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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0126.PDF
FLIGHT JANUARY 23RD, 1947 CIVIL AVIATION N EWS ftom the United Kingdom to the country of destination. Withthe exception of addresses in or through North America, messages may be addressed to other persons in the same townor to the same person in different parts of the same town. In such cases the telegram, including the addresses, is chargedfor as a single message, with an additional copying fee of lod for each address. At the moment there are no facilities fororiginating messages on the ground for travellers in aircraft. It is hoped this might be done at a later stage. B.O.A.C.have made the rule that Airadiograms will be accepted only if the aircraft is more than three hours' flying time from itsdestination, and they are, naturally, only acceptable subject to operational requirements. ETYPRACTICAL ASSISTANCE FOR AIR SAFETY IN prescribing standardized navigation and approach aids,communication systems and equipment for use on air routes all over the world, P.I.C.A.O. had to take a long-term view.When the recommendations were made it was quite plain that several years must elapse before many of the routes could beequipped with the necessary aids, and it was evident that many countries would need assistance in the provision and operationof the devices. This applies particularly to those countries who were not major participants in the war, and who, conse-quently, are far less advanced in the field of radio and radar. Realizing the urgent need for facilities on the air routes, thethree British Air Transport Corporations have formed, with the full approval of the Minister of Civil Aviation, a company tobe known as International Aeradio Limited. Briefly, the com- pany's objective is to install and operate telecommunicationand radio aids to navigation throughout the world wherever they are required and where they would not otherwise be avail-able. The cost of the facilities the company provide will nor- mally be met by direct subscription from the Governmentsconcerned, but contributions will be made in certain circum- stances by those airline operators using the facilities. It isproposed, however, that the company shall be a non-profit- making concern, and it is intended to budget as accurately aspossible and to assess charges on the basis of likely cost. The results should be beneficial to both the countries provid-ing the radio facilities and the airline operators, whether British, Dominion or foreign, and should do much to promoteefficient ground services and air operations. The initial capital of £250,000 will be held as to 30 per centby B.O.A.C., 30 per cent by B.E.A. and 10 per cent by B.S.A.A. The balance of the.share capital will be availableto Dominion and foreign operators who may wish to participate in the enterprise. The directors will be nominated as to threefor B.O.A.C., three for B.E.A. and one for B.S.A.A., of which the following have already been appointed : Maj. J. R. McCrindle, O.B.E., M.C., Deputy DirectorGeneral, B.O.A.C. Sir Victor Tait. K.B.E., C.B., Technical Director ofB.O.A.C. Mr. Whitney Straight, Deputy Chairman of B.E.A., who willact as Chairman of the company. Grp. Capt. Dudley Saward, O.B.E., now Manager of Navi-gation and Telecommunications for B.E.A. Grp. Capt. Patrick de Laszlo. who is at present working forthe Government on the manufacture of radar devices. Capt. Gordon Store, Operations Manager, B.S.A.A. A CCIDENT REPOR T 1/ '"THE investigation into the accident to the British European•*• Airways' Dakota which occurred near Oslo on August 7th last year has now been completed. At I344hr. the aircraft was in the area of GardermoenAirport and was given by W/T. the direction in which to land. The weather at the time was 10/ioth cloud with baseat 1,oooft, under which the visibility was ten miles. Wind was only three miles an hour. The pilot asked if he was clearto land using the Radio Range let-down procedure, to which Gardermoen replied that he was number one for range let-down and there was no other local flying. No further wireless or radio communication was received from the aircraft. AtI357hr. the aircraft was known to fly over the Radio Range station, which is five miles north of the airport, and a fewminutes later witnesses seven miles farther north heard the' aircraft turn, and then after a sudden roar of engines the noiseof a crash. The aircraft had, in fact, flown into trees on the eastern face of the 2,182ft high Mistberget mountain at a spot2,040ft above sea level and about twelve miles north of the airport. At the moment of impact the aircraft was flyingsouthwards, almost parallel with the side of the mountain. There was no evidence of pre-crash failure, but it was noticedthat the Radio Range receiver was tuned to the range with the radio compass operating. There is every reason to believethat the aircraft was under control and the engines were running under power at the moment of impact. The loading,C.G. position, licences and aircraft checks were all quite in order. The Radio Range was on, and in the light of twosubsequent calibration tests there is no evidence to suggest any mal-functioning or discrepancy which could, in any way,have had a bearing on the cause of the accident. It has been revealed, however that, if the aircraft equipmentwas switched to compass instead of antenna, the pilot would have been at a disadvantage, since the beam north of the coneof silence wouia have been about 20 deg wide instead of 4 deg. This was not known at the time of the accident, but a technicalinstruction has since been issued to all B.E.A. aircrew. The Radio Range equipment is largely manufactured inAmerica, and is, consequently, scarce in this country. The 4 equipment in this Dakota was not complete, in that the fmarker beacon receiver was not fitted. It was, therefore, necessary for the pilot to calculate his distances from thebeacon. The procedure turn was made in approximately the expected area, but as he was on compass the western edge ofthe beam leg would place the aircraft dangerously near the high ground. The route instruction book gives the minimum heightat the fan marker position as 3,250ft. He was, therefore, already below the minimum height. In the opinion of the investigators the cause of the accidentwas an error of airmanship by the pilot in that he began his "let-down" too soon. The reason for this error must beattributed to inexperience of Radio Range flying, coupled with inadequate aircraft equipment.It is of interest that when British European Airways was formed a special Check Flight was organized to inspect andissue instructions on all systems for navigation and blind fly- ing throughout Europe. It is understood that the flyingweather minima for Gardermoen has now been adjusted.. RADAR FOR STRATOCRUISERS/ A MERICAN OVERSEAS AIRLINES intend to carry a con-^ siderable amount of radar equipment in the Stratocruisers intended for the transatlantic route. The installation is beingmade by the aircraft manufacturers as an integral part of the aircraft. The exact type of radar to be used is not quite clear,but it is described as being capable of denning storm areas, areas of dangerous icing, high ground, and of mapping coast-lines. Blind-landing assistance through the aid of ground beacons is also mentioned. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that the equipmentwill be something similar to the wartime H2S., Rebecca-type interrogator for B.A.B.S. and "Dangerous cloud and collisionwarning equipment" shown to P.I.C.A.O. delegates last September. The equipment to be installed on the British Stratocruisershas not yet been completely settled, but it may be said that SCS.51 will be standard, and as a long-distance navigationalaid Loran will almost certainly be included. As a further indication of future equipment in British aircraft, the Tudorswill also have SCS.51.and Loran. V.H.F. radaf, which is described as being able to give echoes from coastlines and iscapable for short-distance navigation and homing, will also be fitted. This, presumably, is a civilianized A.S.V. Atpresent all British land-aircraft flying with B.O.A.C. are fitted, or are being fitted, with Rebecca, for interrogation of B.A.B.S.and Eureka beacons, whilst all flying boats have A.S.V. for picking up responder beacons. The necessary ground equirw,ment is already installed at a large number of points on/**®!1 Empire routes, and plans are already in hand to installB.A.B.S. and Eureka beacons at all airfields along the routes to South Africa, India and the Far East. There is no mention,however, of such installations for the Atlantic route. B.E.A. Vikings are fitted with military Gee; and the Yorksand Lancastrians flying with B.S.A.A. have military Gee for short-range navigation over Europe, and Rebecca for the otherside of the Atlantic. RELEASE FROM PRIORITY^ '"FHE Ministry of Civil Aviation have, announced that as from-*- February 3rd the existing arrangements, whereby seats are held for priority passengers on some services operated byB.E.A., will be abolished. The services concerned are from the United Kingdom to Paris, Copenhagen, Brussels, Oslo,Lisbon, Madrid, Prague, Stockholm and Amsterdam This is • a step toward normal conditions, and should give some relief
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