditions of strength, performance, and air endurance, and it is necessary that the department exercising them should have access to research f cilities. j Common use of Research Establishments by the various Interests.36. From the foregoing paragraphs the conclusion has been reached that lour different interests, each in its degree, require access to establishmentswhere the types of research mentioned in Sections 22-26 are carried out, i.e., (1) Model research, (2) Full scale research, (3) Testinginvestigation, (4) Navigational ana meteorological research. •S37. We are or opinion that so far as possible the research facilities shouldbe organised ou the basis of a common use of the same establishments by the various interests. We are led to this conclusion, as we have already remarked, by the needof conserving and utilising to the fullest degree the resources both in staff and equipment engaged in aeronautical research, and also by the fact thatvery great and, as it seems to us, unnecessary expenditure would be involved by any present duplication of research establishments. The expenditure required for the provision and maintenance of the various-establishments will be very considerable. A Model Research Establishment involves the provision of wind channels and laboratory equipment. Fullscale research implies unfettered access to a completely equipped aerodrome with large engineering workshop facilities. The same applies to testing work.Navigational and meteorological research, too, cannot be efficiently main- tained without expenditure on a liberal scale. Limitation of the number of establishments is imposed not only by thedesirability of avoiding a dissipation of effort, but also by the comparatively small number of persons who are at present qualified to direct the higherbranches of education and research in aeronautics. 38. The principle of a common organisation of research stations is, how-•ever, subject to certain qualifications. (a) Many researches of exclusively naval and military concern (such as,for example, armament research) must no doubt to a considerable extent continue to be carried on at service stations by service personnel, thoughassistance in particular problems should be available from the various estab- lishments for research in aeronautics and in other allied branches of know-ledge. (6) It will be necessary to provide that the use of common facilities doesnot of itself imply the complete pooling of results, (i) This must necessarily apply as regards confidential investigations undertaken for Governmentpurposes ; (ii) it may also be found desirable to make arrangements whereby individual firms of aircraft constructors will be able to have industrial experi-ments carried out for their private information. The arrangements under which this will be done should be settled between any Research Organisationset up and the Industrial Research Association as representative of the industry. (c) We think it is of importance to encourage decentralisation of researchon aeronautical problems which do not demand elaborate equipment or involve actual flying. There are many branches of research of the firstdegree of interest which do not involve access to aerodromes or to elaborate aeronautical equipment, and which can, therefore, be carried on in otherinstitutions. These include, for example, the study of raw materials (timber and fabrics)., strength, investigations of parts of structures, improvements infuels, engine investigations, the chemistry of dopes, and mathematical inves- tigations of all kinds. Control of Research Facilities.39. The maintenance of a common use of the same research facilities by the various interests concerned depends on the contrivance of a form ofcontrol of these facilities which will command the confidence of all parties. We have come to the conclusion that it will be necessary for this purpose toset up a Research Organisation representative of the various interests, includ- ing the Industry and the Teaching Authority. We recommend that this organisation should take the form of an Aero-nautical Research Committee, reporting to the Air Ministry. The Com- mittee would supervise such research work for the Government as might beplaced in its charge, and initiate such work as it thought advisable. Any work undertaken for the Committee at the central stations of the Ministrywould naturally be carried out with the concurrence of the Director of Research. The Committee would also administer the funds made availableby the Air Council for its work, and keep in close touch with the trade and educational authorities, as well as with other Government departmentsconcerned. Constitution of the Aeronautical Research Committee40. The Aeronautical Research Committee should include representa- tion of—(a) The department or departments responsible for (i) naval and military Aeronautics, (ii) the regulation of civil aerial transport; (i>) the Department ofScientific and Industrial Research, including direct representation of the National Physical Laboratory; (c) the aircraft industry; (d) the ImperialCollege ; as well as (e) other members of scientific attainments. The chairman of the Committee should be a scientist of eminence, and ina position independent of the Government departments represented on the Committee.He and the other non-official members of the Committee should receive suitable remuneration. Functions of the Aeronautical Research Committee41. It should be the duty of the Aeronautical Research Committee to devote itself to the advance of aeronautical science, and, with this object,in particular— (1) To advise on scientific and technical problems relating to the con-struction and navigation of aircraft; (2) to undertake or supervise such research or experimental work as is proposed to the Committee by the AirMinistry, and to initiate any research work which the Committee considers to be advisable ; to carry out such work itself or to recommend by whomthe work should be carried out; (3) to take over complete responsibility for the Air Inventions Committee and for the Accidents Committee ; (4) to pro-mote education in aeronautics by co-operating with the Governors of the Imperial College; (5) to assist the aeronautical industry of the country byscientific advice and,research, and to co-operate with any Research Association that may be established; (6) to prepare for the approval of the Air Council ascheme of work and estimate of expenditure for the year, and to administer the funds placed at its disposal by the Air Council; (7) to make reports fro mtime to time to the Air Council. Aeronautical Research Committee to replace Advisory Committee42. We propose that the Aeronautical Research Committee should replace the present Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, discharging in the main thefunctions of that body. On this point it is desirable to refer briefly to the present functions of the Advisory Committee. 43. The Committee was originally appointed to advise the Prime Minister,as Chairman of the Imperial Defence Committee, to determine what problems should be studied, and by what methods, and to discuss and offer advice onhe solutions. It was the duty of the Committee to superintend the investi- gations aUthe National Physical Laboratory, and to advise generally on thescientific problems arising in connection with the work of the Admiralty and War Office in aerial construction and navigation. Since the inception of the Air Ministry the Committee has reported to theSecretary of State for Air instead of to the Prime Minister, its duties remain- ing unaltered. The Air Ministry, Admiralty, and War Office were representedon the Committee by officers of high standing, and this close association proved of great value in securing co-ordination of research. 44. The work of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics is ordinarilycarried out through a number of standing sub-committees. These sub- committees submit monthly programmes of work to the main committee, andthe results of all the approved investigations are in the first place reported to and discussed by the sub-committees. 45. It should be added that the executive control of the staff responsiblefor carrying out investigations at the National Physical Laboratory rests not with the Advisory Committee but with he Executive Committee of theLaboratory which undertakes to carry them out in accordance with the wishes and advice of the Advisory Committee. The fact that the chairman of theAdvisory Committee also filled the post of Director of the Laboratory facilitated this arrangement. 46. It will clearly be necessary that the Aeronautical Research Committeeshould have power to appoint subcommittees, membership of which should not be restricted to members of the Committee itself. It has been the practicein the past, when appointing such sub-committees, to include in their member- ship representatives of the actual workers engaged in the fields of work underconsideration. This practice has been found to be of very great value. Financial and Administrative Arrangements47. In accordance with the decision of the Government, the responsibility for research and experimental work undertaken for the development ofaeronautics with money provided by the Government will be shared by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Air Council.The Air Council will be responsible generally for work financed directly from funds at their disposal, while the assistance given by the Departmentof Scientific and Industrial Research will be on lines similar to those applicable in the case of other industries, i.e., by the formation of a Research Associa-tion. The department will also continue to be responsible for the funds required for the work at the National Physical Laboratory. Where the Aeronautical Research Committee finds it desirable to arrangefor specific research or experimental work to be carried out by individual research workers other than those engaged in the central establishments,the necessary arrangements should be made in consultation with the Depart- ment of Scientific and Industrial Research, which is responsible for the mainState provision for the assistance of research conducted under such con- ditions. 48. We would urge the importance of the financial arrangements of theAeronautical Research Committee being put on a basis which will allow an adequate freedom in the allocation of expenditure within the limits of the totalsum available. Co-ordination of the Research and Educational Organisation. 49. We have referred earlier in this Report (Section 14) to the need forclose association between the research and experimental work and the strictly academic portion of the higher education. No school for providing thiseducation can be successful unless the students are brought into direct touch with practical problems during their tuition, and unless those engaged inteaching are also engaged in or directing scientific research or experimental design. 50. The arrangements whereby the student will divide this period of post-graduate instruction between work on books and at lectures and practical work at research stations, to which we have already referred, should applyalso in regard to the duties of the teaching staff. These should be such as to enable a professor or lecturer to spend part of his time in giving instructionat the Imperial College, while giving the rest to investigations at one of the research centres. 51. As stated in Section 20, the School of Aeronautics should provideadvanced instruction as regards aeroplanes, seaplanes, airships and kite- balloons in (1) aerodynamics ; (2) aero-engines and methods of propulsion ;(3) design, including structure and materials; (4) instruments, meteorology, and navigation. It would follow, therefore, that certain of the professors orlecturers in each of these subjects will discharge double responsibilities, (5) as members of the staff of the Imperial College and (6) as officers of theresearch organisation directed by the Aeronautical Research Committee. 52. The Interim and Final Reports of Special Committee No. 5 of theCivil Aerial Transport Committee contain much valuable information as to the organisation of teaching and research. One factor of importancewhich they emphasise is the need for a trained staff to act as a clearing house for the co-ordination and dissemination of aeronautical knowledge in allits aspects. The Central School of Aeronautics should, in our view, serve this purpose. The functions of the teaching staff of the school may be stated under fourdistinct, though closely related, purposes : (a) To study, co-ordinate, summarise, apply and extend the knowledgederived from the experimental work carried out by the individual workers at various experimental stations in this country and abroad ; (4) to stimulateresearch by indicating what information is most urgently required and what line of attack is likely to prove most profitable ; (c) to guide and encourageresearch by constructive criticism based on a careful study of past and current work in this country and abroad ; (d) to impart this knowledge by personalteaching to a limited number of post-graduate students. A similar clearing house for current knowledge would be of value in any ..science, but for aeronautics it is, for the present, essential, for whereas in older sciences—Physics, for instance—the bulk of the experimental datahave, throughout the course of generations, crystallised into well-denned- laws which form a framework ready to receive any new facts and a criterionby which their accuracy can be estimated, in aeronautics the facts are the result of the work of the last five or ten years, and the framework uniting themexists only in the minds of the few men who have been personally connected with the process of development. Before the war the total available knowledge was small, and it was possible .for the members of the Advisory Committee to keep all the facts in mind 247
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
