FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1234.PDF
674 FLIGHT JUNE 2IST, 1945 CO&&ESPONDENCE The Editor does no! ho'd himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents. The names and addresses of the writers, viot necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters NEW FIFTH SEA LORD An Ambiguity Removed AN ambiguously worded phrase in the notice which I con-tributed to Flight, May 3rd, 1945, may have been erroneously interpreted as implying that Vice-Admiral Boyd— the late Fifth Sea Lord—was not air-minded. Of course, his brilliant record both at sea and in high Admiralty office shows him to have been, and still to be, one of the most progressive and urgently air-minded of all the senior officers connected with naval aviation, and I therefore hasten to correct any phrasing which might have given a contrary impression when read out of context. B. J. HURREN. • NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM Difficulties that should be Considered 1SUGGEST that this matter requires very careful considera-tion before any decision be made, and I venture to suggest a few difficulties: — (a) Is it desirable to multiply museums? The subject is covered at present, more or less adequately, by the Science Museum in regard to technical development, and by the Im- perial War Museum for the record of operational achievement in the last and the present war. (6) Assuming a new museum be desirable, surely the only possible site would be in central London, where ifc would be easily accessible to the maximum number cf visitors. (c) The practical objection to showing all types of actual aircraft, rather than models, is that no building smaller than the old Crystal Palace would be adequate, and to find space for this, subject to (&), would be almost out of the question, apart from the colossal expenditure involved. " REALIST." AIRCRAFT NOISE An Earsplitting "Harvard" Roar AS a regular reader of many years' standing of your highlyesteemed publication, I would consider it a great favour if any of your readers could give an explanation for the fol- lowing An aircraft resembling a North American "Harvard" trainer is flying along at a reasonable altitude in level flight, when suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the speed appears to drop slightly and simultaneously the engine gives a really earsplitting roar. There is no change in the aircraft's progress, the flight continuing before, during and after this roar in a perfectly normal fashion. This earsplitting roar occurs at intervals during the time the aircraft is in the air, and as there is generally a considerable number in the air together, the resultant din has to be heard to be fully appreciated, and is nerve-racking, especially for people advanced in years. If the noise is necessary, no one could reasonably take excep- tion to it, but if it is simply a "stunt" on the part of the pilot it would be better foi the local population if it were to cease forthwith, as at present there is no respite day or night. W. R. CAMPBELL. MAN-POWER AND CIVIL AVIATION An Enthusiastic Technician's Experience YOUR leading article, " Man-power and Civil Aviation," inFlight, May 31st, has prompted me to write to you as 1 thought you might be interested to hear another point of view —that of the technician (if I am not overrating myself). I have had 8-£ years' experience in the aircraft industry (not long, I admit, when one thinks of the "old sweats," but long enough to cover " the " types of to-day, i.e., metal). My experience covers production, repair and overhaul, D.T.D. experimental and flight test, as charge-hand, foreman, senior foreman and superintendent. My varied experience in the industry has been due to an enthusiastic desire to "gen up"; the positions 1 have held came my way more or less automatically owing to the know- ledge obtained so enthusiastically, not through any particular ambitious desire. (I say this because I know a few ambitious types in the industry who have the position but technically they "haven't a clue."/ The point I want to press home is that my heart and soul is in aircraft A few months ago the contract I was on—the repair and overhaul of front-line aircraft—was completed and, the com- pany concerned not having any further interest in aircraft, I became unemployed I registered with the Ministry of Labour Appointments Board, mentioning I was prepared to consider any position which might be available in the aircraft industry. I have also contacted many well-known companies in the industry through the usual channels, and the reply is usually '' We have no position to offer a man with your quali- fication^ etc., etc.," However, when I saw the M.A.P. advertisement in your columns (and bearing in mind that I had been oh M.A.P. con- tracts for over six yeaTs) 1 thought "Just up my street!" and not wishing to be too ambitious I applied for the " lesser " position of Technical Officer. After submitting my application I set to and started to sort out all the points the designer always (or nearly always, ahem !) seems to miss—points from the pilot's angle. I have come in contact with quite a number of well-known test pilots during the course of my duties and, without exception, they have all passed such remarks as " Whj the hell have they put it there? " or " If I had three hands I'<J be okay in this cockpit! " and so On. As for my own experience, I have come across a considerable amount of design points that could do with modification when it comes to maintenance and handling of the aircraft. But I'm afraid I was a bit too presumptuous, as yesterday I received the "We regret to inform you . . " So much for the position of Technical Officer; maybe M.A.P. had a preview of your " Outlook " column? So much from my point of view; I suppose eventually I'll be directed to some job about which / haven't a "clue." R. L. HUGHES. FLYING-BOAT MOORINGS A Point About Seaplane Floats I WAS glad to see Mr. Oswald Short's letter in Flight, June7th, in which he gave further interesting information con- cerning his own and his brother Eustace's work in improving flying-boat moorings, and in which he made a kindly reference to myself. He will, I am sure, however, permit me to correct him on one small point when he writes that I made my first flight to Greenland '' with a de Havilland Moth fitted with Short all-metal floats to convert it into a seaplane. ..." Actually, when I made my first attempt at flying the Arctic Air Route in 1933 1 used my old Gipsy Moth, Rouge et Noir, converted to seaplane with a second-hand pair of Blackburn Bluebird floats. These were very sturdy floats, and although perhaps they did not appear as smooth and streamlined as the Short type, their adverse effect 011 performance was a good deal less than expected. The top speed was 97 m.p.h.; I reached a ceiling of 12,000ft., and took off with 70 galls, of fuel plus a lot of wireless and emergency gear. The cruising speed of 75 m.p.h. was above the estimate of Mr. R. M. Clarkson, de Havilland's chief aerodynamicist. In 1934 I did use Short floats on my second and successful j attempt to reach Ottawa—this time with a de Havilland Fox^ Moth. Now my cruising speed rose to 90 m.p.h., and I was ~ able to cross the Greenland Ice Cap (which runs up to nearly 10,oooft.) in a flight of 317 miles at between 10,000 and 12,oooft. At the same time another Fox Moth, equipped with Canadian floats, was being flown by "7lt. Lt. W. E. Hampton in the Antarctic. The reason for using Canadian floats was that these were much rr.ors rugged than the standard Short product, and they would stand up to battering amongst snow and ice much better. On the other hand, Hampton's cruising performance was down on mine and he found climbing to 10,oooft. only just possible with reduced load. The moral of all this is that if we are going to sell seaplane floats abroad we must send out something a bit more resistant to abuse than the article which meets the very gentile requii«*| ments of seaplane operations around these shores. In America and Canada many people admired the sleek appearance of my Short floats—they are probably the best of any in the world aerodynamically and for lightness, but observed that they would never stand up to conditions in those countries. There- fore, if we want the foreign markets, let us retain the British characteristics of cleanness, but concede a little weight in order to attain the sturdiness necessary for operating under the con- ditions pervailing overseas, JOHN GRIERSON.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
