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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1842.PDF
FLIGHT OCTOBER 23RD, 1947 American Newsletter showed an increase of 39.85 per cent. Revenue miles, how- ever, were only 1 per cent up, and revenue passenger miles fell by 3.66 per cent for that month compared with 1946. But the domestic airlines do plenty of flying here, whatever their passenger revenue is, and during the first six months of 1947 they logged a total of 159,426,890 miles, which was 93.4 per cent of their scheduled distance. CONVAIR COMMENTE VENTS which will have a considerable bearing on the future of the Convair 240 have been taking place these last weeks. For some time there have been stories that " AVCO," the financial wizards that controlled (amongst other enterprises) the entire Convair group (Con- solidated- Vultee Aircraft Corporation), wished to give up their purely aviation connections and retain an interest only in the non-aviation sections of this big combine. It is now apparent that they have been successful, for the Convair section is to be taken over by a new financial group headed by Mr. Odium. (Mr. Odium is the husband of Miss Jacqueline Cochrane, whose fleeting visits to Eng- land, both before and during the war, may still be remem- bered by some. They certainly will be by anyone who was at MildenhaD prior to the start of the England-Australia race, in which her aircraft was competing. The night arrival of this Gee-Bee racer and the skill of the pilot in landing it in the dark without breaking it was no less astonishing than the reasons given for the apparent delay between Heston and Mildenhall!) But Miss Cochrane has a connection and reputation in the industry here which is certain to influence the development of the new Convair company. Associated with Mr. Odium in this venture is Mr. Benny Howard, one of the best known and most able engineer-test pilots in America, who has, for a long time, been with the Douglas company, first as chief test pilot and latterly as technical adviser to Donald Douglas. There is no ques- tion that his very great knowledge will be of immediate benefit in the development of the 240, for it is now rumoured that this machine has run into teething troubles, and that the C.A.A. certification is being held up in con- sequence. What these troubles are has naturally not been told, but they are almost sure to be connected with the fulfilment of the I.C.A.O. single-engine requirements. Centre of gravity limitations have also been mentioned. In,any case, it looks rather as though the race between Glenn Martin and Convair is now slightlv in favour %i the former(some seven Martin 2-0-2S have been delivered to North- West Airlines), but the advent of this new controlling in-terest at San Diego—most of whom (as opposed to the previous board) are knowledgeable and active aviators oflong standing—may bring the 240 up to the front again. Certainly a personal knowledge of Benny Howard's abilitymakes one convinced that, if the rumours of trouble are, in fact, correct, something will be done about it, anddone well and fast. SPEED RECORD RUMINATIONST HE Navy speed record of 650.6 m.p.h.—which was at a Mach number of just over .83—has not created the appreciation here that I expected. There was- some obviously Army-inspired comment that the P-80 was a standard fighter (which it wasn't) and that a research aircraft was bound to be faster, and that was about all. Knowing the power of the Public Relations Sections of the Services over here, it looks a little as though the Army were quicker off the mark than the Navy in this regard. But I would expect the Navy to try again, for if the new T.G.190 engine is fitted to the D-558, and there are no compressibility troubles above .83, there will be at least another 1,000 1b thrust available with this power unit, and probably nearer 2,000 lb with water injection. The timing of such records is, of course, presenting an ever- increasing problem. With the course at its present length, the difference in time between one record and the next is fantastically small, and the greatest accuracy is required. It seems likely that in the future the F.A.I, will not only permit an increase in the length of the course but may put up the height at which it can be flown as well. Curiously enough, all the pilots who have done speed records, and to whom,I have spoken, prefer the lower alti- tude (unless they can get up really high, when the timing presents great difficulties). Their argument is that if any- thing happens under 5,000 or 8,000ft you've probably "had it'' anyway—and the only way to fly an accurate level course is to be able to fly close to the ground. This being so, it may be some years yet before this record is done at high altitudes—and even then it may be found advisable to keep a low-altitude record as well and divide the High Speed Record proper into low- and high-altitude sections. Timing the latter should keep the radar boys busy! SKYWAY FINANCES A FINANCIAL interest in Skyways has been acquired byBritish Electric Traction, one of the principal companies in the Drayton group, headed by Mr. H. C. Drayton. Brig. S. K. Thorburn has been appointed vice-chairman to represent the group on the Skyways Board of Directors, but Brig. Critchley remains as the Chairman and Capt. Ashley as the managing director. British Electric Traction has had experi- ence in civil aviation through interests it once held in air transport before the nationalization of scheduled airlines. The company is particularly interested in the possibilities of the helicopterJEor commercial operation and is at present examining the position with particular reference to the Westland Sikorski 51 and Bristol 171. NOTES FROM ITALY LAST week we published a picture of Dr. A. P. Thurston,a former vice-president of the model committee of the F.A.I., who has recently returned from a visit to Italy. He reports that aeronautics in that country are slowly coming back to life. Dr. Thurston adds that at Urbe airfield outside Rome he counted 7 Piper Cubs, 1 Breda (with Fiat engine), 1 Ajax amphibian being used for air charter and taxi work, and 1 Lombardi 3, while at the airfield at Milan they have 8 American Argus. 6 Lombardi 5s, 4 Piper Cubs and 2 Aerovans. There is a prototype Breda 308 under con- struction and six airline companies are flying an assortment of Dakotas, S.M. 82, 84 and 95s and various converted bombers and bomber transports such as Fiat G.12S. Dr. Thurs- ton's impression was that although there is an acute shortage of both petrol and aircraft there is great enthusiasm in Italy for private and model flying. Signor Guido Mattioli, editor of the Italian aviation maga- zine L'Aviazione, and one of the chief instigators of the Italian Air Rally being held at Centocelli airport on Sunday, October 26th (announced in Flight, October 16th), has given some details of events taking place on that day. The programme includes an exhibition of gliders; new Italian light aircraft such as the Macchi 308, Lombafdi 5, Ambrosini Grifo, Caproni Cator and motor glider Mantelli 8; a display of British, American and Italian military aircraft, parachute descents and an aero-model competition. A bust of Wilbur Wright pre- sented by Gianni Caproni to commemorate all pioneers of avia- tion is to be unveiled during the afternoon. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. 23rd. 25th, 30th, 1st.- 4th.- 4th.- 6th.- 29th FORTHCOMING EVENTS —Roya! Aeronautical Society ' " The Problem of High Tem- perature Alloys for Gas Turbines." Sir William T. Griffiths, D.Sc, F.R.I.C, F.lnst.P., F.I.M. —Helicopter Association of Great Britain : " Some Work with Rotating Wing Aircraft." O. L. L. Fitzwilliams, B.A. —Royal Aeronautical Society : Third British Commonwealth and Empire Lecture. James Bain. -Society of Licensed Aircraft Engineers : " Arrcraft Pneu- matics." H. R. Haerle. -R.Ae.S. (Graduate and Student). " Maintenance Difficulties in the Field." M. J. Kemper, M.B.E., A.R.Ae.S. -Herts and Essex Aero Club ; Annual dance, Park Lane Hotel. -Royal Aeronautical Society. " Some Recent Developments in tha Landing Gear Field." Capt. R. Lucien, A.F.R.Ae.S. —Pathfinder Ball, the Dorchester Hote , Park Lane, London, 8 p.m.-l a.m.
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