FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1150.PDF
542 F LI MAY 28TH, 1942 FUTURE of theAIRC^AFT ENGINEER Possible Shortage^-of $kttted Men Aftejfthe War : Selected Workers Should be Trained fay Peacetime Industry By GORDON H. G. WHAT chances lie in the pale of to-morrow J^r the • younger generation of aircraft engineers Jmo, at this moment^are presented with fjhe opportunity of a lifetime ; a chancVto learn and train undar ideal and prolific conditions all tHe multitudinous isSftles connected with the business of aircrtkfc): engineering. Undoubtedly, the profession is full of interes1^«ui_b^pJdjjout_t_a, amount of glamour to those who aim for its higher aspects, lor the flying machine, undoubtedly, is possessed of that indefinable aura we call "glamour." The modern aircraft has made its name, and most cer- -fcainly its appeal, in tjsfs world struggle, and, although the writer does not imply that it has won its appeal through the medium of destruction but rather from its heroic role as defender of the free, who can say we should be free if it had not been for the aircraft? The war has brought it into the limelight, and in that light we cannot fail to see its vast potential possibilities in the fields of industry, commerce and pleasure. The landscape is immeasurable, and though each and all must be concerned with the con duct of the war, we can, nevertheless, mould the material during wartime so that when peace comes .that material sjsUl be fully processed and ready to take its place in the formation of a new era—the flying age. 1 Overcrowding ? Undoubtedly, the question will be asked: "Is not the aeronautical field overcrowded ? '' And the answer to that is "Yes," but only in the sense that the industry is bloated by staff which has been recruited for the purposes of wartime production, and which, when analysed, can only be regarded as a number of square pegs which have been forced into round holes for the duration. Many people have gate-crashed into aviation, others have been recruited, and all, no doubt, are doing their jobs to the best of their ""aBIlity. Before one is in a position to make a superficial statement as to the profession being overcrowded, the spot light has got to be turned on the jobs these people do, and to analyse the specifications which were necessary in order to fit them into these jobs, then to assess their standing on a peacetime basis, and, finally, to estimate what is left for the young aircraft engineer, and how his training should develop, in order that he may be in a position to fill the posts created by post-war development. Before the war, the industry was beginning to find its legs, as at that period the manufacture of military aircraft was undoubtedly showing signs of progress, even though it was of infinitesimal size in relation to the gigantic pro gramme of to-day. The technicians and scientists had been in the game since the beginning—they were all well trained, and had received their knowledge and experience in the great firms operating at that time, and their pro gress and development was watched very carefully. The position of the ground engineer was somewhat different. These men, for some quite unknown reason, have been regarded as the ugly duoklings of the profession, and yet, who could underestimate the qualified ground M*»gineer of to-day, for he has not gate-crashed but rather earned his licences by hard practical experience, and won his job by what he knows of the practical side of the business. One has only to walk round any repair depot or flight shed to appreciate the value of his work, for it is he who leads by the hand that vast array of labour which walks in darkness along the tricky paths of aircraft repair and maintenance. It is good to know that at last the ground engineer has found his rightful place in aircraft engineering, and it is hoped he will retain his standing when commercial flying is under way. BETT, A.R.AeiS., Grad.I.P.E. Just before the production drive began it can be said the .—. technicians ^.nd scientists of the aircraft industry were well trained; tlfat they had gained their experience along the leisurelyyunes of peacetime development and production, and thsft there was sufficient of them to go round, whereby could handle the extra work that became necessary by the slight impetus given to the production of military air craft at that time. Then suddenly, like an avalanche, came the order for more output; shadow factories sprang up like , mushrooms overnight, and contracts of enormous size were distributed to one and all concerned. The result of this was that the industry found itseiMlot only short of labour but of those people who make aircrafi„_ on paper—the Boys of the Back Room. The inevitable result was that people who were skilled in the design and production were offered king's ransoms for their services. There arose a great shortage of these people, and they were more sought after than a man with a string of murders in his wake. " How, then," it may be asked, " is the aircraft industry managing to-day? " This is an important question, for round it hangs the future of the younger generation of air craft engineers who, at this moment, are engaged upon furthering the end of the war to a victorious conclusion. To produce the aircraft in the quantity required, it became necessary to break down specialised jobs in they same manner as the manufacturing processes are broken down in order to absorb diluted labour; which means to say you have to-day men and, for that matter, women who call themselves draughtsmen, but who in reality are doing a sub-section of the draughtman's job, which makes it no less important from their aspect, but for the purposes of this analysis it does bring to light the essential fact (which no one "in the know" will query) that these people are only being utilised in such capacity as their short training has enabled them to fulfil, and that, as such, they are not—' draughtsmen. Wartime Dilution The draughtsman's job, like many others, has been broken down to various sub-sections which can be allocated to persons with short training, thus leaving the draughts man in a position to supervise the work of the drawing office and to concentrate on the problems of their k)b, which have increased through mass production, consfipj new designs and modifications. The same applies to plan ning. These departments of our aircraft factories are filled with people who know nothing of planning beyond its basic principles. Their job is to draw up schedules on information laid before them by the planning engineenr-"" Of course, it must be admitted that in the aircraft in dustry, as in other walks of life, you get the exception to the rule; you have the occasional person who studies the art and science of aircraft engineering, and finds himself absorbing it like a sponge. He moves from one sphere to another; his talents are recognised, and he is given a position worthy of his knowledge. So well and good! Conversely, you have the other 99 per cent, doing a part of a very specialised job, and it is at this stage there is the grave danger that the potential aircraft engineer of to morrow (by this is meant the young engineer whose life—* is dedicated to aircraft, and who possesses the necessary make-up and talent to become a designer, planner, Research or test engineer, or an executive on the production or administrative side of aviation) will be lost sight of in the mass that is. only engaged Jn the industry for the duration. And in being overlooked he will be lost to the industry of to-morrow, which certainly will be in need of first-class
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
