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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0824.PDF
6i8 F LIGHT JUNE 3RD, 1948 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor does not hold liimselj responsible for the views expressed by correspondents. The names and addresses of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters. LIGHT AIRCRAFT AND ENGINES Some German Designs AvailableI N reply to A. G. J. Brown of Dolgelly in Flight of May 6th,I have iu my possession photographs and technical data of a single-seater aircraft and a two-seater, the former of40 h.p. and the latter of 50 h.p. Neither machine is new. Both were flown in Germany prior to the war and obtainedrecords for the 2-litre 100 km., and the 2-litre 1,000 km. classes. Their designer is a personal friend of mine and is atthe moment wasting his time in Germany. He would be delighted to come over and work with me again, and assistany firm or society to produce a modified, up-to-date light aircraft; Regarding engines, I was offered only last autumn the manu-facturing rights of a 50 h.p. engine which has several medals to its credit, but this is also in the British-American zone ofGermany. I can, if there is any interest, arrange to supply all the data and should be pleased to support any projectof the kind. My co-partner has also designs of a powered glider of verylow h.p. and also a very up-to-date design of a four-seater family machine of 100 h.p. (two 50 h.p. engines). I may addthat the lines of the former light aircraft (which, by the v/ay, was amongst the list of record holders published in Flightsome time ago), although it was made in 1936-7-8, are in the topmost class of present-day designs and has been looked uponfavourably by our Ministry of Supply, Civil Aircraft Branch. Bristol. PATRICK C. IRELAND. "*. ::• R.A.F.V.R. EQUIPMENT ' The Tiger Moth is a Fair-weather Aircraft FAR from flogging a tired horse, I think the vexed questionof a new aircraft type for the V.R. needs even morediscussion than has so far taken place in your columns. This afternoon I cycled back six miles from the local R.F.S.—butwithout doing any flying, as I had intended. Why? Because, although it has been a perfect day, the wind was blowing at20-25 m.p.h., and the brakeless, tailwheelless Tiger Moths were grounded. I don't think any will dispute the fact that, what-ever its merits as a primary trainer, a Tiger is essentially a fair-weather aircraft. Admittedly, a wind of 20 m.p.h. ormore is not ideal for any light aircraft, but I suggest that an Auster or any similarly equipped type would be perfectlymanageable under these conditions. No, the whole purpose of the V.R.'s existence is renderednull and void unless it keeps up to date. Apart from the need of an aircraft that will provide some operational training, whatis the use of having aircraft grounded every time the wind gets up to twenty or more, or a cloud appears in the sky? Fair-weather aircraft must mean fair-weather flyers, and one is con- stantly hearing blurb about an all-weather Air Force. Apartfrom that, there is the question of wastage of good flying, weather, particularly at week-ends, which is the only periodavailable to most reservists. A Tiger is supposed to be simple and cheap to maintain. Is it? True, it has no ancillary equipment, but by mere virtue of being a biplane it requires more rigging work than a mono- plane of comparable size. Ask an engineer who has C. of A.'d a Magister, an Auster, and a Tiger Moth, which of the three involves the most work, and I think you'll find the Tiger comes off worst. The Tiger is an old faithful, and like other old faithfuls it'stime we said goodbye to it. It has served its turn. It may be popular with flying clubs, where initial cost is bound to beconsidered—certainly it is hard-wearing, but no present-day V.R. pilots are in the ab initio stage. The V.R. is supposedto have the country's money behind it, for the benefit of the country, and if it is going to be an obsolete force, that moneyis wasted. Let's not do things by halves. At the end of this tirade I will say that I can understandwhy a more advanced aircraft is not immediately available— the emphasis on immediately. The Secretary of State for Airhas said that the Tiger Moth will be replaced by the Chipmunk in the V.R. Let us hope it is soon, and not when the Chip-munk is itself obsolete. I appreciate that these things don't just happen; a lot of hard work and organization is bound tobe involved in the change-over, but neither are battles won by a poorly trained force. If we accept the need for armed forces to maintain world peace, let them be good ones. It issurely a foolish and pinch-penny policy to refrain from spending a little extra money now, when by so doing we may pay outin millions of pounds and—far more important—thousands of lives later.This afternoon's cancellation of flying in good weather—due entirely to wind strength—js not the first occasion!School of Navigation, "" •--:vv .,;•••- A. JOHNSTONE. Warsash, Hants. FLIGHTS TO JERSEY CAR RACE Regulations Designed to Save Numerous Trunk CallsI N Flight of May 6th, under the heading "Flights to JerseyCar Race/' you criticize the authorities in Jersey for issuing a certain regulation only two days before the race, thus givingno time to operators of aircraft without W/T. to make suit- able arrangements. This is an incomplete statement of thesituation and misleading. . . V. .- : .... The full facts aTe as follows:— " *' "' ' ' In N/A. 34, dated January 22nd, 1948, it is stated that noaircraft may fly within the Channel Islands Control Zone in I.F.R. conditions unless prior clearance has been receivedfrom Jersey. From this it is clear that operators planning for the race knew three months beforehand that if I.F.R.conditions were in force on the morning of the race they would have to get clearance first. In other words, Uxbridgeand other Controls would have to telephone Jersey every time clearance was required, which would mean many trunk callsand much waiting. Secondly, a Notam was sent to Uxbridge on April 20thadvising those conditions which appeared in due course in N/A. 150 (the Notice to which you refer). This was merelygoing a step farther in giving effect to N/A. 34, and to save various Air Traffic Control Centres the trouble and expenseof numerous calls to Jersey requesting clearance to proceed to Jersey which, in view of the very heavy traffic expected,Jersey Control could not possibly accept il the weather were bad. The whole idea of making flight under I.F.R. compulsoryin bad weather is to ensure that every aircraft is under posi- tive control. At present, as the only Approach Control frequencyat Jersey is M/F. W/T., it is obviously very dangerous to allow aircraft without W/T. to fly in a busy Control Zonein bad weather, at the same time as Dakotas, Wayfarers, etc., are letting down through cloud, landing and taking off. Actually, Jersey Airport handled 184 aircraft movementsand 1,081 passengers on the day of the race, without a hitch or a complaint. It is to be observed, too, that in spite ofthe very bad weather conditions up to midday, some 80 air- craft movements took place by 13.30, an average of one move-ment every 3 or 4 minutes during the morning. This was made possible because the aircraft with radio were broughtin safely and quickly during the bad weather and the other! followed equally safely and quickly as soon as QBI wascancelled. O. ROCHE, Airport Commandant. Jersey Airport, Channel Islands. A large number of letters are unavoidably held over. FORTHCOMING EVENTS June 5th.—Derby Aero Club and No. 16 Reserve Flying School : Flying Display ac Burnaston airport. June 12th.—Wolverhampton Aero Club : "At Home." June 12th and 13th.—Butlin's Week-end Air Rally at Ingoldmells, Skegness. June 13th.—Henri Bardet Cup for modeF "aircraft with mechanical motors. June 16th.—R.Ae.S. (Hatfield) : "The Development of the Brabazon I," G. P. Hepden, B.Sc, A.C.G.I.. D.I.C. June 19th.—Old Comrades Day for the Airborne Forces, Parachute Regt., Aldershot. June 19th to 21st.—Royal Aero Club : Week-end for Foreign Guests, London. June 20th.—Northern Heights Model Flying Club : Gala Day. Queen's Cup and Helicopter Trophy. Langiey airfield, Bucks. June 26th and 27th.—Buttin's Week-end Air Rally. Broom Hall, Pwllheli, N. Wales. July 3rd.—Air Service Training : Flying display and " Open Day," Hamble airfield, Hants. July 3rd to 5th.—Private Air Rally for members and associate members of the Royal Aero Club at Deauville, France. (Guests of M. F. Andre.) July 3rd.—R.Ae.S. (Glasgow). Visit to Blackburn Aircra't Ltd., Dum- barton. July 4th.—Leicester Aero Club : Air Day and Club " At Home." Ratcliffe airfield.
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