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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0624.PDF
G H T MARCH 23RD, 1944 W 322 F L I CORRESPONDENCE a quite intelligent boy say promptly "10 cwt.—10 men," the trouble being that he thinks of a lever as a textbook exercise in the "Theory of Moments," and not as an actual practical means of obtaining mechanical advantage to move a load with the minimum of effort. How often is one asked "What is the use of mathematics? " the questioner being under the impres sion that it is a species of mental jugglery in which the manipu lator, if he is sufficiently skilful, will produce a correct answer rather on the lines of a human slide rule. In this connection it seems a pity that the history of mathematics is not more widely taught, somewhat on the lines of Hogben's " Mathe matics for the Million." If the mind is incapable of using knowledge in an intelligent way, then the acquisition of knowledge becomes so much waste of time, and in this connection the question of "unused erudition " does not arise. The wider the range of subjects which are studied, the more pliable and versatile should the mind become, and the more capable of reasoned thought and application to new problems. In any case, it is often much more useful to know how and where to look for information than to try and memorise an impossible amount. Certain basic facts must, of course, be committed to memory, but it does not follow that all information need be of a strictly utilitarian value; much of it may never be used, but its study has cer tainly broadened the mind; the chief danger of early specialisa tion being the very narrow outlook which it engenders. When the student leaves his university or technical college his education is not ended; it is really only beginning, as he is not faced with the problem of continuing to educate himself, a process which will probably continue throughout his pro fessional life. In this event, if the student finds himself engaged subsequently in a highly specialised department, he will probably have at his disposal a considerable amount of infor mation which has accrued through previous experience. In addition, he will have to read all published information on the subject, either in textbook form or the journals of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Institution of Production Engineers, or other appropriate technical body, both here and abroad. A close study of the current technical Press will be essential in order to keep abreast of developments. The article deals more particularly with production problems, and there does appear to be a need for some basic training in the modern science of industrial management, time and motion study, quality control, etc., although it is difficult to see how training can be given in actual production problems without engaging in works production; in training conditions the amount produced can never be on sufficiently large a scale to simulate factory conditions. One imagines that in post-war education considerably greater use will have to be made of applied psychology in all types of training. G. D. DUGUID. THAMES-SIDE AIRPORT Suggested Alternative to the " Miles " Plan TTHE illustration of an aerial view of a model of the suggested •*• Thames-side airport which you published in Flight on February 10th, visualised by Mr. F. G. Miles and designed by Mr. Guy Morgan, appears to me to overlook a number of most important points. In view of the greatest length of the seadrome, the prevailing wind appears to be in such a direction that it is blowing from W.S.W. to E.N.E. across the picture, and this will therefore make it essential for boats to take off or land directly over the main airport buildings, which, to say the least of it, is extremely undesirable. Also there appears to be no jetty or refuelling station, or slipway for repairs, and these are essential for a flying boat base. The provision of a sheltered beach hangar would be essential for easy operation and quick main tenance. It would also be necessary to moor a certain number of boats to buoys, and this would restrict the available amount of water. From the scissors runways it appears from the illustration that should the pilot of an aircraft be taking off towards the airport buildings he has only to swing 2-3 deg. to "write off " himself and his passengers, not to mention the unfortunate ground personnel. This also applies to other aircraft landing in the opposite direction and approaching past the main build ings. In addition, it appears that if an aircraft wishes to taxi out from one end of the airport building to the start of the runway, the only way it can get to its take-off position from the upwind side is by taxying across the intersection of the main runways. This should provide quite a few headaches for the flying control officer and much apprehension on the part of the fire crew. These remarks apply to operations of the airport by day, but at night the hazards would be increased enormously with the close proximity of the main airport buildings. There also appears to be very little provision for accessible hangarage, and leaves the airport open to the possibility of unplanned development of odd buildings here and there such as developed at most of the civil airports now in use in this country. Judging from those which we have visited it appears that unless some rigid rule is laid down at the start, Air Ministry officials who have never flown an aircraft in their lives suddenly decide to construct hangars, maintenance buildings, static water tanks, etc., alongside runways, or in the main approach path to the runways. We think it is therefore essential that a definite area should be allocated for hangarage which will not interfere with the flying or clear approach to the runways. One other point which appears likely to cause some difficulty will be the control of boats and aircraft taking off, each enter ing the other's circuit (it is only too easy for two aircraft to collide). We think that the idea of having what would obviously be a busy airport within a few hundred yards of an artificial seadrome would be very undesirable, and in view of the development of the landplane with its increasing range and speed we are sure that the most desirable procedure would be to make use -of the existing flying-boat facilities and linkj those to a main airport with feeder lines. £ The scale is not given in the photograph, but we imagine that by the appearance of the runways they are not more than 3,000 yards. This would make the take-off run the same as that of the seadrome, and although a flying boat does not need a great deal of space to take-off and land, in view of the fact that the seadrome appears to be bounded by a concrete wall, this distance does not appear at all safe to me. We enclose a sketch showing the lines on which we think an airfield should be constructed to cope with the heavy air craft of the near future, and we think it essential for safe fl^ftfe (which, after all, is the major consideration with rega: " \<> post-war airline operation) that open farmland should be pre served for at least a mile on the approaches to the runways. These we have indicated in the attached sketch. Furthermore, as aircraft increase in size it will become essen tial, for ease in turning, to provide large concrete or tarmac spaces at the end of each runway. With regard to hangarage, definite spaces should be allocated which, as development takes place, will develop in such a manner that they will not interfere with the flying approaches to the airport; the main airport buildings should be extended away from the airfield rather than parallel to it. A point we consider to be worth some consideration is that, generally speaking, unless local geographical conditions make it undesirable, flying control should be placed south of an airfield it this hemisphere so that the flying control officer for the most part of the day is not staring towards the sun, and also has the best view for take-offs and landings into prevailing wind, which is usualy E.N.E.-W.S.W. Such refinements as "Stop" and "Go" lights for airfield cars and electric indicator arrows for perimeter tracks to» be followed, etc., will obviously come in due course as secondary considerations, but they add immeasurably to the ease and speed-up of operations which go to make for the smooth running J. WINSTON. H
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