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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0702.PDF
408 FLIGHT MAY 8TH, 1947 that it is illogical to fly the two in the same aircraft. In the early days of air transport there was something to be said for this practice, but in modern times there are many arguments against it. For example, many will remember the trouble and discontent caused around Christmas time because of the conflicting demands on priority of passengers and mails. If mails are given that priority, passengers are disappointed, and the other way around hundreds of recipients are kept waiting for their Christmas greetings. In the design of the aircraft themselves, the require- ments of the two are totally different. Passengers re- quire a lot of space for every pound of weight; mails very little. Passengers must be given a degree of com- fort which runs away with a great deal of payload. Mails can be carried in comparatively small containers which, even if some extra ones have to be mounted externally in the form of panniers, do not detract very seriously from the performance of the aircraft. This fact might be utilized on an air mail run by dropping the panniers by parachute at intermediate stages on some routes, thus saving the time taken up by landings. In America the flying pick-up system has proved prac- tical, and there is no reason why we should not employ it on our Empire routes. It would probably take too long to produce special mailplanes, since the object should be to get such air mails going as soon as possible, but it is conceivable that a machine like the Mosquito, for instance, could be turned into a very useful mail-carrier. There are plenty of them, and the R.A.F. should be well able to spare a certain number. The cost of such a high-speed air mail service might be comparatively high, but those business firms which really found it worth while would probably not grudge a fairly substantial surcharge. CONTENTS Outlook ------- Two London-Capetown Records - Servicing and Maintenance - Congo Bound—Part II - Italian Transports - Here and There Blind Approach Presentation Britain's Test Pilots - - - - Dim Types ------ Private Enterprise - Civil Aviation - Correspondence - - - - - Service Aviation - - - ~ - 407 409 410 412 415 416 418 a 422 424 425 429 430 _r Dropping the PayloadB RITISH EUROPEAN AIRWAYS have not been slow in acting upon the conclusions reached by the Air Safety Board in connection with the all-up weight of the Dakota. That conclusion, it may be re- membered, was that all-up weight by itself is less impor- tant than the adjustment of the take-off weight to suit the conditions of the airports. In future all B.O.A.C. aircraft will have their weight reduced, where necessary, to ensure safety in case of engine failure at take-off, and continuation of flight over the highest point on the route. Elsewhere in this issue will be found further details, from which it will be seen that the corporation is sacri- ficing a good deal of payload in order to enable certain airports to continue to be used. With a financial deficit already looming on the horizon, this step cannot have been an easy one to take, but the corporation has undoubtedly done the right thing. ALL SET FOR A DAY'S OUTING : The Transport Command Mosquito at London Airport, Heathrow, before starting on its record-breaking aij-hr. flight to Capetown. The pilot, S/L. H. B. Martin (right), and S/L. E. B. Sismore, the navigator, are standing in front of the aircraft.
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