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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0444.PDF
•174 FLIGHT FEBRUARY 26TH, 1942 BEHIND THE LINES Service and Industrial News from the Inside of Axis and Enemy-occupied Countries Oil Thirst 'pHE Italian Ministry of Corporations -*- has commenced drilling opera tions at Patos, Albania. A sum of 20 million lire has been granted to the Italian Petroleum Institute ("A.G.P.") which is in charge of the new venture. Nazi Injection •DECENT models of the Bramo 323 -£*• "Fafnir" "YM" are equipped with fuel injection in place of the pre vious Pallas carburettor. These types are on the variation of the "Fafnn" and arc said to have a H.P. of 775. and 1,000. Italy's Aluminium CTRENUOUS efforts to increase the ^ production of aluminium in Italy resulted in an output of 50,000 metric tons during 1941. Although this figure presents a net increase of 10,000 tons over the 1940 results, it sounds as though it almost reaches the peak capacity of Italy's production re sources. Austrian Expansion HPHE Austrian firm of Steyr-Daimler- -*• Puch, well known for its small arms, cars and bicycles, is now a part of the Goering armament combine. The firm seems to havfe been entrusted with the administration and produc tion of aircraft firms '' taken over'' in occupied Poland, and has also ex panded its activities to Switzerland. The Swiss branch, the Steyr-Solou- thurn-Waffen A.G., has its head quarters in Zurich. Studies in "g"? '"PHE Aviation Medicine Research -*- Committee in Italy is being en larged and the scope of its studies ex tended. The Italian Government has appointed the following experts to act on this Committee for a period of three years:—Prof. Dante De Blasi, mem ber of the Roval Italian Arademv and Chief of the Institute of Hygiene of the Rome University; Prof. G. Bastian- elli, Lecturer in medical chemistry and pathology at the same University; F. Agostino Gemelli, Dean and Pro fessor of the Catholic University of Milan, and Prof. A. Malan, Chief of the Otho-Laryngological Clinic of the University of Turin. Focke-Wulf Comfort CINCE a short-range reconnaissance ^ aircraft has to be employed at frequent intervals and in close co operation with the ground forces, the comfort of the crew and the easy operation of instruments and arms are of great importance. The cabin ar rangements of the Focke-Wulf Fwi8g are therefore of special interest. The guiding idea of the designer was to give the crew of three the best possible visibility. The pilot, seated on the left-hand side, has in front of him the usual arrangement of flight instruments, and also controls the fixed machine guns. The observer's seat, on the right of the pilot, slides on rails, enabling easy access to the inbuilt cameras and arms. From the forward position the auto matic camera is within his easy reach ; from the rearmost position (by turning through 90 degrees) the observer can comfortably handle the wireless set placed behind the pilot's seat as well as operate a mobile machine gun. The third member of the crew, who acts as gunner, operates the rear gun. Exhaust heating is supplied to the cabin and to the leading edge of the wing. Another arrangement is a special protection of the cabin against the blinding effects of searchlights and sun reflections. What Jerry Thinks T17HILE in this country many " people who remember the much- promised air offensive against Ger many are puzzled by the slackening of "R A.F raids, the psychological effect on the Germans, if different, is even more serious. The reduced intensity of R.A.F. raids has given the Nazis an excellent opportunity to spread the idea of British weakness and for bol stering up their morale. The German Press criticises and ridicules this slackening of British raids. Thus, in Luftwissen of December, 1941, we find the following comments: "British air activity which was intensified after the sprkyz of 1941 has so slackened since OctoTS1! that the winter phase of the campaign may be considered as concluded. The non-stop offensive which the British people were promised became nothing but a nuisance offensive. Bad weather conditions can hardly account for this slackening of R.A.F. bombing raids, since, for day raids, bad weather is rather favourable. Indeed, the much- advertised British Non-stop Offensive has become, with the beginning of the winter, a modest air activity which was known from last winter. " Apart from the despatch of ' sym bolic ' fighter squadrons to Russia, the R.A.F. have more or less limited their day activity to attacks in the Channel area with limited and occa sional penetration inland. At night, although the frequency and disposi tion of the British raids was not inten sified, a higher average number of bombers was employed. " In the month of the strongest raids against Germany and occupied territories, the bomb load dropped was not much higher than that dropped by the Luftwaffe over the United Kingdom during two or three nights of mass attacks. "It is quite ridiculous to imagine," concludes the German periodical, "that with the vast territory of the Reich and the dispersal of its indi^v try, the reduced intensity of R.A.jjt bombing has crippled the German war/ production or achieved mastery, of the air in the Channel area.'' The Germans, however, do not explain the slacken ing of their own raids on Britain. Fiat RS 14 Seaplane Bomber. Powered with two Fiat A 74 engines of 840 h.p. each. Span 62.3ft.; length 43ft.; Surface 538 sq. ft.
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