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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1229.PDF
JULY 24TH, 1947 FLIGHT 93 CORRESPONDENCE Jht Ldnor coes no: hold hitnseij responsible Jot the metis expressed by loriespondcnts. 1 he names ana addresses 0/ the writers not necessarily for publication, must in alt cases accompany fetters SQUADRON MARKINGS Why Not Revert to Pre-uar Colours ? JT pleased me to read in youi reports oi the Derby andBlackpool displays-that at least one R.A.F. fighter squadrcu_->o. 41—has taken advantage of the new silver finish tor fighters to revert to its prewar squadron markings. Surelythere is everything to be said in favour oi a general re- adopticn oi these colours. Squadron tradition would be per-petuated, recognition made easier and, not least, some vivid colour would relieve the drabness rt our existence. Moreover,,eie must be a certain recruiting value in colour. Remember e sergeant's sash? H. REDMAN. HELICOIDAL ENGINES Would They Prolong the Life of the Piston Engine I AM especially interested in the excellent article appearingin ycur issue of July 3rd relative to the Pratt Whitney 28- cyliuder Wasp Major, an engine designed on what is known as helicoidal lines You ma T recall that several 3, ears ago I drew ycur attention to a similar engine oi even more poweiful design which em- braced 36 cylinders arranged helicoidaliy in the same manner as the Wasp Major, and of which engine 1 held the patent rights for this country. You published the details in an article 1.. Flight of November yth, 1939. * The development of the Pratt Whitney engine, and its use in modern aircraft, clearly substantiates the claims put forward by me in fa-vour of the 36-cyIindcr engine. Had that engine been developed it would undoubtedly have been a great technical advancement in aircraft engine design, having advantages in performance which could usefully be incorporated in both civil and military aircraft. Unfortunately the engineer who con- ceived the helicoidal system for piston engines was, and has been, unable to put his patent into production owing to lack of financial support. Your co-respondent " Interested," in the same issue (July 3Td, 1947), points out that there appears to be a tendency lor the continued development of the high-output piston engine to be neglected in this country in favour of the jet engine, which, in his view, is undesirable, since the former engine may well have a number of years of useful life-before it. There need have been no grounds for reproach in this regard had the more powerful 36-cyimder engine been developed, .which could now be done but for the financial reasons previously referred to. B. D. INNOCENTI. EXAMINATIONS AND FLYING HOURS • ,'.* A Protest and Claim from Holland WITH reference to Flight, July 10th, page 38, under"International Problem," we read that the reason why an Iraqi who does not speak English should wish to obtain an M.C.A. navigation licence is that it is regarded as the highest standard of licence in the world. By adding tfiat French, Dutch, Belgians and Poles are constantly sitting for this ex- piation I presume you mean to indicate that they do so ecause of this " highest standard in th& world." Lam afraid that I have to disappoint you a little hit where the Dutch are concerned, as the reason some of them sat for the M.C.A. examination was not because it was the highest standard in the world, but because they failed to take it over here. Furthermore, I would like to refer to page 45 where you state that Captain Alcock, of Airways Training, Ltd., has now flown 20,000 hours and is still on flying duties, and that it would be interesting to know if there were any pilots still flying with a greater number of flying hours. In K.L.M. Royal Dutch Air Lines, Captain Ivan Smirnoff, who has been with the company since 1922, has flown for K.L.M 25,310 recorded hours up to January 1st. 19,7. On top of that we have to include the number of hours flown before 'if joined K.L M., as he was a pilot in World War No. 1, and 't is safe to assume that in the years before 1922 he managed to fly somewhere around 1,500 hours. Since January Captain Smirnoff has flown a' little over 500 hours which brings his total number of hours up to July, 1947, to 27,300 and he still continues to add to this number with an average between 80 and 100 hours a month. "DUTCH." A.T.C. OFFICERS' MEDALS Defence and War Medals Re/used '"THERE is a very strong teeling that the work of Training-*• Branch officers of the Royal Air Force has not been ade- quately recognized. The work they performed during thewar was acknowledged to be of gieat value to the Royal All Force, not only hi bringing potential entrants up to the re-quired educational standard but also m the negative aspect of weeding out those who could not attain that standard beforethey entered the Services. Conscientious Training Branch officers devoted fully as muchtime to the training of A.f.C. cadets as any Home Guard officer did to the training oi his men. In addition to parades—usually twice a week—and week-end visits to airfields, they attended courses at Initial Training Wings and Officers' Train-ing' Schools, specialized courses in navigation, armament, etc., as well as.annual training at air stations. During courses andannual training they were entitled to receive pay and allow- ances as in full-time employment. So far they have received no lecognition. The Defence Medalhas been refused them on the ground that they were not mobilized, and a ruling has been given that they are not eligiblefor the War Medal 1939-45 Now it is expressly provided that all R.A.F. 'personnel other than operational air crew are en-titled to the Defence Medal, which is granted'for service in the Forces in non-operational areas, and the War Medal is to begranted to full-time personnel of the Armed Forces wherevei their service has been rendered, in each case subject to certainqualifications as to duration of service. The recommendations of the Committee on the giant of Honours, Decorations andMedals provide that any questions of difficulty in connection with the scheme, including interpretation and so forth, will bea matter for reference to the Committee on the grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. I am not aware that the question of the eligibility of Train-ing Branch officers has evei been submitted to the Committee My information is thai claims already submitted have been1 ejected by serving officeis oi the Rpyal Air Force. I contend that the service which Training Branch officers have givenentitles them to a War Medal, and that on the terms of the Committee's recommendations they are entitled to both theDefence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45 provided they have the qualifying service. The only authority competent to decidewhether they are so entitled is the Committee on the grant ol Honours, Decorations and Medals. C. R. HUMPHRIES (S/Ldr., R.A.F.). Late Commanding A.T.C Officers' Courses. FORTHCOMING EVENTS. July 26th and 27th.—United Services Flying Club : Air display znd aii rally. Elstree airfield, Herts. July 30th to August 9th.—Aero Club of Switzerland : International glidint contest. Samaden in the Engadine. Aug. 1st.—Start of Belgian" Aerial Fortnight," Le Zoute. Aug. 2nd and 3rd.—Aero Clubrde Versailles: Toussus le Noble. Aug. 2nd to 4th.—Royal Aero Club of Belgium International air rally Le Zoute. Aug. 3rd.—Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers : Bowden Trophy contest for power-driven models, Fairlop airfield, Chigwell, Ersex. Aug. 9th and 10th.—Southend flying meeting. Aug. 16 h.—Str»ttuay Aero Club : Perth air display. Aug. 20th. to 29th.—Twenty-Second Model' Engineer Exhibition. New Royal Horticultural Hall, Vincent Sq., S.W.I. Aug. 22nd to 25 h.—Norwegian Aero Club: Alrrally.Tonsberg, near Oslo. Auj. 28th. to Sept. Uth.—Engineering and Marine exhibition Olympia. London. Aug. 30th and 31st.—Cinque Ports Flying Club • Folkestone Air Races meeting. Lympne airport. Sept. 3rd to 6th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : Aeronautical Congress. Sept. 6th.—Naval Aviation : Air display and static exhibition. Lossie- mouth air station, Moray. Scotland. Sept. 9th to 12th.—S.B.A.C. Exhibition and Display. Sept. 14th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : Garden Party, Radiett airfield. Sept. 17th to 19th.—Federation Aeronautique Internationale : Annual Genera! Conference, Geneva. Oct 19th to Nov. 24th (approx.).—Royal Aero Club of Belgium. Air rally to the Belgian Congo. (Brussels to Le Kivu.)
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