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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1071.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEERAND AIRSHIPS FIRST AERONAUTICAFWEEKLY IN JHE^WOKLD > FOUNDED WO9 Editor C. M POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HERTFORD ST., COVENTBV.Telegrams : Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 5210." I : Tinditttr, Sedbt, London. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS,NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, 2. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham.Telephone: Midland 2971. HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (50 260, DEAN SG ATE,MANCHESTER, 3. 26B, BENFIELD ST., GLASGOW, C.2. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telegrams : Ilifife, Glasgow.Telephone Blackfriars 4412. Telephone: Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTIONRATBH: Home and Canada:' Year, £1 Other Countries: Year. « 13 0.16 0. 6 months, 16s. 6d.6 months, 18«. Oil. 3 months, 8s. 6d.3 mouths, fts. Od. No. 1530. Vol. XXXIII. APRIL 21, 1938. ; Thursdays, Price 66. :: The Outlook. Overseas SuppliesO NE cannot help wondering to what extent the Government's decision to let Earl Winterton state in the House that '' Definite exploratory action is being taken in regard to the possibility of the supply of aircraft for the Royal Air Force, both from the United States and from Canada,'! was influenced by the negotiations between Sir Thomas Jnskip and the trade unions. By admitting the need for such action the Government may have in- tended to impress upon all concerned the urgent need for aircraft production, hoping thereby to convince the trade unions of the seriousness of the situation. It is difficult to believe that the Government really seriously contem1 plates ordering aircraft from the United States. Obviously the time factor would not allow the building of aircraft of British design in American factories, and the only alternative would be to order American types. The most logical selection for such a hypothetical order would be the Boeing four-engined bomber, a type of military air- craft not hitherto produced in this country. But even if the type were considered entirely suitable for British requirements, it is doubtful that the American Army Air Corps would look with favour on possible delays in supply- ing its own needs. In any case, our own factories can, if the Air Ministry will do its share by agreeing to such re- organisation as is needed, supply four-engined bombers more than the equal of the Boeings. Canada is another matter entirely. It is the one country of the British Commonwealth which is fairly safe from bombing, and thus factories in Canada could produce, even in time of war, without fear of dislocation by direct and in- direct effects of air raids. Already the Canadian Fairchild company is planning production of bombers somewhat of the Bristol Blenheim type. One or two British aircraft companies have branches in Canada and could expand if" required to do so. The Noorduyn concern has proved its ability to produce good aircraft, and is financed entirely by Canadian capital, although the head of the firm is a Dutch- man who spent many years in England and afterwards in America. Several Grummans have been completed by the Canadian Car and Foundry Co. Another big concern is active at Toronto. Transport is the main objection, but as the Falmouth Committee- came to the somewhat surprising conclusion that fuel oils transported by convoys were less vulnerable than factories at home for the production of fuel oils, a view apparently accepted by the Government, perhaps the same argument applies to aircraft transported by sea from Canada. If need be, it would be possible, although prob- ably not economical,-to fly the machines across if Cana- dian production were to consist largely in long-range bombers, which could be given extra tankage. Be that,as it may, there is a great deal to be said for locating. large aircraft factories in Canada. The money would "stay in the family," and the factories would be to all intents and purposes immune from bombing attacks. Getting Somewhere -I T is with considerable pleasure that Flight is able to place before its readers this week a summary of an article by Professor H. Focke on his helicopter work. It is no exaggeration to say that the F.W.61 marks a tre- mendous step, forward in the design of direct-lift aircraft. That it still carries only the pilot, on an engine of 160 h.p., and that its cross-country speed is no more than 76 m.p.h. in no way detracts from the merits of the long and pains- taking work which resulted in its production. For the first time in history a direct-lift machine has successfully over- come the two great bugbears which have hitherto held back progress ; lack of control and a reasonable' ceiling. By her flight inside the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin some time ago Fraulein Hanna Reitsch quite definitely proved the former, as we have already pointed out in Flight. The second was demonstrated some time ago when the Focke-Wulf test pilot Rohlfs reached a height of 8,000ft. The difficulty of getting a helicopter '' upstairs '' has been due, in the past, to poor efficiency of the lifting screws, which resulted in a rather excessive power being required to get good climb. Most experimental helicopters built hitherto have suffered from too inefficient lifting screws and too weak engines. They have managed to get off the ground, it is true, but their ceiling has been a few feet This apparent cussedness of helicopters can be traced to the fact that " ground effect " is very pronounced. So much so
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