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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0002.PDF
FLIGHT fJANUARY IST, 194S after the close of the financial period covered, estimates had to be made, but it is thought that these estimates are reasonably accurate. The report as a whole is a model of what such a report should be, and it is to be hoped that when those of B.O.A.C. and B.S.A.A. are published they will be equally lucid. That part of the report which deals with operational statistics is especially interesting. We are very glad to find that, to take an example, the regularity of opera- tion is expressed by giving the figures for services scheduled and services completed. In the early days of air transport it was customary to state the number started and the number completed. In that way a com- pany could show close on 100 per cent reliability by confining its flights to days of perfect weather. In the period under review, B.E.A.C. scheduled services num- bered 10,191, of which 8,417 were completed; 208 were not completed, and 1,566 were cancelled due to weather, etc. If, therefore, ground aids had been better, there is no doubt that the number of completed services would have been very much greater. The interesting fact is disclosed that the Dakotas put in bj' far the greatest number of service flying hours (15,230). If the Vikings had not had to be withdrawn for most of the period under review, they would doubt- less have reached or even exceeded this figure. As it was, the Dominies (45) were second with 2,504 hours. It cannot be said that the utilization figures for either are impressive, even when bearing in mind that the period in question for the internal services is only two months and that for the Continental services eight months. We appear to be still a long way from that 3,000 hours per annum about which some talk so glibly when estimating operating costs. The report stresses the fact that B.E.A.C. attaches supreme importance to safety in air transport. That it has so far succeeded in spite of difficult conditions is shown by the fact that there was but one fatal accident, \ CONTENTS Outlook - Foundations for '48 - - - Here and There - American Newsletter - Arctic Empires General Aircraft Research Gliders Oxygen for Passengers - Civil Aviation News - - - - Correspondence - - - - - Service Aviation Forthcoming Events, page 22 1 3 9 II a 14 15 17 21 23 that near Oslo, in which four crew members lost their lives, one was injured, and three passengers suffered minor injuries. Such a record makes up for a good many shortcomings in financial results. 1947M IXED is, perhaps, the word which best describes the year that has just closed. If it had its dis- appointments it also had its minor triumphs. A goodly number of prototypes made their first appear- ance and gave a glimpse of future possibilities, but it is becoming increasingly evident that with modern aircraft and power plants the road from first flight to service fit- ness is likely to be a long one. During the year we were able to test for ourselves, and report frankly upon, the characteristics of several aircraft types, ranging from light planes to jet-propelled fighters, a feature of this journal which has been much appreciated, both at home and abroad. One of the most encouraging features of 1947 was the export trade which the British aircraft industry built up, in spite of many handicaps, and which goes a long way towards redeeming the sorry showing of our civil air transport corporations. POWER CHECK : The two D.H. Gypsy Queen 70s, here seen running up, will soon lift this prototype Short Sealand amphibian on a first flight over the Belfast Lough. Reversible-pitch airscrews are fitted to these geared and supercharged " Queens " to aid in ha.dling on the water.
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