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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0469.PDF
AUGUST 17, 1922 >W in" 11 ^•s^^gjf>7y."> IMPERIAL AIR MAIL SERVICES First Report of Civil Aviation Advisory Board AT the Air Conference, held last spring, Capt. Guest announced the appointment of a Civil Aviation Advisory Board, " to advise generally on the development of Civil Aviation, and to report upon any specific point which may from time to time be referred to the Board by the Secretary of State for Air," and stated that the first subject upon which the Board had been asked to give its recommendations was the question of the cost and practicability of an Imperial Air Mail Service. The C.A.A.B. has now issued its first report, which takes the form of a White Paper (Command No. 1739, price is. net), published by H.M. Stationery Office. The report is divided into two parts, of which the first deals with general considera tions, while the second refers in detail to an air mail service to India. Estimates of costs, revenue, etc., are contained in nine appendices giving the detailed estimates upon which the figures of totals in the body of the report were based. Genera] The report states that when the Board started their deliberations it was understood that an airship scheme had been submitted by Commander Burney, and that accordingly they confined their attention to the operation of an air mail service by heavier-than-air craft. The Board state that they have been impressed with the complexity of the problems, and also that they are unanimously convinced that considera tions of a national and Imperial character must outweigh in importance any purely commercial considerations. What ever the military air reserve may be, the Board hold that the machines, pilots and personnel generally employed on Imperial air mail services will form an additional reserve from which assistance could be drawn in case of war, while the production of passenger and goods aircraft, in addition to service aircraft, will keep factories and designing staffs employed and capable of more rapid expansion in case of need. The progress and development in civil aviation that has taken place abroad have not been overlooked by the Board, and the report states that the Board are of the qpinion that " if civil undertakings are making an efficient attempt to keep open the civil airways of the Empire by means of rapid and direct air communica tions, they can fairly claim a considerable measure of financial assistance from the Government until they have been able to establish themselves on a sound financial basis." It is pointed out that the estimates given in the report are based on information gained with existing types of machines, and that they should not be taken as referring to equipment specially constructed to meet local conditions. The Board think that the most suitable type of machine may vary along the route, and that while certain sections may be operated with land 'planes, other portions may more economically and safely be equipped with seaplanes, flying boats or amphibians. In order to discover the most suitable types of machines and engines, the Board recommend that the technical and scientific- aspects of the problems should be referred to the Aeronautical Research Committee, with the suggestion that they should be submitted to a sub-committee and that special funds should be allocated for the purpose. The terms of reference of the Aeronautical Research Committee which the Board suggest are as follows :— " To consider the scientific and technical aspects of Civil Aviation problems connected with the establishment of an Imperial Air Mail Service, and to decide upon and supervise the conduct of such experimental work and construction (including both model and full scale) as in their opinion is required for the purpose, with particular attention to such matters as— " (1) The dimensions, speed, power and material of the aeroplanes to be employed, having regard to the useful load to be carried and to the most economical length of stage. " (2) The other desirable characteristics of the machine, e.g., the relation between its maximum and minimum speeds, safety in alighting, stability and controllability at all speeds, freedom from undue vibration and noise. " (3) The most economical length of stage, especially in its relation to (a) the pilot's power of endurance ; (b) the charac teristics of the machine; (c) the nature of the ground traversed. " (4) The engine and its mounting on the machine : ques tions of power^ weight, fuel and oil consumption, size of machine, length of stage and useful load. " (5) Questions of safety, strength and load factor ; risk of fire. " (6) Questions relating to navigation and meteorology ; the most desirable instruments for the machine ; the height at which to fly and the general characteristics of air flow as affecting civil air transport; " And generally such other scientific and technical matters as may arise." The report states that the Board have studied with atten tion the report presented by Lord Weir's Committee of 1919, and endorse the opinion therein expressed that the organi sation of a commercial air mail service by private enterprise, supported and encouraged by financial and other assistance from the State, is, in accordance with British traditions, the most natural and suitable form of organisation. It is, the report points out, in selecting the actual form of Government assistance that difficulties are met, and some of these are set forth in the report. Thus it is clear that the capital outlay will be large, and that if the Government were to guarantee an interest of 5 or 6 per cent., much of the incentive to economical and efficient operation would be removed. On the other hand, it is realised that investors will not be forthcoming if the probabilities of eventually earning a larger rate of interest are. too speculative, and any form of assistance is too indefinite unless it secures a certain income in return for a regular service. In the opinion of the Board any system of State subsidy should comply with the four following conditions :— " (1) It should assure a return on the capital invested by the operating company. (2) It should give the operating company a sufficient inducement to effect economies in management and operating charges. (3) There should be a definite maximum limit to the liability assumed by the State. (4) In case of imperial emergency the Government should have the call upon all the aircraft, equipment, pilots and personnel of the operating company." It is pointed out that there are obviously a number of alternative methods which would ensure this result, and one such method is outlined in an appendix, from which we. quote :— "I. The Government to guarantee (a) a low rate of interest on the capital invested ; and (b) the amount of the working expenses, agreed between the Government and the contractors. "II. The contractors to retain (a) the whole of the earnings of the service ; and (b) a percentage of any reduction effected in the agreed sum for working expenses. " III. Any balance left after the payment of a dividend at an agreed rate per cent, on the capital to be divided equally between the Government and the contractors. The Board consider that the magnitude of the undertaking makes it evident that the enterprise can only be entrusted to a company, created, if necessary, for the purpose, of out standing Imperial distinction as regards its directorate. It is contemplated that the actual route to be followed would be selected after discussion and agreement with the R.A.F., and that the aerodromes, if not already in the possession of the State, would be acquired by the State, the plant and shed accommodation, etc., being rented to the operating company. The company, however, should be responsible for the manage ment of the aerodromes* the Government to have the right to take over the aerodromes and ground organisation in case of Imperial necessity. With a view to securing the best offers the Board recommend that, when the route has been selected, an open tender should be advertised asking for terms and conditions on which tenderers would be prepared to maintain a service for the carriage of mails daily, bi-weekly and weekly, as might be decided upon, assuming a load of 500, 1,000 or 2,000 lbs. of mails per week. In this way it is considered that a wider range of alternative methods would be forthcoming than if such tenders were confined to offers in accordance with terms dictated beforehand. Air Mail Service to India Having made these observations on the general problems, the Board turn their attention, in Part II, to the question of an air mail service to India. It is stated that the Board started their deliberations by collecting information concerning the fortnightly service which has been in operation by the R. A.F. for a little over a year between Cairo and Baghdad, and it is pointed out that by the use of this service the time for mails is reduced from 27-30 days to about eight days, and that for this remarkable advantage a surcharge of only 6d. per ounce is charged. About 10 per cent., it is stated, of the total mail is now air borne over this route. There are, the report states, three main routes that might be followed for the carriage of mails by air to India, i.e., via Egypt, via Constantinople, and via Aiexandretta. The route 469
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