FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0232.PDF
84 FLIGHT. JANUARY 28, 1937. •will in the world, be of relatively small value. The public will have to be educated to use air transport first, and it is during that period that Government aid is especially needed. At present it appears that the big "if" is the provision of the six terminal and one junction airports, in which at least seven municipalities are concerned. An understandable desire of the Maybury Committee to assist in making '' Short-Service'' pilots more suit able for air-line operation is evidenced by the Report. It appears, however, that, although the intentions are good, the object is relatively unimportant. It is stated in the Report that it is estimated that the "Junction Aerodrome System'' could be operated by sixteen 14- seater aircraft; this does not afford much of an outlet for Short-Service pilots from the R.A.F. and, even if the number of feeder-line or local air-line services grows fairly rapidly, the number of Short-Service pilots who could be absorbed would be infinitesimal in comparison with the numbers now joining the R.A.F. On the whole, the Maybury Report scheme should form a useful basis for discussion, and the sooner those directly concerned can get down to it the better. The Defence of Berlin A IR VICE-MARSHAL COURTNEY and his col- I V leagues must have spent a very interesting week i \ visiting the German flying corps, and our Air Staff is now doubtless digesting their report. This is hardly likely to be made public, and impressions of the visit can onty be gained from newspaper men who went with the British party. The special corre spondent of the Sunday Times, for example, who says that he had been under the fire of German "Archies" during the War, came to the conclusion that '' even modern bombers would find it difficult to make much impression on Berlin," and that if the anti-aircraft gun. live up to expectations and that if there is effective collaboration with the searchlights, "Berlin has not much to fear from the air." We can only hope, and hope with great fervour, that this observer is right. If Berlin can be made im pregnable against air attack, then so, granted observa tion posts on the other side of the Channel, can London or any other city. It must always be borne in mind that Great Britain stands to lose most if air attack should prove stronger than air defence, while if the opposite is true then Great Britain is the chief gainer. In the efficiency of guns, searchlights, sound-locators and predictors, British designers can certainly hold their own. No doubt the German weapons are good ; but sn will ours be when the new equipment is delivered. Our fighter squadrons are trained to the highest pitch and, according to the observer mentioned above, the German fighter aircraft are far from having reached our stan dard. That standard is probably the standard of the Gauntlet, not of the Spitfire. Where the Germans seem to have a great advantage is that they '' believe that air defence weapons should come under one command." Of course, our whole air defence is under the operational command of the A.OX. in-C, Fighter Command, but the elements are provided by two different Ministries, the War Office and the Air Ministty. Their training is in two different hands. Some elements are regular and some are non- regular. Such divided control will never be able to make London completely safe against air attack. "1, \7 • • : Tne.initiated know that this expression means flying behind the leader of a V formation with the arms of the V on either side. It is a good position for observing the quick reactions necessary to keep each machine in perfect formation. Our chief photographer assures us that half an hour in the box with the Gloster Gauntlets of No. 56 (F) Squadron is quite an interesting experience.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
