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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1210.PDF
FLIGHT AUGUST 5TH, 1948 CIVIL MODERN MERCHANTMAN: A K.LM. Skymaster is unloaded at Schiphol Airport after a transatlantic flight, the freight bemg transferred into a train of trucks for transport to other destinations. The S.B.A.C.'s Letter to the Prime Minister : Berlin Air Lift : British Corporations' Statistics LONDON'S AIR TRAFFIC THE month of June proved to be the busiest at Northoltairport since it opened in December, 1945. Altogether 48,740 passengers passed through the airport on scheduled air services during June involving 3,264 aircraft movements. Record figures of mail and freight were handled at the airport, these being 228,096 lb and 679,943 lb respectively. The June figures for London airport snowed that the scheduled service passengers passing through totalled 35,652, the number of air- craft movements handling these totalling 2,205. THE CANADAIR ORDER THE Society of British Aircraft Constructors has sent thefollowing letter to the Prime Minister, and copies to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Ministers of Supply and Civil Aviation: — '' The Council of the Society Jiave considered this afternoon the Government's decision to permit the purchase by the British Overseas Airways Corporation of aircraft built abroad. They wish to place on record with you their regrets at the decision, and, in particular, their fears that it will have serious repercussions on the Industry's export trade. '' The Council recognize that so grave a decision could not have been taken by the Government except for powerful reasons, some of which may not have been revealed to the general public, but, in the absence of full explanation and having regard to the availability within the next year or two of British aircraft in every way comparable with the American design in question, they share the widely expressed bewilder- ment which has greeted the announcement. '' Evidence of the harm done in the export field is already accumulating. Canadair salesmen are naturally busy in many parts of the world, and there are indications that buyers in Argentina and other South American countries are being greatly influenced as a result of the enormous prestige conferred on the Canadair product by the British Government's decision. "On July 15th we had the honour to inform you of the terms of a telegram received from the Society's representative in South America, in which he stated that an adverse decision would be disastrous to our hitherto successful export drive in Argentina and to prospects now offering in other South Ameri- can Republics with dollar shortages. A later report from him shows that leading airline operators in Argentina and Brazil who were considering the purchase of British aircraft have been severely shaken by the British adoption of aircraft built abroad. " We have also heard that Canadair aircraft are now likely to be acquired for the services of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines. Moreover, it is unfortunately inevitable that the decision must affect the prestige of the whole of our Aircraft Industry, and make harder the task of selling all types of British aircraft and equipment in the severely competitive buyers' markets now developing." PENGUIN PANTRY TTO provide a typical setting for demonstrating food and •*- furnishing equipment, a Horsa glider hull has been con- verted by the General Electric Co., Ltd., in co-operation with J. Lyons and Co., Ltd., to resemble the interior of a modern air liner The conversion was superintended by Airwork, Limited. The cabin, which is furnished throughout by Latex Upholstery, Limited, and galley are heated, ventilated and equipped by G.E.C. and include their lightweight aircraft fans. The galley fittings include a two-gallon water urn, a grill boiler and their new air circulation oven. This oven has been specially designed in conjunction with J. Lyons and Co., Ltd., for the heating-up of pre-frozen cooked meals and is capable oil handling 24 two-course meals in 45 minutes. The lounge, complete with cocktail cabinet, is installed in the nose of the glider and has been furnished by L. A. Rumbold and Co., Ltd. AUGMENTING THE AIR LIFTT HE first commercial aircraft to take part in the Berlin air lift were two Lancastrian tankers belonging to Flight Refuelling, Limited. Each aircraft carried 1,600 gallons of petrol and was flown by the firm's personnel. The Lancastrians took off from Tarrant Rushton on July 27th and arrived at Wunstorf airfield in the British Zone the same night on the way to Gatow airfield at Berlin. The British Air Charter Association, Limited, have advised the Air Ministry and Mr. Bevin, in response to the latter's appeal to the Dominions for aircraft, that there are between 130 and 150 two- and four- engined aircraft with a total carrying capacity of about 40° tons belonging to charter companies which mighi, be useful to reinforce the operation of supplying Berlin by air. It might not be possible except in dire emergency to switch all these aircraft from their normal work, but a large proportion of them could doubtless be brought into use at fairly short notice. The charter companies feel that if they were organized for use in a national or international emergency they could supply a valuable potential of between 400 and 500 aircraft, many highly trained
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