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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0708.PDF
342 Commercial Aviation FLIGHT. MARCH 28, IQ35 AN AMBITIOUS SCHEME Airports as " Productive Public Works " : Mr. O. E. Simmonds, Suggestion A POLOG1SING for introducing the subject during the /\ debate on the Air Estimates, but pointing out that the 1 \, moment was a fitting one, Mr, O. E. Simmonds, in the House of Commons last Wednesday, put forward some enterprising suggestions on the subject of Britain's internal air lines and airports. He said that some five years ago the Air Ministry had laid it down that every town or city with over 20,000 inhabitants should have an aerodrome; that would suggest 275 aerodromes throughout the British Isles, and, even so, would mean that such important towns, as Malvern, Boston, Chichester or Skipton would have no aerodrome. If, therefore, they said that 300 aerodromes were required they would not .be far from the mark. But what, after sixteen years of civil aviation in this country, was the actual measure of achievement ? It was that they had twenty municipal aerodromes in existence, and sites purchased for ten more. After praising several municipalities which had taken up the matter with zest, Mr. Simmonds said that, generally speaking, municipal enterprise in this respect had completely failed. It was not hard to see the reason. In the early days a municipal aerodrome was held out to be a financial asset, whereas those who possess them now know perfectly well that they are not a financial asset, but a liability. If towns owned the stations and the railways took the fares the position would be similar He suggested that the prob.lem should be investigated de novo. Here was the opportunity for the expenditure of public money on productive public works. He suggested that there should be first-class airports of 200 acres, costing approxi mately jfr5o an acre, or a total for each airport, including preparation, building and equipment, of £125,000. Probablv there would be forty first-class airports, and thus their total cost would be .£5,000,000. Then there would be a second class of airport, costing pos- sibly two-thirds of this figure, £80,000; in this category would be sixty airports, and approximately £5,000,000 would again be necessary. The balance of 200 of the 300 ports which would be necessary could be regarded as in a third class, costing a third of the cost of the first-class ports, and thus requiring £8,000,000 in all. After touching on several practical points in air line opera tion which he had observed while in America, Mr. Simmonds said that the whole scheme could be carried out in a first- class style and the country equipped for ever for a sum of approximately £20,000,000. He then drew certain compari sons with the Road Fund to show that this sum was not so startling as it appeared. Provincial's New Aerodrome The new aerodrome at Denbury, mentioned in Flight of March 7, will be opened by the owners, Provincial Airways, Ltd., on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m. Denbury is about six miles north-west of Torquay. Private owners and others are cordially invited to attend. Zeppelin Operating Company Formed A new company with a capital of £477.500 (at par) was formed on March 22 to organise regular airship sen-ices for passengers, mail and freight. More than half of the capital has been contributed by the Zeppelin Company, and the balance by D.L.H. Dr. Eckener is chairman of the board. At Heston * The demonstration Douglas D.C.2 which is destined for the Swissair service to Zurich, visited Heston last week. Among the passengers were the Swiss Ambassador with his wife and daughter, Major Nabholz of the Swiss Air Ministry, and Major Mayo of the British Air Ministry. Mr. A. F. Burke, service manager at Heston, who also travelled in the aeroplane, showed the party round the hangars and workshops. Advertising in the sky has adopted yet another device. Capt. G. Birkett, in conjunction with Air Services, Ltd., has made a series of successful experiments with the Airwork School Autogiro in towing, not a banner, but an upright poster. The poster, made of five-foot letters stretched on a sort of rope- ladder, is about 120 ft. long. At one end two wind-socks act as stabilisers, while at the other end is some 350 ft. of cable, attached to the Autogiro. The poster is first spread along the ground with a man holding the first letter erect. The Autogiro takes off towards it, in a parallel line, and is well off the ground by the time the slack of the cable is taken up. The Batavia Service After June 12 the K.L.M. Batavia service will be operated twice a week with the company's new Douglas machines. The new equipment will enable the single journey to be covered in si days. Pacific Alaska's New Routes In Flight of February 28 the possibility of an extension in Pacific Alaska Airways' system to Juneau, in Canada, was mentioned. On April 2 the new route will be opened between Juneau and Fairbanks. New Commercial Types in the U.S.S.R. Government tests of a new Soviet fast mail and passenger machine were, it is reported, recently completed. This machine has been designed by the Kharkov Aviation Institute under the direction of Engineer Neman. Its maximum speed is given as 205 m.p.h-—bringing Tiflis within 11 or 12 hours of Moscow. The Khai-i, as the machine is known, will carry six pas sengers, and has a retractable undercarriage. It is of all-wood construction with a Soviet motor. The Civil Air Fleet will shortlv receive the first batch of these machines and the first trial flight over the Moscow-Kiev-Moscow route will be made. Incidentally, the first Soviet passenger flying boat, the single engined MP-i, was also tested recently. The cruising speed of this machine is 125 m.p.h. An air service will be established between the most important centres on the Black Sea coast. Apparently special skis have been developed for this boat After prolonged work on the new all-steel welded S1AL-3 this machine has also completed its tests, during which its maximum speed proved to be r43 m.p.h. The STAL-2 con struction, it will be remembered, was exhibited in Pans last year. Mass production of this machine has been started. DOUGLAS IAN : On the power of two 700 h.p. geared and super charged radials (which are Pratt & Whitney " Hornets " built under licence) the new Fiat G.18 shown here has a maximum speed of 210 m.p.h. carrying eighteen passengers, luggage and mail with fuel for 5°° miles
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