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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1272.PDF
IQ.O FLIGHT AUGUST 12™, 1943 Aeronautical Fantasia Some Thoughts on Dollars and Sense By " COMPARATOR " ONE of Ihe more wishful foibles of the American aero-nautical world at this time is the belief that only bythe purchase of more American aircraft can the British airline corporations compete on a profitable basis vis-a-vis the Americans using the same equipment. This wishful thinking is as sincerely American as the widely held fixation that practically the whole outside world is panting to sail past the Statue of Liberty. (A recent international poll has surprised many of our American friends by show- ing otherwise!) But, back of this wishful thinking, one can also detect a slightly wistful note: if only the rest of the world could find the dollars to continue this one-way trade philosophy, why, everybody would be happy—especially the American aircraft industry. Albeit, one can hardly blame the Americans for being good salesmen in thinking thus; for, talking of national foibles, what could be more characteristic of our fellow- countrymen when visiting these hospitable shores, than to , declare to the world—via the American Press—how much better most things are done in the Great Republic? (The writer blushingly confesses that he has occasionally joined in this New World Symphony.) No doubt all this is good diplomacy in the best British tradition and does no real harm, so long as our peregrinating politicians are able to winnow the chaff of publicity from the wheat of fact before returning home to more austere climes. The less entertain- ing side, perhaps, is that it is apt to persuade our American friends that the Union Jack is now flying at half-mast and that we shall soon be cadging for more dollars to hold up the flagpole. Surprisingly enough, this point of view (according to American news sources, at any rate) was reiterated by Sir Miles Thomas, deputy-chairman of B.O.A.C., during his recent visit to the U.S.A. (see Flight, June 17th). After riding in one of the Boeing Stratocruisers now undergoing C.A.A. fright tests, Sir Miles is reported as saying that his impressions of the type had been vastly confirmed; also that it had no direct competitor, so far as he knew, and that its use would have profit-making advantages over any others now available. Leaving aside the British viewpoint for the moment, this strikes one as a little biased against Lockheed and Douglas, both of whom have long-range transports for sale off the shelf, whereas the Stratocruiser is not yet certificated; and even then it will be a long time before B.O.A.C get delivery of their half-dozen. The present estimate, is late next year—which means another couple of summers without the aforesaid profit-making. Ironing-out the Bugs v Incidentally, it is noted that Sir Miles has now tacitly confirmed one's own estimate of the delivery date by acknowledging that "the first Stratocruiser would not be delivered for another 12 or even 18 months, but the Board was not disturbed since B.O.A.C. will benefit from the experience of other operators who will fly out the bugs." (And, presumably, the profits, if any!) One can forgive the actual delay, however upsetting to past prognostica- tions, but the naivete of "letting" one's competitors iron- out the bugs is an astonishing credo. Sir Miles must surely know that bug chasing is really the quintessential " know- how " which forms the life-sap of any business structure. Any firm that waits 18 months expecting to cash in on its competitor's mistakes will always be left sweating a year and a half behind. There are several puzzling angles to this Stratocruiser deal. For one thing, if is difficult to understand why the technical experts—once having crossed the Treasury Rubicon—were so keen on ordering Stratocruisers, rather than Constellations. Whatever may be the final score after the Stratocruiser is in regular operation, most technical experts are agreed that the Constellation currently stands at the top of the civil transport class. We need not lose any British face in freely admitting this—nor should we sit - down to copy-cat it for 1952. The point is that having committed ourselves to buying American aircraft (instead of beefsteak' and butter), we could have bought ten Connies for the price of six Stratocruisers. Moreover, one might reasonably assume we should have got them into profitable airline operation this summer, thereby getting some of the dollars back. •.., -r ; . . ' - , , . • . • -..'•, ,' •'-.,,-.. • .'.... M ,"•.. ',-.-.<- -Wing and Power Loadings 1 Current reports indicate that the gross weight of the Stratocruiser may be certificated at 140,000 1b, instead of, the earlier figure of 135,000 lb. If true, this would increase the wing and power loadings to 81.4 lb/sq ft and 10.o lb/h.p., resulting in a combined wing-power loading of 814—undoubtedly an all-time high for commercial air- craft up to this time. It would have the effect of pushing up the 50ft clearance take-off to at least 2,000 yards, and the emergency full-load landing speed to around 110 m.p.h. The characteristic loadings for the Constellation are less bold, since at a gross weight of 102,000 lb the wing and power loadings are 61.8 and 10.2, giving a combined load- ing figure of 631. Since the Fowler flap effectiveness is much the same for both aircraft, the Constellation is likely to have the more docile handling characteristics at the I©*1 end of the speed range. .;? Another joker one would like to see turned face-up in Parliament is an estimate of the final bill for these six Stratocruisers when delivered late in 1949. It is generally understood that the contract is based on an escalator clause, which allows the price to rise in line with fabrication costs at the time of construction. It may be news to the British taxpayer, perhaps, that although the unit price was reported at around a million and a quarter dollars when the order was placed, it is much more likely to approach a couple of millions (i.e., 12 million dollars for the bagful) by the time these aircraft are finally delivered. Again, it appears to follow logically that this rjuch money has been drained away from the development of British civil aircraft. And so the score will stand at America " 12-up," arid Britain " 12-down "—a. relative difference of 24 at the : expense of the British worker and British know-how. . i It seems to be high time that the broader national , i interest of a key British industry should be given priorfy §)': over the balance-sheet of a nationalized airline. It is not so much a narrow question of national airline prestige, but plain national survival in a competitive manufacturing world. We may be treading on economic thin ice, but as we British see it from here, however distressing a ten- million sterling red-ink blot may look on the books of B.O.A.C., it is nevertheless an internal sterling transaction without dollar repercussions. The sterling remains in the family, so to speak. , At the risk of falling right through the ice, one wouid like to suggest an interesting Anglo-American parallel in the film trade; the parallel, indeed, is strikingly similar in its main aspects. Until a couple of years ago the majority of films exhibited in the U.K. were "standard-made" in Hollywood, and the British film-addict was compelled, ; willy-nilly, to " take it and like it." (Incidentally, one has TJ always felt that the worm finally turned when a Hollywood .: Irishman, reconquered Burma—with not a British uniform _ in sight \) An austerity-conscious Government then decided ; that bread and margarine must take precedence over 't 17-million dollar syrup bill for the masses; also thSt thfi British people had a right to caricature themselves in their
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