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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0028.PDF
28 FLIGHT JANUARY QTH, 1947 testing new types, and it appears likely that even if the outbreak of war had not made a transfer necessary, a different location would have had to be found for" the testing of modern fast aircraft. Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, was the site chosen, and the A. and A.E.E. has been operating there throughout the war. That the establishment has grown in size and, particularly, in the complication of its test procedures, was to be expected. It has retained its high reputation by tackling the much more intricate prob- lems set by modern types of aircraft with the same thoroughness and skill as those which laid the founda- tion of its fame many years ago. During the war it was obviously out of the question to describe the work of Boscombe Down, since the latest aircraft and equip- ment were being tested there, but we felt that at the earliest possible opportunity our readers should be given a picture of the work which has done so much towards achieving air superiority. Consequently we requested Air. Ministry permission to send editorial representatives to Boscombe Down for the purpose of collecting material for an article. Facilities were readily granted, and the personnel of the establishment laid themselves out to show our repre- sentatives all there was to be seen. The article appears in this issue. Here our readers may well say, in the American phrase which appears to have passed into our language, " So What? "• We think they may be interested to know that to publish such an article is not quite as simple as it seems. The visit took place on November 27th, last year. The article was submitted on December 2nd, and then began a weary wait for it to be cleared. Perhaps in our impatience we failed to take into account that three C#ONTENTS Outlook Boscombe Down ------ American Newsletter - - - - - Here and There New Year Honours ----- The Propelled Flying Wing - Civil Aviation News ----- A.E.A.F. Operations in N.W. Europe Correspondence Service Aviation 27 29 36 38 40 a 42 46 50 51 departments were involved : the Ministry of Production, - the Air Ministry and the Admiralty, each of which had to . watch the particular aspects of the work with which if j is concerned before passing text and illustrations on to£* the next department. So wide is the field now covered by Boscombe Down that the number of specialists who had to '' vet'' the article was legion. Perhaps in each department the man concerned was out, or at a conference, or busy on even more important things. Whatever the reason, we did not get the article back until December 23rd, by which time we were in the middle of bringing out two issues in one week on account of the holidays. The point of all this is that we trust our readers will study the article with appreciation. It has passed through many exalted departments before it could safely be ; released to a wider circle—with deletions. We can only hope that, in due course, we may be in a position to say not only that "Boscombe Down is Pleased," but , that our readers are pleased. NAVAL EXERCISE Fitters ministering to the Rolls-Royce Griffons of Fairey Firefly I fighter-reconnaissance aircraft are not distracted by a game of deck hockey. The scene is the flight deck of H.M.S. Ocean.
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