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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0604.PDF
4«4 FLIGHT MAY 6TH, engine to be comparable with the present petrol engine. We are, however, rather perturbed at the statement that the instantaneous conflagration in a crash is a secondary consideration, and that it is the crash itself which must be avoided. Naturally, we agree with A. Cdre. Banks that crashes must be avoided by better navigational and flight- control facilities. But in spite of all efforts, crashes will still occur occasionally. Is it, therefore, right to subject air travellers to the risk of being burned-up in a crash ? Diesel oil does have an advantage here. But. is it necessary to go to all the trouble of developing the diesel engine ? In 1945 we published an article on a safety fuel developed by the Standard Oil Company of America. A demonstration was given in conjunction with Pan American World Airways, and at the time it was thought that the new so-called safety fuel might come into general use at a price comparable with that of 100-octane petrol. Nothing more seems to have been heard of this fuel. The explanation may be that it required direct injection as it could not be carburetted in the way ordinary petrol is carburetted. But the direct-injection engine would seem to offer a much shorter cut to reduced fire risk than would the diesel. Last of the LineW HEN PE-108 flew away from Woodford airfield last week, there were probably relatively few who realized that this, the last of the Avro Yorks to be built, had been preceeded by 252 machines of this class. The Yorks will continue in service for several years to come, but delivery of the last one affords a good oppor- tunity to recall how this aircraft came into being. Early in 1942, the Avro design office was strained to capacity transforming Lancaster prototype drawings into produc- tion drawings, but Roy Chadwick, who was later to lose his life with other Avro technicians in the accident to a Tudor, found time to look ahead, mainly by planning and scheming at home during the night, and he con- ceived the idea of producing a very roomy fuselage to fit the wings of the Lancaster. One day, at the beginning of 1942, he called his tech- nicians together and explained his scheme. Mr. S. D. Davies, who later succeeded Roy Chadwick as chief designer, was put in charge of the project. The first drawings were issued to the experimental department in CONTENTS Outlook Exercise Red Lion - Norwegian Delivery - - - - Here and There - Institute of Transpc ri - Civil Aviation News - - - - American Jet Trainer » - - Carrier Air Group - Casual Commentary - - The Irvin-Bell 47B From All Quarters .... British Industries Fair ... Small Cartridge Starters - Correspondence ...... Service Aviation .... Forthcoming Events, page 507 483 485 487 488 490 491 495 496 499 500 503 504 505 506 508 February of that year. Extreme simplicity of design resulted in the first machine being completed at Ring- way in six months, and a first flight on July 5th. What made this achievement even more remarkable was that at the time neither labour nor materials were officially allocated to the production of a new transport aircraft! It was therefore not surprising that during the whole of 1943 only three Yorks were built, and even in 1944 production only averaged three machines per month. What Roy Chadwick had originally visualized was hundreds of Yorks carrying war stores to the battle- fields and bringing back wounded on the return journey. The actual York story turned out very different. The first two Yorks were used by the Cabinet and Chiefs of Staff respectively, and made journeys totalling nearly 500,000 miles to many parts of the world, includ- ing the transport of V.I.P.s to war conferences at Cairo, Teheran, Yalta, Moscow and Potsdam. The third machine was allotted to South East Asia Command for the use of the Supreme Allied Commander and the Air Commander. It may also be recalled that early in 1945 a York was specially equipped for the Duke of Glouces- ter and his staff, and used by him during his term of office as Governor-General of Australia. Since then, the York has proved a useful civil trans- port aircraft, and if it does not have the sleek lines of some more modern types, it is worth recalling how it came into being and how its creators had originally intended it to be used. J ^ " TO NORAVvni U cr, int rncm- The well-loved ballad of " Sir Patrick Spans" relates now the i\mg u; itunono wugm ^ •--">'; An article in this issue of " Flight " describes the delivery of D.H. Vampire fighters, one of which isoff the daughter of the King cf Norway. g y f seen departing from Hatfield, for the defence of that ancient country.
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