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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2055.PDF
OCTOBER IOTH, 1946 FLIGHT 405 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor does not hold himselj responsible JOT the views expressed by correspondents. The names and addresses of the writers. not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters. LANDING FEES A Reasonable Explanation Still Needed PERHAPS one of your readers may feel equal to suggestinga reasonable explanation for the imposition ol landing fees at State-controlled airfields? It is understood that the official justification advanced for the recent heavy increases is the need for meeting the costs of airfield maintenance and its associated services, but does this bear scrutiny? To take a parallel instance, is such a levy imposed on the motorist whenever he takes to the public highway? Are not "" e costs of road upkeep met from the proceeds of the petrol tax, which, incidentally, is paid alike by all petrol users, regardless of the manner in which it is employed? Is there any reason why the tax on aviation spirit should not be applied for the benefit of aviation instead of being mis- appropriated into the Road Fund? Civil aviation would then stand a chance of becoming really self supporting and the question of subsidies would never arise. LET THE PEOPLE FLY. [Without in any way defending the landing fees, we cannot agree that the position of the motorist and the public highway constitutes a parallel case—the public car-park would surely be nearer ! Nor is it fair to say that the tax on aviation spirit is "misappropriated into the Road Fund." Indeed, it has long been the complaint of motorists that large sums are filched from the Road Fund for other purposes, thus retarding overdue road improvements. Motoring and aviation are more in the nature of fellow sufferers than Road Fund rivals.—ED.] SIMPLIFYING NAVIGATION A Multi-Beacon Suggestion for Universal Application IT is extraordinary that, even with the present knowledge ofradio at our disposal, aii navigation should still be such an extremely complex matter, involving the employment of hundreds of experienced navigators, of beacons of different varieties and vintage, afM of all the varying devices to which we have become accustomed. x I think radio navigation should be a very simple affair in- volving the least delay in the ascertainment of position at any particular instant, and providing the pilot automatically with as much information as possible. Moreover, the visual indica- tions or "display" should be such that the pilot can reach a transmitter by following any predetermined route or, alterna- tively, can arrange his own approach corridor from any point of the compass. He should be able to co-ordinate his cross- country flight merely by switching over to the appropriate frequency channel and listening to the guiding indications, or. by watching a simple display on the cathode-ray screen, he should, without further action, be able to learn instantly and automatically his range, bearing and position in relation to the transmitter and the surrounding terrain., In order to provide these ideal results, my idea would be to install a number of special beacons at various carefully planned points in the particular area to be covered. Each of these beacons, by utilizing modulated pulse transmissions, would give four approach corridors, each one to two degrees wide, with, between them, four easily identifiable sectors. Continu-, ous information would be transmitted on R/T in each of these sectors, this information including the identity of the sector, . the name and grid reference of the beacon, the prevailing baro- metric pressure at the particular station, and any other in- formation at the discretion of the Traffic Control Officer, fn ,dition, the beacon would indicate, 10 any aircraft fitted with cathode-ray tube indicators, the true bearing and distance of the aircraft from the "beacon, and a pin-point position iii rela- tion to the surrounding terrain. The crew of a well-equipped aircraft, therefore, would have the choice of flying along one of the four approach corridors, or of organizing theii own navigation from the information provided. Such a beacon would consequently be o! assistance not only to the more elaborately equipped aircraft, but also to smaller machines capable only of carrying a communication receiver. With the last it would be possible to obtain all essential in- formation, and, using any two such beacons, the pilot's position could be worked out in a matter ot five or ten seconds. By the suitable positioning of, say. twelve of these in- expensive, low-powered beacons at carefully chosen points in the British Isles, a navigational grid system would be possible. Such a suggested layout of beacons is shown in an accompany- ing illustration. By following any of a series of selected "tramlines," an aircraft with a radio receiver could always reach its destination. It would be a comparatively simple matter to develop a com- bined system for approach and ground control—in fact, the suggested beacon, with pulse modulating technique, has been designed with that special object in view. R.A.F. Station, F/O. D, N. SHARMA, B.Sc. Topclifie, Yorks. RANGE OF THE SPITFIRE Official Data on the Mark 24 WHILE looking at the really excellent photogravure illus-trations in Flight, September 12th, [ was surprised to see a claim on behalf of the Spitfire "24" of a range of 860 miles without drop-tanks. Although my personal experience of " Spits " finished (alas !) with the Maik VB, I cannot imagine how the extra tankage has been squeezed into that " tailor-made " fuselage. I believe the main-tank capacity of the " Five " was 85 gallons, and in the later Griffon-engined types the capacity was increased by 12 gallons Assuming the following figures of speed and consumption for the " 24 " (in which, to be on the safe side, I have leaned rather towards the optimistic) :— Maximum weak-mixture cruising 380 m.p.h. at 22,000k. Petrol consumption 93 gallons per hr. Even if the range quoted 13 intended to be an "optimum cruising" figure (usually an idealistic one !) 1 just cannot get beyond about 550 miles (the operational radius of Mark V with drop-tank, by the way). In view of the fact that the only drawback to the work of the war's greatest single-seater fighter (vide any "Spit" pilot!) was the limitations of its range, I should like to hear if any of your readers could provide a little "gen" on the subject? J. C. ELKINS. [Vickers-Armstrong. Ltd., give the following particulars on the Spitfire 24 :—Capacity of fuel tanks: fuselage top front 36 gal., bottom front 48 gal., rear 66 gal., wing 36 gal., total 186 gal. Range on this internal fuel is 580 miles at 20,ooolt allowing for take-off, climb to 2o,oooit, and 15 min at combat conditions.—ED.1 V THE STATUS OF CIVIL AVIATION IN 1940 (Continued from page 403) civil aviation. Against that background it was submitted that the U.K. plan offered genuine possibilities for:— (a) Free individual enterprise in all air activities outside the reserved region of scheduled air services; (b) The development of U.K. aii transport services through : the agency of three "Chosen Instruments." (c) The United Kingdom arrangements for Jose collabora- tion with other members of the British Commonwealth in the further development of Commonwealth air ser- vices was sound family policy within the setting of the wider, orbit of the United Nations. .. "'« (id) The planning towards the ultimate entrustment ot world air services to an international organization, whilst contriving that regionnl air services would be operated by national carrier.; in pursuit of legitimate national interests—but always within the co-ordinating machinery of the regional organizations under the direction of the International Civil Aviation Organiza- tion. The whole of that policy and those plans weie broadly con- ceived within the spirit of the new world which was beginning to take shape. It was hoped that such a policy vould com- mend itself increasingly to the other nations of t'.s world. In the meantime, Sir Henry continued, we were confident that the scheme would give, best expression to the British spirit and enterprise within an ordered plan, giving maximum oppor- tunity for development of United Kingdom air services on the right lines while always keeping the road ooen to the international goal.
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