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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0224.PDF
74 JANUARY 23RD, 1941. CORRESPONDENCE (Continued) radical problem in aircraft design, flying experience over a longperiod is essential. I should be sorry if my letter was construed as an expressionof objection to being told that we " copy the Americans." There are many cases where our industry could, and should,draw on their work, just as they do on ours when the occasion tnerits it.Where I do feel the American industry does show up to advantage is in its quicker appreciation as to which of thoseideas and developments always being brought forward should be commercialised first.It is seldom the fault of designers and engineers in this country that the Americans are a jump ahead of us; theresponsibility rests with the commercial control. E. C. GORDON ENGLAND. GROUND ENGINEER'S EXAMINATIONS Written Papers Advocated IT is suggested in the article by Mr. Thomas on the abovesubject that the tendency is increasing to* regard the ground engineer's licence as a. certificate of competence, and as mostground engineers will be called upon to rectify faults them- selves, or at least should be able to do so, this tendencyappears to be logical and desirable. The chief disadvantage of the present examination is itsverbal character, which operates harshly against a man of somewhat nervous temperament, who is unable to do himselfjustice through examination "nerves." It would appear desirable to include a written paper to off-set this tendency, and assess the results on both written and verbal answers.In addition to this, the oral part of the examination could be combined with simple practical tests, such as fitting, hardand soft soldering, or welding, use of measuring instruments, retiming of valves and ignition, inspection of carburettors andfuel pumps, including flow test, general methods of inspecting and testing, and simple fault-finding, etc. This is relatively simple to arrange for the engine licences,but presents a difficulty for aircraft on the score of the space required, and multiplicity of types. It should be . possible,however, for simple rigging operations to be carried out, and such things as the importance of locking devices indicated toensure that the prospective ground engineer has a sound grasp of the fundamentals. A similar system has been carried out for the automobileindustry, in the form of the I.A.E. repair certificate scheme, which is issued as a certificate of competence, and it is interest-ing to note the number of experienced mechanics who are unable to pass a comprehensive test of this nature at the firstattempt. Senior members of the Institution have volunteered to act as examiners, and equipment has been loaned byinterested firms. There may be difficulties in the way of operating a similarscheme for the ground engineers' licences, but there is no doubt that it weeds out the incompetent.The suggestion that the ground engineer should carry a "discharge" book is very sound, as it forms a career recordof considerable value to a prospective employer. G. D. DUGUID. Suggested Changes ApprovedT HE article iu your issue of Dec. 19, by the secretary ofthe Air Registration Board, dealing with the examinatioi>*c& ground engineers, surely makes very interesting reading fotall concerned; being, as it is, the first official indication that a very long-felt need for drastic change in this matter is at lastlikely to materialise. It is well known that there are very many men who gain thepossession of a ground engineer's licence purely with a view to using it as a proof of their ability as engineers, and, perhaps,rarely have occasion to use it for the purpose for which it is intended; particularly is this so when the licence holder isemployed by a large concern having its own approved inspection department. To such men as these the scheme put forward bythe secretary of the A.R.B. should have instant appeal. I may add that the foregoing remarks apply mainly to airline operation. H. W. HOLMES., East Croydon. ATLANTIC AIR FERRY American. Bombers are Flown Here : Shipping Space Saved : New Unofficial West-East Record? IT is no longer officially regarded as "on the secret listthat for some little time American bombers built forthe R.A.F. have been flown across the Atlantic to this country. Such a course was the natural corollary to a steadily increasing rate of production, and it was largely a matter of making the necessary arrangements in the matter of available pilots to undertake this special duty. At present four types are being brought over under their own power. They are the Lockheed Hudson long-range reconnaissance-bomber, the four-engined Boeing B-17 (popularly known as the Flying Fortress), the Lockheed Vega Ventura, which is really a bigger and faster version of the Hudson, and the Consolidated 28-5 twin-engined ilying-boat. Eventually other types which can be given sufficient range by the temporary addition of extra fuel- tanks will also be ferried across the ocean, including the four-engined Consolidated (land-plane) bomber. Contrary to popular belief, speed in delivery is not the primary advantage in flying these urgently needed aircraft from their American birthplace to this country. Indeed it is doubtful, when all the factors involved are taken into consideration, if delivery by this means is actually an appreciable time-saver, for it must be remembered that extra time is absorbed in fitting additional tankage and certain special transatlantic navigational equipment, all of which has to be removed again, when the machines get here, before (hey can be fitted out fon their operational duties. If this is set against the saving in time on both sides of the Atlantic, when machines are crated for ship- ment immediately on structural completion at the factories and assembled and equipped on arrival here without first having to remove their special transatlantic flying gear, then the hours saved on the actual trip are probably just about absorbed by the extra work involved. What certainly is a very big advantage, however, is the saving in valuable shipping-space and the elimination of the risk of loss by enemy action in transit. In addition^ the flight itself constitutes a very thorough test of the, machines. American volunteers as well as Canadian and British pilots are engaged in this transatlantic ferry service, and later return in parties by boat to the American continent to bring over the next batch of machines ready for delivery. Already some excellent times have been put up for the West-to-East crossing, and a new record has, it is reported, recently been created by Capt. Pat Eves, a British Airways pilot loaned to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, though which particular type of American aircraft he was flying has not been disclosed at the time of writing. Neither is it permitted to give Capt. Eves' new record figures, nor to reveal his points of departure and landing. The record previously stood at 10 hours 33 minutes, however, and was set up in September, 1937, by the (then) Imperial Airways flying-boat Cambria during an experi- mental flight from Botwood to Foynes. Capt. Eves' time, however, must have been extraor- dinarily good if it is true, as reported in The Times, that he had breakfast before starting and arrived at his English destination in time for tea, especially when one remembers that when it is breakfast-time in America it is already lunch-time over here!
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