FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2231.PDF
NOVEMBER yra. 1946 FLIGHT 499 American Newsletter The Cost of Large Civil Aircraft : Who Will Foot the Bill? : Flying the N.A» Navion : Record Rumours By "KIBITZER.T HE time has come when the aircraft manufacturer can no longer absorb, by himself, the entire design and development costs of a large aircraft. By ^ti' large," one means 75,ooolb or over. During the war, the Government footed the bill and in the immediate post-war period the operating companies reaped the benefit. From now on, however, and before a big aircraft is built, the manufacturer must know who is going to buy and pay for it. He can no longer afford to design and produce an aircraft and then try to sell it. Orders, or at least a guaranteed payment towards the development costs, must come first. The case of the Douglas DC-7 may well have been the turning point. Requested in fairly large quantities by the U.S. Government before the war ended, the order was said to have been drastically reduced after VJ-Day. In the meantime, orders from commercial operators had been obtained, but when the Army contract was cut, the cost per aircraft correspondingly increased, and it finally reached a figure which the operators could not accept. The result was the cancellation of production of the commercial machine. Some of the manufacturers are quite open about the fact that they cannot go ahead and design and produce a big machine on the off-chance that a government or an airline will buy a sufficient number to absorb the enormous development costs. On the other hand, the airlines themselves may not feel that they can guarantee to order, or pay for the production of their new equip- ment until it has proved itself. Consequently, it may once more become the responsibility of the government to subsidize the production of a suitable type. In practice, it would seem that the best way to manage this would be for the various Air Force Transport Com- mands to order machines to a suitable specification which had been agreed with the airline operators. But would those two, who are diverse in their apparent require- ments, get together? One believes it would be more likely to happen in the States than elsewhere, due to the fact that commercial thinking runs so much more deeply through the armed services. But the British system, whereby the Government issues specifications and sub- sidizes production, may pay off in the long run. An immediate problem of this nature concerns the need for the production of a really big, modern and efficient freighter. Aircraft of the "tramp steamer" type will have their place and can be produced without great cost, but a freighter of ioo,ooolb a.u.w., complete with refrigeration and suitable compartmentation, is another matter. Such aircraft will come and, as soon as suffi- cient data are available on the requiiements of the freight Operators, someone is going to build one. Already two ot 'three of the larger concerns in the U.S. are collecting all the facts that they can and, when they do start design ing, are proposing to apply every successful modern aerodynamic principle in order to produce the best possible aircraft. # ' * » The North American Navion is now in production, and the first machines, destined for the area distributors, are delivered. On the whole, this has turned out to be a very nice little aircraft. Even if the rather optimistic performance figures that heralded its birth have not been met, it is still an excellent job, with a range and cruising speed and consumption that make it an attractive pro- position for anyone who wants to tour around the country. A short flight in one of the early demonstrators showed very little cause for criticism. Entry, via the leading edge and a fixed step, is easy, although an exit with the engine running might be dangerous. It is admittedly difficult to see how else to get in and out of it, but some form of automatic warning, or engine cut-out, might be devized to prevent inexperienced passengers from walking forward into the airscrew after they have left the machine. The cockpit is really good. It has a great deal of room, is comfortable, well equipped, and has a magnificent all- round view. Taxying is easy with the steerable nose- wheel, which is controlled by the rudder pedals, but the brake handle isn't as good as it should be. It is too far away from the pilot, is awkward to operate and is stiff, but this comment, and it is not a serious one, is about the only criticism that one can make about equipment, handling, or performance. The take-off is easy, with no tendency to swing, but the machine must be lifted off the ground. Once in the air, the climb is good, the view is good and the controls are well harmonized. There is a slight nose-up change in trim as speed is increased, and the lowering of the flaps and undercarriage make the machine nose heavy. At cruising speed the machine is very smooth and quiet and is stable enough, particularly directionally, while the adjustable seats give lots of leg room and considerable comfort. Stall characteristics under all conditions are definitely good ; there is no tendency to drop a wing and the lateral control remains to the last. Approach and landing are easy enough and one gets out of the cockpit feeling that one has just flown a machine well designed and well engineered and developed by people who really knew what they were after—which, after all, is not altogether surprising. The sales competition between this aircraft and the new Beechcraft Bonanza will be interesting to watch. With equivalent equipment, there won't be much to choose in price (both will be something over $7,000), and the engines and seating capacities are the same. At equal power outputs, their performances may be almost the same, but the Bonanza, due to its lower drag, may have a slight edge over the Navion,in both speed and range. Any sales advantage of this will be offset by the two or three months' start which North American's have obtained over their rivals. In any case, a private owner, who can't get delivery of one type, won't be doing so badly if he buys the other. * * * Attempts on the world's speed record still continue. It is possible to hear five rumours a day, all different, on what has happened, or what is going to happen. Amongst the latest crop are the following: (1) That the new P-80R, which had modified wings, redesigned entry ducts and cockpit hood, failed badly and did not do over 610 m.p.h., and has now been returned to the Lockheed plant at Bur- bank. (It is also said that it overshot on landing and ran through the boundary fence, but this may be just malicious gossip!) (2) That the Republic P-84 has developed trouble and has been dismantled and flown back in a C-54 to Long Island. (3) That the new Navy jet fighter, built by North American, has an excellent turn of speed and may try for the record. Knowing nothing whatever about it, one waits, like the rest of the aircraft industry, for something official, but it does seem that the Americans will have to get some more thrust from somewhere before they reach a speed of 630—which is what they are said to be shooting for. In the meantime, they will certainly go on trying for a record of some sort, perhaps the 1,000 kilometres, and the Muroc Lake course will not be quiet.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
