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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1222.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 20, 1981 AN OPENING FOR BRITISH AIRCRAFT .(Mr. J. W. McDonvu«h's lecture on " The Operation of Aircraft in North-West Canada," concluded from page 1139.) X"""]|r^HIS week we are able to publish the conclusion(3 HI of Mr. McDonough's extremely informative lec- III ture. Last week the author explained thatalthough his company were willing to purchase English aircraft they were unable to find suitable onesfor their purpose:. This week he tells us just exactly what he desires in an aeroplane for the work which has;to be done in that part of the world. He also admits that tht- Junkers Ju.52, which has been pui in .service byanother company, is causing no little stir, since, if it does " Further efforts were made by several companies in 1930to locate mineral deposits by the aid of aircraft. In July, 1930, rumours began to filter back that DominionExplorers, Ltd., had made an important discovery. Little attention was paid to this until in the fall of the sameyear when engineers from Eldorado Mines, Ltd., working in the same area, confirmed all previous reports and arrivedback with the news of a large deposit of Urananite or radium-bearing ore on the Eastern shores of Great BearLake, twelve miles south of the Arctic Circle. The samples submitted to Government Laboratory test ran so high inradio-activity that all but the discoverers themselves wen- extremely sceptical as to the authenticity of the deposit.Government geologists were therefore sent in by aeroplane this summer to confirm the claims. The company owning the radium claims had alsodone extensive development work and opened up a series of vein structures of the highest grade silver ore. Sincethat time little prospecting has been done owing to the freeze-up, but it is known that the deposits at Great BearLake are of the very greatest importance and value to the British Empire, and it is debatable which is of the greatestimportance, the radio active ore or the silver. Besides these, other minerals of importance have also been found. This discovery lias been a great triumph for the aero-plane, for without its aid the Great Bear Lake mineral field might have laid dormant for hundreds of years.Nearly every mining company of importance in the Dominion of Canada is sending out men this comingspring to secure properties adjoining these new mineral deposits. Our own company is already engaged to carryin by air at least eighteen parties of prospectors and their equipment, as well as twenty tons of mining supplies fora large mining organisation. This very clearly is only the commencement, and we can look forward to an era ofprosperity in the air-transportation business in the Dominion of Canada. I hope I have given you some idea of the great possi-bilities that Canada has for the use of aircraft in its Northern territories, which have always been looked uponas an icy barren waste, unfit for man to live in. The aircraft in service in Northern Canada are, 1 amsorry to say, almost without exception of foreign manu- facture. Most are American types, but considerable what is claimed for it, it should prove the right machinefor the job, but he is sceptical as to the suitability of the wing arrangement for loading and unloading when theaircraft is on floats. The high-wing type he maintains allows ample space beneath the wing in which to getat the cabin in comfort, at the same time keeping the wing up out of harm's ways. We include photographsof the Junkers and also the Ford freighter, which may ultimately prove to be the type that operators there arelooking for. favour is shown to the German all-metal Junkers aero-plane. Caused probably by the very aggressive sales campaign of that company. The chief value of the aeroplane as an aid to mineralexploration can be divided into eight distinct functions. (1) The rapid and safe transportation of prospector"!, food supplies and equipment. (2) The extension of the prospecting season by reaching remote districts quickly. (3) Visiting prospecting parties regularly, supplying their requirements, keeping theni in touch with headquarter?, and flying them out in case of business demands or illness. (•i) Flying supervisory engineers and geologists to districts from which important information has been received. (5) Rapid inspection of claims, and confirmation or rejection of reports which might otherwise cause unwarranted effort. (6) Flights by large freighting aircraft carrying complete mining staff for the investigation of distant areas with supplies and equipment for extensive examination of properties. (7) Carrying directorial heads on tours of inspection. (8) Co-operation with Government Departments in the rapid develop- ment of Northern Canada as regards its mineral resources. There are in Canada some 80 aircraft of the mediumheavy class being used for remote operations by the Dominion Government as well as civil companies.Perhaps you will allow me to say a few words anent the marketing of English aircraft in Canada, for, as anoperator with much personal feeling in the matter, they may be constructive. The other day a business friendinquired the reason why our company operated a fleet of American-built aircraft, in preference to a British product,presupposing that Great Britain produced the Unest avail- able commercial aeroplane. The answer, gentlemen, didnot require much consideration. It may be true that we produce in workmanship and materials a product un-equalled in its particular field. This product is, though, an aeroplane chiefly designed to meet the requirements ofa home market. Has England made any serious study relative to overseas markets other than the demands forpurely military aircraft? particularly with reference to the Dominion of Canada. I can assure you that this is a verysore point with Canadian operators, as English manufac- turers do not appear to have studied their requirementsin any way. Representatives from British aircraft companies appearto visit only the main Canadian cities in the East, where the flying is on air-mail routes, following main arterialcommunications, and at flving schools. The ideas of these The all-metal Junkers Ju.52 which with the B.M.W. VII, 700 h.p. engine has a payload of 4,680 1b. with a 622-mile range or 3,210 lb. when the range is increased to 1,244 miles. Mr. McDonough opines that the low-wing type will not be so easy to load as the high-wing type when on floats—an important point under N.W. Canadian conditions. " 1152 ..I':'.
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