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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1957.PDF
NOVEMBER I8TH, 1948 FLIGHT 613 Correspondence a self propelled trolley which lifted the aircraft clear of theground by means of two hydraulically operated arms, it then being possible to transport the aircraft back to the hangars.Utilization of the airfields was much restricted by this per- formance, and it seems highly unlikely, in view of the factthat maximum operational efficiency of an airfield is an all- important factor in warfare, that the skid will be used, exceptfor very special applications. Being a very keen student of the German Air Force, I main-tain that very much can be learnt about future aerial combats by studying German experience with jet aircraft. There islittle doubt that we must learn by their mistakes, at the same time giving proper credit for their magnificent technicaldevelopments. ADRIAN P. BISHOP. R.A.E., Fainborough,Hants. THE TWO FURIES Unfortunate Duplication of NomenclatureT HAT confusion in the nomenclature of service aircraft canlead to serious difficulties was surely made clear during the war. It was, I believe, the U.S. Navy which took theinitiative in standardizing code names for Japanese aircraft, thereby facilitating recognition and reporting. Now this sameservice has adopted for one of its standard deck-landing fighters the name "Fury," inviting confusion with an aircraftof the same class in regular service with the Royal Navy. Surely the dangers of such duplication are evident. Onevisualizes some embarrassing—even dangerous—situations which might arise if British and American aircraft carriers wereever called upon to operate as a combined task force. Though many of the most appropriate names have alreadybeen allocated to British fighters, an abundance remains. This was made clear in the correspondence columns of Flight whenthe Supermarine jet fighter was dubbed the "Attacker." Whipsnade. JOHN ELLIOT PEMBERTON BILLING WITH the death, at the age of 68, of Noel PembertonBilling is severed one of the most colourful links with the early days of British aviation. By nature a stormy petrel,"P. B." was often in the public eye, frequently in connection with subjects which had nothing to do with aviation. He was an early experimenter in flying, and in 1908 had anairfield at Fambridge, where he also built some machines. It is, however, as the founder of the Supermarine AviationWorks that we like to remember him. In 1912-13 he was building and scheming flying boats, and it was he who coinedthe name Supermarine for aircraft which operated from and flew over the sea. His first flying boat, the P.B.I., had theLin ton Hope type of circular hull, with built-on step. It was not a success, largely due to being under-powered, butit laid the foundation for the later very successful Southampton flying boats built after the Supermarine concern was takenover by Commander James Bird and Mr. Hubert Scott-Paine. Not content with being a designer, he decided to becomea pilot, and before the first war he had a bet with Mr. (now Sir Frederick) Handley Page as to who would get his "ticket"first. No one would teach him, and so he bought a- machine and managed to get his certificate at Brooklands, althoughhis solo performance was somewhat alarming. " H. P." was learning at the same time at Hendon, using the little H.P.monoplane which became known as "The Yellow Peril." Pemberton Billing beat him to it, and Handley Page gaveup the attempt. For a time "P.B." was in the Royal Naval Air Service.but he relinquished his commission in order to enter Parlia- ment as Member for East Hertfordshire. During the firstworld war he strongly criticized in the House the Air Ministry for sending pilots of the R.F..C. over the lines in B.E.2CS,the "Murder Charge" being the subject of an investigation. Although he had innumerable other interests, PembertonBilling could not keep away from aviation, and it may be recollected that some years ago we published an article by him on his "slip-wing" scheme. That was really a revival,in a different form and for a different purpose, of an idea he had in 19:2 or 13. One of his flying-boat sketch designswas so arranged that if the machine was brought down by engine failure the wings and engines could be floated away,leaving ihe hull to be propelled by an ordinary boat engine and water propeller. And now "P B." has found the peace which he neverattained, nor desired, during his life. H. G. BRAGKLEY JUST as we were closing for press, the sad news was receivedof the death by drowning of Air Commodore H. G. Brack-ley at Rio de Janeiro. He was on a tour of British South American Airways stations and apparently got into difficultieswhen swimming off Capacabana beach. An obituary notice will appear next week. BACK IN AVIATION HIS many friends in the aircraft industry will be glad tolearn that Mr. L. G. Frise has been appointed chief engineer to Percival Aircraft, Ltd. He took up his new dutieson November 15th. Leslie Frise became assistant designer to the late Capt.Barnwell during the first world war, and, in course of time, chief designer. Since he left the Bristol Aeroplane Companysome years ago, he has had many tempting offers from "out- side," but it is a good thing for British aviation that heresisted them all, .and that his long experience is now to be made use of.We are informed by Mr. A. A. Bage that he is resigning his post as chief designer, owing to a disagreement on poliGy.Since he joined the firm in 1934 ne nas been responsible for the design of all the Percival aircraft types produced duringthe period; BOOKS RECEIVED Theoretical Aerodynamics, by L. M. Milne-Thomson. Mac-millan & Co., 40s. An Introduction to Aerodynamic Compressibility, by J.Black. Bunhill Publications, Ltd., iSs. Weather Forecasting, by S. W. C. Pack. Longmans, Green& Co., 25s. Essential Metallurgy for Engineers, by Archibald ComleyVivian. Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 12s 6d. The Book of Flying, edited by Carlton Wallace. EvansBrothers, Ltd., 12s 6d. A Picture of the Universe, by Sir Harold Spencer-Jones.Raven Books, Ltd., 3s. Radio Aids to Navigation, by R. A. Smith. CambridgeUniversity Press, 9s. Air Power Can Disarm, by J. M. Spaight, C.B., C.B.E., SirIsaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 10s 6d. Airliners and Airways of To-day, by S. E. Veale. The PilotPress, Ltd., 21s. - Fundamentals of Vibration Study, by R. G. Manley. Chap-man & Hall, Ltd., 15s. Atomic Energy, a Discussion by a Chatham House StudyGroup. Royal Institute of International Affairs, 4s. The Night Sky, by J. G. Porter. Winchester Publications,Ltd., 5s. » 39 Magnesium—Its Production and Use, by Ernest V. Pannell.Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 25s. Mathematical Theory of Rocket Flight, by J. Barkley Rosser, Robert R Newton and George L. Gross. McGraw-Hill Pub- lishing Co., Ltd., 22s 6d. Technical Aerodynamics, by Karl D. Wood. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., Ltd , 33s. Applied D. R. Navigation and Flight Planning, by J. H.Clough-Smith. Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 22s 6d. Airline Traffic and Operations, by Morris B. Baker. McGraw- Hill Publishing Co:, Ltd., $4.50. Aircraft Electrical. Engineering, by F. G. Spreadbury. Sit Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 30s. Aircraft Development and Production, edited by M. M. Williamson and G/C. G. W. Williamson. Paul Elek Pub- lishers, Ltd., 30s. How to Draw 'Planes, by Frank A. A. Wootton. The Studio Ltd., 3s. - , Model Sailplane Design, by P^R. Payne. Percival Marshall & Co., Ltd., 3s. The Analytical Development of Curves and Streamline Shapes, by Harry H. Haase. Deemar Company, $4.50. .
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