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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0973.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER Editorial Director G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. Editor - -CM. POULSEN Assistant Editor - MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. (WING COR., R.A.F.V.R.) Art Editor - - JOHN YOXALL FIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE WORLD .• FOUNDED 1909 Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices.- DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1 Telegrams : Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (60 lines.) COVENTRY: 8-10, CORPORATION ST. BIRMINGHAM, 2 : j$jjw E D ^j DR j0^ Telegrams : Autocar, Coventry. 7e/egrams : Autopress, Birmingham! Telephone : Coventry 5210. Telephone : Midland 7191 (7 lines). MANCHESTER, 3 : 2*0, DEANSGATE. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone : Blackfriars 4412. GLASGOW, C.2: 26B, RENF1ELD ST. Telegrams : Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4857 SUBSCRIPTION RATES : Home and Abroad Year, £3 I 0. 6 months. £1 10 6. No. 2062 Vol. LIV July 1st, 1948 Thursdays, One Shilling c7Fe Outlook Fly BritishI F one is short of basic facts and dazzled by'the sparks of information flying from private axes in process of being ground to razor sharpness, it is hard to form a reliable opinion on any subject. Moreover, when -a purely aeronautical problem becomes also a political one, the mere technical observer finds himself even more at sea. However, the question of what aircraft to buy for our Empire routes is one which demands attention and comment. Considerations which must weigh most heavily in the balance are, first and foremost, British prestige and, secondly, dollar cost. To enlarge on these ; two involves one in very controversial deliberations. Examined from the point of view of the individual parties concerned, it is obvious that the Corporations • wish to show the smallest possible deficit and the largest dollar earnings, and, neglecting all other considerations, Constellations would almost certainly be their choice for le long-range Atlantic, Australian and Far Eastern routes. There is an immediate outlay in American dol- lars, and the less easily estimated possible long-term cost in prestige and loss of experience to our home industry. It may be assumed, too, that those whose responsi- bility it is to decide cannot altogether ignore Marshall obligations. With the Dominions we have the closest possible ties, and, moreover, it needs no great know- ledge of strategy to realize that a dispersal of our air- craft-production capacity throughout Canada and Austra- lia, for example, is desirable and to be encauraged. In addition, the Canadair Four, the aircraft which here enters the picture, has British Rolls-Royce engines, and is capable of earning dollars in competition with Constel- lations. Payment, moreover, might be the subject of long-term Commonwealth agreements. There is, finally, the nationalist point of view—one to which we attach the greatest importance. If we are prepared to give high priority to the conversion, com- pletion and development of Tudor IVs, there is no rea- son -why these very satisfactory British aircraft should not serve us admirably and with the minimum of delay. The British taxpayer is getting tired of making good the vast losses of the nationalized industries and con- cerns, but he would still be happy to accept the reduced operating income expected from the Tudor IV in prefer- ence to yet more dollar expenditure, and the severe blow to British prestige and our aircraft industry which would result from a further large order for American aircraft. The Tudor IV is capable of earning almost as many dollars as the Constellation or Canadair Four, although it may show a larger sterling deficit on the balance sheets. Undoubtedly the old stop-gap types have reached the end of their useful lives and, in fact, are losing dollar traffic and bringing discredit to their operators. For that reason a change is, now urgent. Whichever British aircraft can be operated safely and creditably should be delivered and operated. If there are a few which, by reason of range, take-off and the airfields available,' are unsuitable for operation, they must be eliminated. A major order for aircraft placed abroad now would have most serious repercussions at home. British crafts- men would have their livelihood endangered, produc- tive capacity in the industry would inevitably fall off, experience of inestimable value would be lost, the indus- try's long-term plans would be jeopardized, our export drive would be hampered and even such apparent details as apprentice schemes within the industry would suffer. It is our earnest hope that at the earliest opportunity Tudor IVs will be in operation on the longer services, and Hermes on the medium-range Empire routes. Turbine Progress AWEEK or two ago Sir Miles Thomas gave hisopinion that there was some support for theAmerican beliefs that their jet engine develop- ment was gaining on our own. Provided that the word development is used in its most straightforward sense, it is to be expected that a country with up to five times the manpower and facilities on the job will catch up on
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