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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1645.PDF
AUGUST 22ND, I946 FLIGHT 2OX CORRESPONDENCE The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents. The names and addresses of the writers. not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters. "JOE ERK" REPLIES Aircrews Showed Their Appreciation HAVE read the recent letters addressed to " Joe Erk," and as one who worked in this capacity during wartime I should 'ke to say " Thank you " to your correspondents. Our work was sometimes tiring and the hours long, but we had interest in our " kites " and, of course, in the crews. Their job was more hazardous than ours, and it was up to us to make their task assured so far as efficiency of the aircraft was concerned. I was on 467 Australian Lancaster Squadron and thoroughly enjoyed the occasional evenings out, with various crews, to celebrate their completion of a " tour." During the period of " ops " their thoughts were on the job in hand, but they showed their appreciation in various ways. Many times I have had a share of their chocolates or sweets which they professed not being able to eat whilst in the air. Also I enjoyed the pow-wows we had together before take-off. We were small " cogs " in a great organization which, with team work, helped this country to victory. That is what we were all striving for. If any of the crews of Der-Tag should read this, I should like to thank them for nursing a grand kite through 74 opera- tional trips. (This is not claimed as a record, as our " S Sugar " did well over 100 trips.) I am enclosing a photo showing our " doodle-bug " monogram and I should like to see others printed showing their motto or insignia. In closing, I should like to say good luck to all you aircrew boys, and God bless! " RIGGER ERK." DOUGLAS XB-42 AND XB-43 IN your " Correspondence Column" of your August 8thissue I was somewhat hurt to see the unkind manner in which you shot down Christopher Clarkson in flames. JJL Although perhaps not generally known, Christopher Clarkson m§ j. for some time the" senior R.A.F. pilot in the British Air l^faimission at VVashington during the war, and as such his chief task was to obtain all the latest information on American projects, and I should think bis knowledge on this subject is second to none. I was Sent out on a mission to America to study and fly jet projects at the time the XB-42 and XB-43 were still in the constructional stage, and I assure you they were laid down as sister ships and as a combined project. As you state, the idea was based on the Mosquito, i.e., the design of a very fast unarmed light bomber. When the project was first visualized, only the Bell P-59 jet fighter was being flown in the States, and even then under conditions of great secrecy, and therefore Douglas very rightly lecided to carry out the experiment with alternative forms of propulsion. You are quite right tc say that the XB-42 flew very much earlier than the XB-43, but the reason for this was the delay in the perfection in the jet units required for the latter aircraft. I think you will further find that there has been a great deai of delay in the development of many other American jet- propelled aircraft owing to non-delivery of the jet units, and it is for this very reason, I think, that certain American designers would very much like to see such engines as the Rolls-Royce Oerwent being built under licence in the States. TEST PILOT. P-5IF LIGHTWEIGHT MUSTANG Design Detail is a Specialist's Job. " QTRESSMAN'S " letter (Flight, August 8th) re the light- »-' weight Mutitang illustrates perfectly the great importance of weight saving in detail design. As this happens to be a major foible of mine, I was very glad to see it published and hope it will be digested by everyone engaged in aircraft design. It is perhaps regrettable that aircraft firms as a whole do not pay more attention to detail design. It is a matter left mainly to the individual detailer, and /or the section leader, neither of whom may give much thought to the matter. I should like to see it placed in the hands of a specialist who would make a study of the whole business, as I believe is done in the U.S.A. The individual draughtsman has neither the time nor the opportunity to weigh up the pros and cons of any, proposed weight saving. It is generally a matter of weight v. cost, and it is almost impossible for him to ascertain the cost of a detail. Again, a draughtsman may wonder which is the best way to make a fitting, to have it cast, forged, machined, or fabricated. He does not know, but a specialist would. Incidentally, it can be proved that merely using fractional dimensions instead of decimals increases the total weight of a machine by approximately 5 per cent (it is so natural to call 0.23m ^in). If 500 lb can be saved on a Mustang, what can be saved on, say, a 100-tonner? A. S. MUNDAY. COST OF FLYING Ten Years' Experience with a Moth TF my figures are any help to J. H. R. (Flight, August 8th) •*• in regard to the expense of keeping a light aircraft, in this case a D.H 60M Gipsy I Moth, I can give approximate costs over a period of ten years—the approximations are not so wide of the mark, either. Here they are : — i s dCost ot petrol and oil p.a. at average of 85 hours p.a 61 10 o Average cost of C. of A. p.a 26 10 o Rent of landing ground pa 12 o o Parts for mods, for period of ten years, say p.a. 10 o Registration fee p.a. . . 5 o o Pilot's licence, "A" 05 o Total 105 15 o p.a. Provided an " A " licence owner is keen enough to do his own maintenance, there is no expense for top-overhauls, adjust- ments, and most mods. In my own case I did three Cs. of A.— cutting out three years of the ten's expenses—by getting my work signed in the log-books by an ABCD-Iicenced engineer. In conclusion, T would emphasize that economies can only be exercised by an " A " licence pilot-owner. F. S. SYMONDSON. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Aug. 22nd.—Model Engineer Exhibition opens at the New Horticultural Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster, London, S.W.I (\\ a.m.). Aug. 25th.—St. Albans Model Aero Club Rally, Radlett Airfield. Sept. 9th.—Ministry of Civil Aviation demonstrations of technical radio equipment. Sept. 12th-13th.—S.B.A.C. Flying Display and Exhibition. Handley Page Airfield, Radlett, Herts.
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