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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1136.PDF
594 FLIGHT JUNE IST, 1044 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents. The name* and addresses of the writers, not necessarily'for publication, must in all cases accompany tetters. INFORMATION LEAKAGE N.A.S.C. Not Guilty I HAD no wish to'jein in the "mud-slinging contest" which has appeared in your journal recently under the heading of "Information Leakage," but I have been compelled by Cadet E. G. Farman in the May 18th issue to take up arms for the N.A.S.C. It is an utter impossibility for an N.A.S.C. member to divulge secret informatfan concerning our later types of air craft, for the very simple reason that they do not receive it. The terms of priority which is allowed* to us (and then only to bona fide raid-spotting members, and not to any of our other sections) are that the aircraft must have "flown in the face of the enemy." This is the last and least grade, and-by the time the Air Ministry is sure that the enemy has had a good look at the aircraft and the release has passed through the various official channels, even the schoolboys know it by sight and name! The A.T.C., I believe, are granted information when the air craft goes into squadron service—which is one grade higher than us, but, again, not so very "secret." I have my own ideas where a lot of the leakage occurs, bat will keep them to myself, for, as I said at the start, I do not want to suffer the indignity of participating in a slanging match. G. F. L. COTGROVE. (Publicity Officer, N.A.S.C.) JET PROPULSION OF AIRCRAFT Application to Airscrew Rotation C OULD one of your readers give me an opinion as to the possi bility of applying jet reaction to rotate airscrews, as I am under the impression that a combination of small jet units O M* MIXTUHt INJEttOR MftlUi.Lt SUtS •-OI»>Cl5St.C MR.L.FULU KIXTuR.t POS.C.CD ,ftY COWPdLS&OK. THROUGH HOLLO* M«.SCR.C*r ftl»Dt 70 JtT »T IIP. TO CO*Pft.LSSOft. 1M M«lC».tW boss bLiDL FORMING COOLING CHft*titH located at the tip of each airscrew blade, providing indirect jet propulsion via the usual airscrew com bination, would be more efficient, at normal flying speeds than a proportionally larger jet unit applied in the conventional manner, providing direct jet propulsion. The late Sefior de la Cierva's suggestion of the possibility of applying jet reaction to rotate rotors of rotating - wing a i r - craft, as mentioned in previous issues of Flight, is, to my knowledge, the only instance of anyone considering this particular application of jet reaction. Surely there are others who have considered the application of jet reaction to the airscrew in the manner suggested and as shown in the enclosed sketch. If not, why not? ROBERT SHORTER. ftULKHlKO FUTURE OF CIVIL AVIATION Freight Pays Better Than People SIR ROY FEDDEN'S lecture on the future of civil avia tion, from a technical point of view, is most interesting and instructive, with the exception that he almost entirely neglects the freight-carrying machine of large capacity and moderate speed, which is a machine, in my opinion, that has not yet been properly developed. The correct design for this type of machine is the " Tandem " system given such prominence in Flight of late, and I have designed machines of this type ranging from 100 tons to 300 tons, which are 25 per cent, more efficient than the orthodox type of machine. These are, of course, flying boats, as 100 tons and 300 tons cannot be landed on an undercarriage. Having had a considerable amount of experience^in railway operation both in England and in South America, I am shocked at the very scant knowledge shown in aviation circles of the carrier business, for the simple reason that they put passenger- carrying first and foremost in their airline companies, and, in fact, do not consider freight at all. Railway and shipping com panies, on the other hand, think little or nothing of passenger traffic, as it is not considered a paying proposition. They carry passengers purely as an advertisement, and more or less as an obligation to the public, but I can assure you they do not pay. Now here we have the reason for the airline companies' lack of profit, which is simply due to their lack of experience in the' carrier business. I am quite convinced that the airline would show a good profit if it were to adopt the policy of carrying freight as the basis of its business and treat passenger carrying as a secondary con sideration. There is plenty of freight of all descriptions that wants carrying at high speed over long distances. The future of civil aviation, therefore, is dependent, not on the passenger- carrying machine, but on the freight-carrying machine of the tandem tvpe with a pay load of 100 tons. J. R. GOULD. (Major, late R.A.F.) STATUS OF DRAUGHTSMEN Objects of the A.E.S.D. THE letter from Mr. A. R. Short which appeared in your issue of May nth calls for comment on behalf of the 40,000 members of the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen, if only to provide some information which appears to be lacking. Mr. Short mentions three items in the aim of an institution such as he contemplates: (1) To raise the status of draughts men; (2) to bring draughtsmen together in the manner of the professional engineering bodies by means of debates, lectures and industrial visits; and (3) to encourage young draughtsmen by practical recognition of their technical successes at an earlier date than would be the case with the professional bodies. The purpose of this letter is to poijit out that all three of these are prominent in the objects of the Association. In regard to the first, the t/iew has consistently been held through out the existence of the Association that the status of draughts men and their colleagues (designers, calculators, engineering estimators and planners) is largely covered in the practical recognition of their services to the industry by adequate re muneration and satisfactory working conditions, which when achieved will bring with them the true "status" required. And, as for the second, the Association has had for many years a policy of publication of technical pamphlets and text-books, lectures and works visits, which is also directed to the elevation of status of its members by the improvement of their technical qualifications. The publications, which sell in thousands, deal with all branches of engineering and' shipbuilding, and are highly thought of by employers and staffs alike. As regards the third point, the younger members are actively encouraged by the Association's technical work in which they participate; and it is not clear how ability to call themselves junior associates, etc., of an Institution, which is avowedly to be of a lower standard than those already in existence, will provide any additional and lasting encouragement. It was recently suggested in a reply to Mr. Short by the Editor of another well-known technical journal that "it is a little difficult to see how a new institution formed specifically for draughtsmen could offer better advantages or, indeed, any that are as good" as those provided by the existing bodies. I would venture to state that the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen can, as regards its technical work, be claimed to be a body which has existed for some con siderable time and which has fulfilled the purposes proposed by the writer of the letter which appeared in your columns. PETER DOIG. (General Secretary, Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen.) t
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