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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1308.PDF
456 FLIGHT. MAY 12, 1938. states in an epigrammatic remark "It is better to have 100 per cent, output with 95 per cent, efficiency than 25 per cent, output with 100 per cent, efficiency. ' At first sight the suggestion that the number of parent firms should be reduced to not more than ten appears not a little startling. But when one comes to analyse it there is certainly something to be said for it from the point of view of production efficiency. Some years ago such a system would have been down- right dangerous in that it would have limited the number 01 skilled design staffs and robbed the industry of the in- centive of keen competition. In present circumstances, however, there is no competition; or, rather, the competi- tion is not for orders, of which there are ample, but for skilled men, of whom there are too few. Actually, it one looks around the British aircraft industry it is found that, purely by a natural process of evolution and not by the rather arbitrary selection suggested by our contributor, firms have specialised to a large extent on certain types or classes of aircraft. Certain firms have for years been associated with large bombers; others with single-seater fighters; others again with Fleet Air Arm machines, and so forth. So that the limitation proposed is not quite as drastic as it may appear to the reader at first sight. That there would be difficulties and objections may be admitted, but "needs must when the devil drives." Specialisation in design and manufacture is needed if the desired output is to be obtained. There are other ways than that suggested by the production engineer who contri- butes to our columns, and we shall be glad to have the views of people in the aircraft industry who have alternatives to put forward. As an instance of how specialisation was not merely sug- gested but put into practical operation one may quote the early days of all-metal construction. One of the first firms to specialise on rolling and drawing spar sections in strip steel was Boulton and Paul, Ltd. They standardised a certain number of spar flanges and a certain number of webs. By various combinations of these, and using slightly different gauges of strip, a range of spars was pro- vided wide enough to cover all possible requirements. The idea was not adopted, and all the other firms spent time and money on producing their own spars, but fundament- ally the scheme was quite sound. A modern equivalent of it would do much to help production Royal Interest THE Royal Air Force and the British aircraft industryhave good cause for being grateful for the greatinterest which His Majesty King George VI is taking in their work. The visits to R.A.F. stations early this week, described on p. 474, were a continuation of the series of inspections being made by His Majesty, which began with a visit to Cranwell in January and to the shadow factories in March, in addition to visits to several aircraft constructors' works. Everywhere those honoured by his visits have been impressed by the King's obvious knowledge of the subject and by his appreciative interest. They do not forget that His Majesty first became associated with the service in 1917, when he was posted to Cranwell, nor that the following year he joined the Head- quarters Staff of the Independent Air Force in France, afterwards taking a course of iiying instruction at Croydon and qualifying as a pilot. Nor do they overlook the subsequent career of the King in the Royal Air Force, culminating in his appointment to Marshal of the R.A.F. in December, 1936. What surprises and impresses is that, amid his innumerable other duties, and interests (His Majesty is one of the hardest-worked men in the country to-day) he should still be able to keep himself so thoroughly well-informed and up-to-date in all aviation matters. It would obviously be impossible for the King to visit every R.A.F. station in the country, and his recent visits to four were carefully planned to represent one station iu each of the R.A.F. Commands' at home, viz., Fighter, Bomber, Coastal, and Training Commands. On. these visits His Majesty met the chiefs of the different Commands and other officers of the R.A.F. and thus strengthened his already close association with the Service, a fact which must be a source of gratification to every officer and man in the R.A.F. At the conclusion of his tour by air His Majesty sent the following message to the R.A.F.: — '' I have spent an interesting and enjoyable day with the Royal Air Force and I would like them to know how impressed 1 am with all that I have seen. "I congratulate them on the determined and successful way in which they are meeting the heavy demands made upon them by the expansion of their service, and I send tb*>rn mv best wishes." OUT AND UP : This unusual picture by a Flight photographer shows the Armstrong Whitworth Ensign tucking-upner wheels as she takes off from her makers' aerodrome. She was due to go to Martlesham yesterday.
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