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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1713.PDF
OCTOBER 2ND,. 393 ION NEWS Members for Special M.C.A. Committees : British Air Aid in India : Alternative Sites for Marine Base CARRYING THE SHAMROCK: Aerlinte Eireann have taken delivery of three Constellations which are expected to be flying on the London-Dublin route in about a month. The Irish Airline have ordered five of the type and will commence trans- atlantic operations next spring. Developments in the Tudor Situation THE controversy between A V". Roe, Ltd., and B.O.A.C.ivas commented upon briefly in last week's Flight.The suggestion earlier in the week that the Tudor 1would probably be used by B.O.A.C. only as a pure freighter came as a climax to a situation which has long been deteriorat-ing. The accuracy of the broadcasted statement was not denied by the Corporation and Sir Roy Dobson, managingdirector of Avros, considered it expedient to make a public statement. Later in the week he visited the Minister of Supply andstated that the best action the Minister could take would be to place the Tudor I in service as soon as possible. TheMinister of Supply subsequently announced the formation ot a committee of four to enquire into and report on the develop-ment and production of the Tudor I for B.O.A.C. The four members of the committee are Air Chief Marshal Sir Chris-topher Courtney, who before retiring from the R.A.F. in 1945 was Air Member for Supply and Organization on the AirCouncil; Mr. James Mould, a barrister specializing in patents cases; Mr. Joseph Taylor, company director and independentmember of the Air Registration Board and assistant general manager of the Workers' Travel Association ; and Mr. GeorgeWansbrough, a director of the Bank of England and chairman of a number of important companies. The terms of referenceof the committee have been left as wide as possible, and the report and recommendations, when complete, will be sub-mitted to the Minister of Supply, after which they will probably be made public. Progress Report At this stage of the proceedings it would be improper to-make furthei comment, but at the time of Sir Roy Dobson's • statement he issued a synopsis of the development- of theTudor I, which, together with the brief staterj^-ntjfcy B QT" in reply to Lhe allegations, we have summIn a brief history of the Tudor I, Sir Roy revealed that the company had con-ceived a new high-speed long-range airliner at the end of 1943, the rough details o(which were submitted to the M.A.P.; dis- cussions then took place between the Min-£*ry. the Brabazon Committee and B-O.A.C, as a result of which Avros wereasked to submit proposals for a version suitable for operating on the North Atlanticr°ute\ B.O.A.C. requirements included a stul-air range of 4,000 statute miles operat-"Jg at 25,000 feet, which, with the power Pants available, reduced the size of tlw.ca to the smallest possible commensurate M.A.P. in June, 1944, and were acceptedby B.O.A.C. as a basis for a specification which ultimately became known as theTudor I. A full-scale mock-up fuselage was inspected by B.O.A.C. and M.A.P. inAugust, 1944, when the Corporation accepted the flight deck in principle butrejected the cabin arrangements as being inadequate to give the required standard oiluxury for 12 passengers. An increase in dimensions was then called for; new draw-ings were made and a further complete mock-up was built within four months.Before it was finished, however, the Cor- poration requested a further increase inlength of two feet, and at a conference in February, 1945, B.O.A.C. approved the design for production. Sir Roy statedthat in spite ot the increase in dimensions and gross weight, the company adhered to the estimated performance with apayload Of 4,000 lb and still-air range of 4,000 miles. The operating height was, however, reduced to 20,000 feet. Duringthis time prototypes were being built, and in June, 1945, the first was completed and flown. Numerous aerodynamicproblems were revealed which had not previously been encoun- tered, and at the same time the basic engineering requirementsdecided upon by the I.C.A.O. meeting in Chicago made neces- sary a further change in design, the tail unit being mostaffected. Pres^urization of the fuselage also presented a new problem, since cabin atmosphere control was in its infancy Mr. Joseph Taylor. ,nd constrj in jjii operated ction of the Tudor represented the first attemptitry tp produce a large pressurized aircraft. Con- jsistance was forthcoming from other manufac- development ol special equipment, and the M.A.P. to the full. Official flight trials commenced atb^ I 'own in April, 1946, continued throughout the ", aflu a *»ri the agreed payload of approximately4,000 1b. The proposals were submitted to Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Uoyd Courtney. Boscomsummer, arid provisional C. of A. was granted in November of the same year. The manufacturers were then under theimpression that a series of trials over the routes would be made. The Corporation, however, chose at random one ofthe Tudor Is for flight testing on the Nairobi route and Sir Roy Dobson considered that to be an indication of a secretB.O.A.C decision not to operate the type over the North Atlantic. As a result of the trials, B.O.A.C. issued a reportin February, 1947, alleging three major defects and declaring the aircraft unsuitable for any of their routes. B.O.A.C. Indecision The manufacturers had already instituted a series of aero- dynamic investigations to improve the efficiency of the air- craft and by March 17th, 1947, the Corporation's criticisms had, in the view of Sir Roy Dobson. been completely cleared up. At that time B.O.A.C. refrained from answering a M.O.S.
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