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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0511.PDF
PKIL 15TH, 1948 FLIGHT 423 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed, by correspondents. The names and addresses 0) the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters: r; MR. CHURCHILL AT HEIGHTS "•_*>• * Pressure Cell Not Used ON page 311 oi your issue dated March 18th last you show apicture of the pressurized cabin designed for Mr. Churchill's aircraft during the war. I should like to draw your attention to an error in the caption. This pressurized eel! was never carried in any of the aircraft used py him in his wartime flights. The cell was built, 1 believe, during the early part of 1943- His York, the second built, LV633, was delivered to No. 24 Squadron in April cf that year without it, and its installation would have involved the reconstruction of the fuselage and the fitting of blowers to the engines. Mr. Cixurchill flatly refused to use it, and would not allow the aftraft to be made unserviceable by its installation. ''Its use in the Skymaster, EW 999, delivered in June, 1944, was never considered beyond the. walls of the offices of R.D.A.T. in the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Mr. Churchill appears to have successfully survived flights at 13,000 feet to and from Teheran, as well as on other occasions, with- out this invention. J. L. MITCHELL, Navigator, LV 633 and EW 999. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Practical Examinations for Grant of Licences \ LTHOUGH I haven't paid last year's exorbitant fee of one A guinea for the annual embellishment of my Ground Engineer's Licence with a set of undecipherable initials, the Air Registration Board continue to send along their Notices to Licensed Aircraft Engineers. May I therefore encroach on vour space to thank them for not sticking down the flaps of the envelopes; they come in very useful. Chancing to require a long envelope today, I came across a Notice the inside of which told me how to inspect the control rods on a Cirrus engine. " A case has been reported of a ball joint becoming detached . . . resulting in complete loss of power during flight," is how it starts off. , Now this kind of thing is the absolute negation of aircraft inspection, but it is in fact the state of things obtaining in the R.A.F. and in Naval Aviation; in this wise: a mainten- ance schedule is issued which, since it cannot be entirely all- embracing, leaves out such obvious items as, for instance, "See that tail unit is in place." If, however, the tail unit falls off, an "S.T.I." is issued alter this style: "A case has come to light in which the tailplane of an Angus Bowser was found to be cunningly attached with tin tacks. In future . . . etc., etc." In this way, every time some new items of negligent maintenance crops up, the culprit gets away without a stain on his character because the inspection of the part concerned wasn't in the Maintenance Schedule or in an S.T.I. I suppose that this unimaginative and negative procedure is creeping into the A.R.B. due to its employment of ex-seTvice 'teciiajcal types." They have already made the psychological mistffle of introducing compulsory civil maintenance schedules —it is still sillier to issue Notices which are merely chronicles of incidents due to negligence and which amount, in effect, to toleration of such negligence. The A.R.B. opened up their post-war shop with such exuberance that they thought nothing of issuing a licence to an engineer to cover the certification of ALL types of aircraft and engines; in fact, they made him as all-embracing as an A/C.2 air mechanic. Representations from old-time ground '.,/ engineers convinced them of the folly of this, and so they reverted to the pre-war intelligent method of awarding licences for experience on particular types. A further improvement they could adopt would be to initiate a practical examination at which the candidate would have to inspect an aircraft of the type for which he desires a licence. If he missed a " snag " he would fail to qualify. So away with maintenance schedules and theoretical examinations and the yards of paper that covers a multitude of sins. In place of these let us have* efficient engineers actively supported by Government surveyors of the Lloyd's Register type, whose hawk eyes would be constantly employed over- looking the methods of maintenance in the areas allotted to them. Aircraft remain airworthy due to the condition of their nuts, bolts and split-pins, not by virtue of signatures in a log- book. LESLIE W. CRAWFORD. Hamble, Southampton. STATE AIRLINES Too Many Aircraft Types T TNFORTUNATELY the losses incurred by the State airlines vJ have become largely a political issue, with the inevitable result that the "free enterprises" and "state controllers" have each painted a picture in accordance with their political beliefs. Both would do well to study closely the balance sheets of the larger American airlines. Two main points emtrge from such a study, after allowing for the differences of operating conditions, of aircraft used and their economics, etc. The first is that the State airlines were bqund to lose a lot of money; secondly, they might well have lost perhaps 10 per cent less by adopting well- tried commercial aviation practice. It is to be hoped that the newiy appointed committee investi- gating this side of air transport business will bring some improvements. However, it will indeed be a wondrous thing if this commit- tee, composed cf men who have been too busy becoming suc- cessful in their various spheres to keep pace with the difficulties peculiar to the aviation industry, can accomplish very much. How much better it would be if the Government, instead of appointing one committee alter another, were to ensure that they had the right men for the job in the Corporations and the two essential Ministries and then give them a much freer hand. Alas, that is not the way of government. Whatever the reduction in losses brought about by more efficient administrative methods, the Corporations can never truly break even, let alone make a profit, until they have air- craft fleets comprised of the minimum number of differing types, each capable of holding its own, economically, over a period of seven to ten years. The difficulties of such long-term planning are enormous. It is, therefore, all the more encouraging that one Corporation, at least, has made the wise decision of ordering an up-to-the- minute transport which will be well proven by the time air- screw turbine power units are acceptable; and which, further- more! may be modified for their installation. A glance at the list of variegated types on order for the other Corporations lends credence to the widespread belief that those responsible for placing these orders do not know what is re- quired and have attempted to cover themselves against all eventualities, regardless of cost. One cannot help thinking that the money poured into the making of unwieldy prototypes would have been better spent on the airfield facilities and bad-weather flying aids for which there is so great a need. " ANTHONY MILES. Bransgore, Hants. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Apr. 15th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : "Visual Aids for Low visibility Conditions," E. S. Calvert, B.Sc, A.R.C. Sc.l. Apr. 16th.—British Interplanetary Society: "High Strength Hydrogen Peroxide for Rocket Propulsion." V. W. Slater, B.Sc., F.R.I.C., M.I.Chem.l. and W. S. Wood, B.Sc., F.R.I.C, A.M.I.Chem.E. Apr. 16th.—Institute of Navigation : "The Future of the Magnetic Compass." Cdr. W. E. May, R.N. Apr. 30th.—United Flying Clubs Ball, The Dorchester, Park Lane. May 5th.—British Interplanetary Society : " Lunar Research." H. P. Wilkins, F.R.Ae.S. May 8th.—R.Ae.S. (Glasgow) : Visit to Prestwick Airport. May llth.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates and Students) : "The Light Aeroplane and the Future of Private Flying." P. G. Masefield, M.A., F.R.Ae.S. May 17th.—Cannes International Air Rally. May 19th to 28th.—Engineering and Industrial Equipment (Home and Export) Exhibition. May 19th—Aircraft Recognition Society: "Aircraft Photography." John Yoxall. May 21st.—Institute of Navigation : " Meteorology in Aviation : Is it Obsolete?" Francis Chichester, May 22nd and 23rd.—Shannon Aero Club Rally. May 24th to 29th.—Aircraft Exhibition Cardiff. May 27th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture. A. Gouge, B.Sc., F.R.Ae.S. May 29th and 30th.—Netherlands Aero Club Invitation Rally, Ypenburg Holland. May 29th and 30th.—Butlin's Week-end Air Rally. Speeton, Filey, Yorks. June 5th.—Cardiff Air Display. June 12th.—Wolverhampton Aero Club " At Home." June 12th and 13th.—Butlin's Week-end Air Rally at Ingoldmells, Skegness. June 13th.—Henri Bardel Cup for model aircraft with mechanical motors. June 19th to 21st.—Royal Aero Club Week-end for Foreign Guests, London.
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