FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0106.PDF
50 FLIGHT. JANUARY 12, 1939 THE INDUSTRY A D.H. Appointment •' flight " iihotograph. Mr. F. T. Hearle, now appointed De Havilland managing director. IT is announced that Mr. F. T. Hearle, who has been a director and general manager of, the. De Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd., for a number of years, has now been appointed managing director. The growth of the company has made it desirable to appoint separate general managers for the separate factories. Mr. J. J. Parkes, previously general manager of the Airscrew Divi sion, is now general manager of the Edgware plant of the company, embracing both Engine and Airscrew Divisions, and of the airscrew factory at Bolton. Mr. L. C. L. Murray is general manager of the air craft factory at Hatfield. From Threads—to Threads A DERELICT cotton factory for some years, a mill near Oldham, Lanes, is today a busy adjunct of H. M. Hobson (Aircraft and Motor) Components, Ltd. These works now employ some hundreds of people and it is remarkable that most of these workers were previously not engineers, but skilled only in carding and spinning cotton with nimble, sensitive fingers. Further, nearly all the in habitants of the immediate locality were also employed in cotton mills, as were their parents and grandparents, until the cotton industry fell on bad times, when mill after mill closed down and was gutted of machinery; in numerous instances these huge four- and five-storied buildings were pulled down. It is undoubtedly an achievement on the part Of H. M. Hobson to have thus confirmed their original claim to be able to train and employ successfully those who were former cotton- mill hands. It also says much for the latter that inborn skill has been so quickly adapted from handling delicate cotton fibres to constructing aero accessories, in which fittings to extremely fine limits are demanded. So successful has this venture been that Hobsons have now a large extension of the works in an advanced stage. The Alvis Position Discussed AT the sixteenth annual general meeting of Alvis, Ltd., held in Coventry last week, Mr. T. G. John, M.Inst.C.E., F.R.Ae.S. (chairman and managing director), recalled to share holders how in 1935, the company had erected and equipped an aero engine factory which was a model of its kind. Then Mr. John continued : "The main causes of our failure to reap during the past year the reward which we might reason ably have expected from this foresight are so widely known as to have become the subject of much comment and discussion in political and industrial circles. In the opinion of your directors the difficulties which we encountered did not arise from any lack on our part of technical ability or willingness to assist to the fullest extent in the furtherance of the rearma ment programme. '' In consequence our aero engine factory remained practically idle at the very time when new Government factories were being built and put into operation all around us. Your directors made the strongest and most persistent representations over the failure to employ the highly efficient manufacturing facilities which our company was able to offer, but it was not until the end of the financial period now under consideration—i.e., more than two years after the aero engine factory was built and equipped^—that our efforts met with some measure of success. However, I am glad to say that last July the position changed materially for the better, as, for the first time, we were able to reach agreement with the Air Ministry for the utilisation of a large proportion of our manu facturing resources. '' The arrangement with the Air Ministry to which I have just referred gave us a considerable volume of important work, which is progressing satisfactorily and which is being continually augmented. On the other hand, this work does not. unfortunately, at the present time provide for the manu facture of complete aero engines, for which our factory was built and equipped, and in consequence of this a great deal of our valuable equipment is still necessarily unemployed. Neither does it give adequate scope for our initiative and technical skill. This is a matter of policy over which, at the present time, we have little control, but your directors are of opinion that in the present circumstances they are doing right in meeting the wishes of the Air Ministry. At the same time, the vital interests of our shareholders in the direction of the develop ment and manufacture of our own aero engines are being safe guarded as far as conditions permit. " When I addressed you in January last, I told you that the first aero engine produced in our factory was then undergoing its civil type tests, conducted under Air Ministry supervision. These tests were successfully completed in the following month, and the engine was given an international rating of 1025/1065 h.p. ' 'Another product of our own design is a smaller engine which more recently passed its type test with an international rating of 415/435 h.p. This engine was designed by us in accordance with views expressed by a wide and important section of the aeroplane industry, both at home and abroad, as to its needs. It is of a size and power which is recognised as having great scope both for military and civil purposes, and the Air Ministry in this instance, has given us facilities for flying tests, which are now proceeding." A suggestion—put forward in a memorandum by Mr. Harold Roberts—that a shareholders' committee should be appointed was discussed at length. In the end the proposal was not pro ceeded with, but it was agreed that the shareholders should submit the names of two representatives for co-option to the board. Mr. T. Thornycroft's Appointment IT is announced that Mr. Tom Thornycroft, who was for many years a director of J. 1. Thornycroft and Co., has joined the board of Silentbloc, Ltd. Gas-fired Furnaces BIRMINGHAM ELECTRIC FURNACES, LTD., state that in response to requests from districts where electrical energy is unduly expensive or unobtainable, but where gas is cheap, they have decided to widen their field and to under take the manufacture of certain types of gas-fired furnaces. In some circumstances a combination of electric and gas heat ing will be offered. Most of the gas heating will be by means of radiant-tube elements, the design and patent rights of an exceptionally efficient type being held by them. They have no intention of offering gas firing with all types of furnaces, but will restrict themselves to those types where, under certain economic conditions, they can recommend them with con fidence. Full details are obtainable from the Company at Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham. AERONAUTICAL PATENT SPECIFICATIONS [Published January 5, 1939.) fi565. O'LEARY, D.: Automatic pitch-regulating device for screw propellers (496,750). 12947. TAMPIER, R. : Means for controlling the movements of ailerons, rudders and elevators of aircraft (496,875). 13203. BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION : Magneto generators (497,002). 15438. SPERRV GYROSCOPE Co., LTD., and CLOUSTON, C E. : Electricallv-operated engine starters (496,943). 15839. VICKERS (AVIATION) LTD., PIERSON, R. K., and FIRMAN, R. A.: Releasable attachments for articles to be dropped from aircraft (497,009). 15838. VICKERS (AVIATION) LTD., PIERSON, R. K., and FIRMAN, R. A.: Means for releasably attaching articles to aircraft (496,953). 16129. BROWN, F. V., and AIRCRAFTINGS, LTD. : Filters or strainers (497,020). 16385. UNITED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION : Lilt-increasing devices lor aeroplane wings (497,074). 16402. VICKERS (AVIATION) LTD., and ELLIS, D. L. : Airscrews (497,048). 20788. ASAKURA, G. : Propeller pitch-changing devices (496,824). Published January 12, 1939.) 10205. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., LTD. : Radio direction and range-finding apparatus (497,147). 13087. VICKERS-ARMSTRONGS, LTD., and SWIFT, T. R. : Means, for carrying heavy bodies on and releasing them from aircraft (497,090). 13725. LAUCHLAN, A. D. E., and CAMBRIDGE INSTRUMENT Co.. LTD. : Devices for automatic control of variables (497,219). 16134. DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT Co., LTD., and THOMAS, F. M.: Attachment of airscrew spinners (497,220). 16135. DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT Co., LTD., and THOMAS, F. M.: Spinners lor airscrews (497,221). 16568. LUSTY, I.: Controlling aircraft engines (497,156). 16599. ROBERTSON, J. H. : Aeroplanes (497,394). 16890. TAYLOR, E. : Means for controlling trailing lines from aircraft (497,289). 24091. CHANCE BROS. & Co., LTD., and HALLETT, L. B. H. : Safety switches devices for aerodrome and like boundary lights (497,163). 15556. ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY MOTORS, LTD., and LOMBARDINI, P. C.: Chang" speed gearing for use in the drive to the propeller of an aircraft engii" (497,202). 15606. JUNKERS FLUGZEUG-UND-MOTORENWERKE AKT.) GES. : De-aerating of the fuel supply of internal combustion engines (497,203).
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
