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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0634.PDF
5°4 FLIGHT MAY 6TH, 1948 BRITISH INDUSTRIES FAIR New and Well-tried Developments on View WITH the simultaneous opening at Olympia andEarls Court, London, and Castle Bromwich,Birmingham, on May 3rd, the twenty-seventh British Industries Fair accords to foreign buyers a uniquely comprehensive exposition of this country's industrial scope and quality. No one can be in doubt as to the vital neces- sity of exports as the chief economic foundation upon which our whole future rests, and.the B.I.F. undoubtedly serves as a magnificent " window " for the British " shop." Reflecting, as they do, the whole sweep of our industrial interests, each of the three sections of the Fair necessarily covers a wide range of activities. Among the large number of new items displayed at Castle Bromwich, those of chief interest in their bearing on aero- nautical engineering are here summarised. A cam-operated contactor control with contactors which will fit in a match- box gives all the features of design and adaptation of the full-sized units and is applicable to motor speed control and reversing, pole-changing, multiple-switching, etc. Something new in power presses made in six-, ten- and twenty-ton sizes are of fabricated construction and are said to be capable of taking tremendous overloads. Both geared and ungeared with either fixed or adjustable strokes and also with roll-feed, these presses are virtually unbreakable. Another new tool is claimed, so far as is known, to be the only one of its kind in the world ; it is a combined welding jig and manipulator for universal use. A com- panion device, which may be best described as a form of mechanical hands, can be used for holding work in situ for welding, fitting, drilling, riveting, etc. Micrometers and bevel protractors to aid sightless toolmakers, instru- ment makers, etc., are generally based on standard patterns but embody BraiDe characters on relatively large drums which, however, are still of convenient size. A new type of pipe-joint, using entirely new principles, has been devised for connecting pipes of materials as diverse as copper, lead, iron, glass, plastic, etc. In this design, no use is made of screwed threads or any type of locking device, and this permits the use of much lighter gauge tubt than would normally be necessary. A specially prepared plastic, which is applied by spray or roller under controlled conditions of heat and humidity, has an extremely high tensile strength coupled with great elasticity. It adheres tightly to the surface of the metal ~* like a thin skin, but when its purpose has been served, it * can be removed easily without the use of solvents, merely by lifting a corner and pulling it off. It protects metal indefinitely from tarnish and scratching and is sufficiently tough and elastic to allow a polished sheet to be pressed before the coating is removed. Of use for the interior decoration of buildings, coaches, aircraft, ships, etc., an entirely new product with a suede- like, non-reflecting, condensation-resisting finish is now available in a range of ten colours. Another new finish is a spray, heat-resisting enamel, which is the nearest paint equivalent to vitreous enamel but without its brittleness. It will not chip, and gives a brilliant glossy surface that will not discolour even when exposed to very high temperatures. Green fluorescent tube lights working from low-voltage electric batteries have been recently developed for indicat- ing water runways and taxiways for seadromes. Each tube, with battery and relay equipment, is self-contained and mounted on an anchored dinghy. Now being installed at various B.O.A.C. flying-boat bases, this new develop- ment has also been ordered by France and other countries. AVIATION IN CEYLON An Airline to Great Britain Projected /^\N the occasion of a short visit to this country, ColonelV—' Kotelawala, Ceylon's Minister for Transport and Works, and Sir Oliver Goonetille, Ceylon's Minister for Home Affairs,were entertained to dinner at the House of Lords last week by Lord Nathan of Churt. A distinguished gathering waspresent. Colonel Kotelawala returned to Ceylon by air last Saturdaymorning, and it is understood that during his visit here, he discussed a scheme to develop the airport at Katmalana. Theintention is to extend the runway from 1,500 to 2,500 yards, and Ceylon needs the help of this country in plans for theexpansion of its air routes and air communications. Civil Aviation in Ceylon is at the moment run by a govern-ment department with a civil servant at the head. Civil Aviation is dealt with by the Minister for Transport and Works.From the birth of its air line the department has been respon- sible for every step that has been taken to see that Ceylonfinds her place in the air map of the world. During the wax airfields were built by the military administration in the island.Some of these airfields were built at great speed and yet they were carefully planned with a view to their future use. Anyaircraft in the world can land at Katunayake Airport, which is equipped with all modern equipment including servicingfacilities. The island itself is too small for the development oi internal air services to any appreciable degree. Its greatestlength is a little over 250 miles and its widest breadth just about 160 miles. Therefore a great many of the landinggrounds are not in use to-day. A regular air service under the name of '' Air Ceylon '' wasstarted one year ago and flies four time a week to Madras, in South India, but Ceylon is not content with short distanceflights of this nature, and has just concluded an air agreement with the Government of Pakistan which, subject to agreementby the Government of India, will enable " Air Ceylon " to fly K regular service to Karachi. It is the intention to develop further air services so that in the near future there will be regularLondon-Colombo air services using Constellations. The services to Madrasare by Dakota aircraft which have been found quite satisfactory for theirparticular purpose. Dakotas wilt probably be used even for the pro-jected services to Pakistan. In order to encourage people totake to flying, both as a hobby as well as a training for the future, theGovernment is subsidizing two flving clubs which are provided with every *~possible facility and equipped with stag and aircraft. About 50 Cey-lonese, who joined the R.A.F. during the war and saw service in Britain, have now formed the nucleus of present aircrewsand engineers. " F''!?'<< " photograph. PATENTS IN PAKISTAN AT the time of partition, the Indian Patents and Designs•ii- Act 1911 was suitably adapted and a patent seated before August 15, 1947, confers the same privilege in Pakistan. APatents and Designs Office has now been set up at Karachi and, until a Controller is appointed, all applications should beaddressed to Mr. S. M. Ahmed, Examiner of Patents and Designs, Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Works, Govern-ment of Pakistan, Chief Court Building, Karachi. Where an application was pending, a fresh application,together with a copy of the application filed with the. Patent Office (India), should be made as early as possible. Renewalfees which became due on or after August 15th, 1947, should be forwarded to the Examiner, accompanied by a duly certified"True Copy" of the entry in the Indian Register of Patents.
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