FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0441.PDF
MARCH 2ND, 1944 FLIGHT 220 SAFETY IN THE AIR all, such a speed over any route shows a time saving that 110 form of surface transport can possibly compete with, and should be developed economically on that basis. I have not the slightest doubt that, with more efficient air craft and power units, combined with other developments of which we are only on the threshold at present, com mercial speeds will eventually materially increase, but not just at present. A considerable amount of development should be given to the lower end speed scale ; aircraft are landing much too fast, and although high landing speeds are quite admis sible when you have a large and well-equipped airport to put down on, with a runway of some 2,000-3,000 yards, it is quite another matter if you are obliged to land hur riedly at some small intermediate field, or even on no field at 'all. This comes back full-circle to the ever-present problem of safety, and I think that the fullest possible investigations should be made into the question of the optimum employment of slots or flaps or any other device which will ensure the lowest possible stalling and landing ~k speeds. And my final remark on this subject is that the ~ danger of fire in a crash must be virtually eliminated ; there is no more horrible thought than that of being roasted alive in a burning aircraft, when the elimination of the fire danger might result in nothing worse than a few scratches or bruises. Types of Service The last salient point is the choice of types of service which we should offer to the public. These may be roughly divided as follows: — (1) "Express" or "Mail Express." (2) " Main Line " service. (3) "Tourist" or "Cabin ' service, failing a better name. "Express" or "Mail Express."—Fastest possible ser vice, carrying chiefly surcharged mail, but with accom modation for a few urgent passengers, not necessarily in great comfort, and some urgent freight. This service would be operated by specially designed high-speed aircraft, not necessarily very large, operated by crews in relays. They would operate at high frequency by day and night, and stop (and exchange loads) at prin cipal points only, on-carrying to other cities and towns on the system being conducted by local feeder lines. (2) "Main Line."—-Not so fast as "Express" and operated by larger aircraft, carrying all-up mail, passen- /*, gers in the greatest comfort, and freight. They should 'operate on a reasonably high frequency, but not necessarily at night. (In this respect, though, night flying for all classes of traffic is inevitable and desirable, and will have TI7ITH the death of Mr. Wallace Barr, as a result of ^* enemy action, British aviation has lost one of its best known and most popular figures. The tragedy is a double one in that Mrs. Wallace Barr lost her life by the same homb. Their son, who is in the Royal Air Force, was home on leave and was injured, while his married sister escaped with her baby. A. J. A. Wallace Barr was born in London in 1889. He was a nephew of Lt. Cdr. H. E. Perrin, secretary of the Royal Aero Club, and a frequent visitor to the club throughout his aeronautical career, which began in 191 r, when he founded Cellon, Ltd., to manufacture aircraft dopes. The business began in a very small way, with "Wallace Barr as managing director, staff and general factotum combined in his person. He it was who intro duced to this country aircraft dopes of the cellulose type, which were a great improvement compared with the materials then in use. to be provided for). The idea of this service is to provide de luxe accommodation on the longer Empire or trans- Continental routes. Long hops between principal points would again be the rule, with on-carrying once more per formed by local feeder lines, as in (1), but the flying would be limited to between 0900 and 1700 each day. Such an aircraft would cruise at about 250 m.p.h., so should cover about 2,000 miles a day. Passengers would thus be able to have a good breakfast before they started (thus avoid ing the unpleasantness of very early rises), in addition to arriving at their nightstop in timy for tea (assuming this custom is universally perpetra^d), a bath, change, and a full" evening's enjoyment of dining in comfort, sight seeing, conducting business, or even a mere lowly pub- crawl! With an "Express" service in addition to this "Main Line," the likelihood of having passengers travel ling on a matter of life and death on the latter service, and consequently being upset by a leisurely evening, vould not arise. Also, it would not be such a strain as present schedules on the elderly and /or infirm, besides limiting the necessary catering, to light, though well served, meals in the air, and thus avoid past unsuccessful endeavours to serve heavier and hot meals. In addition, the latter consideration would reduce the weight of the buffet equip ment required. A Use for Old Aircraft Although I have indicated, that night-flying on such a service will inevitably .cotneT I. do feel that at least one kind of service should night-stop as outlined above, and that the class of passenger indicated would be the most likely to pay for it. (3) The above considerations also lead one to believe that there might well be scope for a third type of pas senger (and other load) service which might be termed " Tourist" or " Cabin " for want of a better name. This would be slower than the "Express" or "Mam Line" services, and would cater chiefly for freight, although having accommodation for a limited number of passengers and parcel mail. This could well be operated by obsoles cent aircraft, thus utilising them to the fullest extent, and would call at more places on any given route—in fact, a sort of bus service. Such a service would operate on day and night schedules, and I am very keen on sejnng all ser vices do so wherever practicable, in view of the greater economy obtained by operating machinery for as many hours out of the twenty-four as possible, and because this eliminates an advantage which surface transport would otherwise have over us. Thus, very briefly and sketchily, have I outlined my views of what we should aim for. There are several points which I have not been able to mention, e.g., landplane or flying boat?, high-wing, low-wing or flying wing?, pres sure cabins?, passengers' comments and complaints, cater in'g problems, loa^rffg baggage and sorting mail, etc., etc. From those modest beginnings Wallace Barr built up the great business which made Cellon world famous. Dopes of the cellulose type played an important part in British avia tion in the days of fabric covering, but Wallace Barr saw farther afield, and in time his company achieved renown for its paints, varnishes and lacquers, qot only in their application to aircraft but to buildings and other things. Wallace Barr was one of those somewhat rare men (although we have not a few of them in the aircraft indus try) whose charm is not dimmed by worldly success. To the very end he retained an almost boyish enthusiasm, and in the days before the war there were few flying meetings or other aviation events at which he was not present. British aviation is very much the poorer for his passing, and to his son and daughter we extend our sincere sympathy in the loss of their parents. The funeral was held at Golders Green Crematorium last Saturday. Many members of the aircraft industry attended. HEATH OF WALLACE III It II
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
