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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0272.PDF
I FLIGHT FEBRUARY IOTH, 1044 / keep watch round North Africa, Sardinia and Corsica are mainly French. It was French troops which reconquered Corsica, and at the time comment was made in these columns that squadrons of Spitfires with French pilots worked with 4he ground troops. Now the waters of the western Mediterranean are mainly guarded by French aircraft, which continually send out anti-submarine patrols over wide areas, maintaining constant vigilance against an enemy who is always on the alert and constantly sending out reconnaissances. World's Best Aircraft SINCE it is to be supposed that but a very small percentage of our readers have an opportunity to see our American contemporary Flying, we are publishing in this issue an arresting article by Mr. Peter Masefield which appeared in the January issue of that journal. It purpoits to select the "best" aircraft in 22 categories, and the author comes to the conclusion that 16 bests out of the 22 are American, the other six British. This result, while doubtless pleasing to our American friends, has already caused some surprise among British readers, the more so as Mr. Masefield does not give chapter and verse for the basis of his selection because actual performance figures cannot be published. " If," he says, " that puts into the estimate of results some thing of the atmosphere of the patent medicine adver tisement whose prescription is a professional secret, then I must ask forgiveness and plead the unfortunate result of inevitable and essential wartime restriction." Mr. Masefield's desire to evaluate the merits of different aircraft is understandable. A great many years ago we introduced to this country the JEverling "high speed figure," which had been suggested by the German professor of that name. That figure was based upon exact performance figures obtained in actual flight tests and "dithatany rate give a figure of merit for aero dynamic efficiency. But when the system is extended I / / CONTENTS The Outlook . - - War in the Air - Here and There A Russian Dive Bomber Germany's " Secret Weapon " The World's Best Aircraft - Aircraft in Flying Attitudes . Flying Boats - - - Correspondence Spitfire Assembly at Casablanca Behind the Lines Service Aviation - - - - - - - - - - - - 135 - - 137 140 142 - MS 146 150 152 154 156 158 159 < len / to take into account a large number of features, includ ing performance, fire power, general offensiveness and handling qualities, and when, moreover, the estimator tries to imagine what verdict would be given at a con ference of the C. in C. of air operations, the aircrew, the ground crew and the production engineer, then one feels that something rather more than a superman would be needed. The judgment of Paris was child's play by comparison. He only had three women from whorry^s select one as the "best." Mr. Masefield admits that an aircraft has completely incalculable qualities, and that in some ways it is essentially feminine. That being so, it might have been wiser of Mr. Masefield to bear in mind the fate of Paris and to have remained faithful to his Oenone. Even when the prescription can be given on the bottle, such comparisons can lead to almost any desired results, and it may often happen that three months elapse between the writing and the publication, by which time any conclusion reached may be badly in need of revi sion. Moreover, it should not be overlooked that while our American friends are apt to talk a little ahead of achievement, the official habit in this country is to be months or even years behind in disclosing our actual achievements. ON EXHIBITION MOSQUITO SORTIE : One of the many excellent photographs now on show at the Camera Club. Pilgrim. Details of the exhibition appear on page 144. It was taken by Fit. Lt. R. E.
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