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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 0347.PDF
FEBRUARY 15TH, 1945 FLIGHT 183 SAFETY FIRST couldn't be, and I doubt if it ever can be—but it has other and more important advantages to offer. At the price of, at the most, a ten per cent, failure to hold a schedule, air transport offers comfort, simplicity, speed, and a whole host of other,leas tangible advantages which can only be appreciated by th,e habitual air traveller. Let us not risk the addition of danger to the debit side by striving after the impossible. All I suggest—if it is not possible to start all over again with our conception of a good transport aircraft—is the development of a safer, more easily controlled, and more carefully directed transport type for operation in border-line weather conditions over comparatively short routes. Such a reserve aircraft might considerably help the maintenance of schedules and, i£ schedule-keeping continues to lie the ruling passion of operators, it will keep down the proportion of fatal acci- dents. In the meantime, let safety be the primary aim. " INDICATOR." REPORT ON CARRIERS (Concluded from page 181) official wording of the speed of the Indefatigable says ". . . of considerably more than 30 knots." Big aircraft carriers—the Americans have mentioned three of 45,000 tons—are exceedingly complicated to build and operate. But as with the heavy and light cruiser classes, it seems a strong case can be made for a carrier of some 20,000 tons and at least '' of considerably more than 30 knots '' which will meet the objections to the temporary escort carriers. ^S^These ships would plainly need extra deck space to make possible squadron operation. This would enable suffi- cient fighter protection to be flown off in one operation, thereby largely obviating the need for such additions as numerous gun batteries and armoured decks, as found in the big carriers. Indeed, since the trend for more carriers per fleet has so far advanced, the composition of a future fleet might well comprise one major carrier of 30,000 tons (or more), supported by a new class of smaller tonnage, high-speed, 20^ooo-ton or so scaled-down versions carrying at least the same numbers of aircraft and haying the same deck space as the bigger brothers. Such an addition would very materially advance air power at sea, and would banish many anomalies. However, wars are won by men rather than materials. And coincident with material improvement there can be seen a change of outlook in the Navy itself. More and more sea-going Captains are having or have had direct contact with the air side, and this—despite the cheap gibes of sea and air diehards—is all to the good. It must be remembered that in the Navy itself have grown up in aviation officers now of Captain's rank. But the qualities which urged them to go flying in the danger- ous days of their youth do not necessarily qualify them for command of a major warship, primarily as seamen. On the contrary, the cool and calculated daring of such non-aviator officers as Admirals Vian and Somerville seems to derive from their understanding of air power and a clear grasp of the extent and limitations of aircraft which they use as a background to their sea knowledge. These qualities are only engendered by long years at sea. The unfortunate fact is that many of the rising tide of naval flying officers have had to sacrifice so much of their sea experience in order to acquire aviation experience. So that if, as a matter of high policy, it must lie recog- nised that some of the aviation-bred naval Captains can- not have their cake and eat it, at least it is encouraging that war actions have shown the purely sailor Captains that they can, with advantage and increased efficiency to the Fleets, trim the sails of the die-hard principles of British XVIIIth and XlXth Centuries navies to the aero- nautical factors and needs of the XXth—and after. Mr. A. Duckham. DEATH OF MR. A. DUCKHAM ALEXANDER , DUCKHAM.founder and governing director of Alexander Duckham and Co., Ltd.,and chairman and governing director of The Trinidad Central Oilfields,Ltd., who died recently after an operation, had a long and close con-nection with aviation. He took up flying in 1910 and became a closefriend of M. Louis Bleriot. It was he who provided the memorial stone atDover on the spot where Bleriot landed after his cross-Channel flightin 1909. Apart from his connection with the aircraft industry through hisoil business, Mr. Duckham became known to the Royal Air Force for his great work on behalfof the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund, for which lie often pleaded and to which he contributed not only money but VanbrughCastle, Blackheath, and Rooks Hill House, Sevenoaks, which he presented for the benefit of orphans of R.A.F. personnel,together with a grant of /i,ooo a year towards upkeep. "LOCAL" DELIVERY! A LETTER posted in London was delivered at Gibraltar onthe following day recently. It was one of many thousands to be flown from the UnitedKingdom to the Forces overseas by aircraft af R.A.F. Trans- port Command. All Transport Command aircraft flying onoverseas routes now carry troop mail which enjoys an over- riding priority. The Command's postal network extends over more than100,000 miles of regular routes from Canada to India, and it is not unusual for a letter posted in Montreal to arrive at itsdestination in England three days later. AUSTRALIAN BUSH FIRE DANGER SPECIAL Australian reconnaissance aircraft are patrollingbush fire danger areas in the Commonwealth. Forestry Commission spotters travel in the aircraft to direct groundactivity by radio. Aircraft on training and travel flights are on the alert to report: outbreaks. Supply-dropping to people trapped by fires, and in areaswhere ground communications are difficult, are other phases of the work of Australian aircraft in helping meet the bush fin-menace. The Volunteer Air Observers Corps (the Australian counterpart of the Royal Observer Corps) is also co-operating. S.L.A.E. PROGRAMME OF LECTURES THE following programme of lectures has been arranged bythe Society of Licensed Aircraft Engineers for the rest of February and the first week in March. February 15U1—Prestwick (Prestwick Airport). Lecture withSound Film: Principles of the Construction, Adjustments and Operation of the Hydromatic Propeller. Time, 7 p.m.February 16th—Perth. Lecture witli Sound Him : Principles of the Construction, Adjustments and ()|n-r;itirin of the Ilyflro-. ma tic Propeller. Time to be anrioimn 1 locally. " February 17th—Aberdeen. Lecture with Sound Film : VariablePitch Propellers. Time to be. announcer! locally. ' February iqth—Yorkshire (Brought). Lecture with Sound Film:Principles of the Construction, Adjustments and Operation of Hydromatic Propellers. Time to be announced locally. February 20th—Derby (Derby Airport). Lecture with SoundFilm: The Principles of Construction, Adjustments and Opera- tion of Hydromatic Propellers; at 7 o'clock.February 26th—Wolverhampton (Airport Concert Hall). Lecture with Sound Film at 7.30 p.m.March 3rd—Hendon. Lecture with Sound Film : " Trend of Design and Development of Variable-pitch Propellers." By A. V.Cleaver. Applications for admittance rn be made belore Feb- ruary 28th to Society, 224, Recent Street, VV.i. March 3rd (approximately)—Durban. Lecture: Propeller DesignProspects. Exact date and time will be announced locally.
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