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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1015.PDF
OCTOBER 4, 1934. FLIGHT. 1017 The Outlooks " In All Essential Directions " ~\JOWADAYS, and in the near future when aerodromes I V used by regular lines become even more busy, the importance of giving the pilots a perfect view' in all essential directions cannot be too heavily stressed. Those who have flown, for instance, the D.H. " Dragon," 86, or 89, which are laid out with a single set of controls, are always high in their praise of the field of view obtained in these types, but the question is made a little more diffi- cult when the operator requires both a chief pilot and an assistant pilot. On long routes it is, of course, essential that a commercial machine should be so arranged, and the passengers, in any case, usually feel more comfortable when there are two pilots. In the design of the new F.36, Mr. Fokker has overcome the difficulty very well, and has, at the same time, given the machine a very " clean " nose. The one pilot, he feels, who is doing most of the flying should be given priority, so he is placed well out in the nose with a good view for- ward and downwards on each side. The second pilot is placed behind and to one side, and he, at his controls, still has a view that is almost, if not quite, as good as that obtained by either pilot in the more normal arrange- ment. Anti-aircraft Units / T is understood that the next Army Estimates are likely to be increased by new expenditure on the equipment of the artillery and engineer units of the Territorial Army to which is entrusted the ground side of air defence. There are thirteen batteries of A.A. guns allotted for the defence of London and ten more for the defence of home ports. A battery consists of four sections, each with two guns. The searchlight units are part of the R.E. Corps of the Territorial Army. The guns, searchlights, lorries and other items of equipment are of ancient pattern, and there is a shortage of such instruments as sound-locators and predictors. It is hopea that in all these respects the air defence units of the T.A. will shortly be brought com- pletely up to date. While this is good news, we must repeat, what we have often said before, that it is anomalous for the vital matter of air defence to be dependent upon Estimates not con- trolled by the Air Ministry. In one way it is anomalous that an important part of air defence should be entrusted to the Territorial Army. In saying this we intend no slight to the Territorials, whose record in the great war needs no apology. The original idea of a Territorial Army was that they should be second-line troops. In a future war, how- ever, it is most probable that the anti-aircraft units and the squadrons of A.D.G.B. will be the first of all to engage the enemy. The Territorials will, in fact, be part of our first line of defence. So long as the crews of the guns and searchlights are trained up to the very high pitch which is essential, we are quite content that the men should be citizens defending their homes. It does not, how- ever, make for confidence that their equipment should be provided by the War Office, which is not responsible for air defence. The units should belong, not to the Territorial Army, but to the Auxiliary Air Force. Then the Air Ministry would be able to see that their equipment was all that it should be. • 'Divided control does not make for victory in war; and" the present arrangement is a bad instance of divided con- trol. •..,.-.... - , ..-.'• Transport by Air discussion turns on Air Transport it is far too oftea assumed that the chief or basic problems are those concerning the operation of aeroplanes for the transportation of passengers or freight by air. They are not. The whole subject is one of transport. It demands, for its successful accomplishment, transport-minded people, people who are versed in the carriage of goods and passen- gers, in the problems of attracting those goods or passengers, and in retaining their custom when they have got them. The operation of the aeroplanes, trains, motor coaches, or any other vehicles is the engineering side of the undertak- ing, and as such subservient to the main problems. These views were borne out by the tone of the 8th Annual Air France Dinner, held in London last Friday. M. Louis Allegre, the managing director of that vast concern, referred to the "Travel Trade." He omitted all but the smallest reference to the aviation side of his interests. Similarly, Mr. J. Bamford, the London manager, who organised the dinner, reserved for himself the toast to the " Booking Clerks "—the " Backbone of the Travel Trade," as he called them. A true measure of their importance indeed! It is time that many of us in aviation reorientated our ideas and admitted that it is the experience of our Hillmans and Thurgoods and similar people which we want; not a better appreciation of our own ideas as to what aeroplanes ought to be and how they ought to be used. Accident Reports / N the last few days there have been three tragic accidents to British civil aircraft, and the public is apt to be concerned when three fatal accidents come one after the other. Probably the bookings for regular air services to the Continent will not be affected at all, but there is a general feeling abroad of shaken confidence. This feeling may have the effect of cutting down applications for short service commissions or even for admissions to Cranwell; and at a time when the Royal Air Force is expanding such a feeling of nervousness on the part of parents would be unfortunate. At such a time the best way to restore con- fidence is to make public the report of the inspector of accidents on each of the tragedies. In each case, obviously, something was wrong, and if the public knows that the errors (whatever they may have been) have been recog- nised and that steps are being taken to prevent a repeti- tion of the same thing, confidence will be restored. The present position as regards publication of reports on accidents is governed by a statement made in the House cf Lords in March, 1931, by the then Air Minister (Lord Amulree) in reply to a question by Lord Londonderry. The Air Minister said that in future the conclusions of the inspector of accidents would be published in all cases of accidents in this country to British aircraft plying for hire or reward which involved loss of life or serious injury. There would also be publication in other cases which pre- sented special features or where useful lessons could be learned. In one of the recent cases it may be held that the machine was not at the moment of the accident "plying for hire or reward." The flight on which it was engaged was due to its having been engaged on one business opera- tion and it was then on its way to another business opera- tion. A mere pleasure flight it certainly was not. It is to be hoped that no strictly legal interpretation of Lord Amulree's words will prevent prompt publication.
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