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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0142.PDF
94 FLIGHT JANUARY 27TH, 1949 Group Activities rendered unnecessary the raising of the instructor's eye level, with bene- ficial, aerodynamic (and, be it said, aesthetic) results. A simple conversion of the Sea Fury trainer provides a land-based aircraft similar in general type to the version supplied to the Iraqi Air Force, though this particular model was fitted with an earlier form of cockpit • enclosure. Notwithstanding the widening adop- tion of jet fighters, the versatile, highly manoeuvrable Centaurus-en- gined Sea Fury and Fury trainers continue to command the attention of Service authorities. Jet trainers have, nevertheless already "arrived," and from one of these— a Gloster Meteor T. Mk. 7—Mr. Cyril Peckham was able to secure the view of Meteor Mk. 5 single-seat fighters on their delivery flight to the Netherlands. The eight Meteors took off from the Gloster airfield at Moreton Valence and flew to Manston, for Customs clearance, in two " vies," led by Messrs. Dryland and Cooksey, Gloster A handsome Hawker Tempest 2 fighter-bomber (Bristol Centaurus engine) for the Pakistan Air Force. The maximum speed is 443 m.p.h. at 16,000 ft and the time of climb to 20,030 ft is 5.6 minutes. Bombs, or R.P.S are alternative loads to the drop tanks. test pilots. The other pilots were Royal Netherlands Air Force personnel. A third photograph depicts a Centaurus-powered Hawker Tempest 2 fighter-bomber for the Pakistan Air Force. Simi- lar machines are being delivered to the Royal Indian Air Force The Tempest 2 is still employed by the Royal Air Force for fighting and ground attack. Technical Functions of the S.B.A.C Standardization of Components and Procedures : Airscrew Performance Estimation SO much is heard to-day of the need for standardization—it frequently follows, almost in the same breath, the callfor increased production and reduced production costs— that one is apt on occasions to think of the virtues of stan-dardization as newly discovered. This is, of course, far from being the case; the aircraft industry has long been in a positionto profit from the advantages to be derived from standardiz- ation of certain classes of components. However, no sweepingstatement concerning the desirability of standardization can be made, for there must be certain reservations. In the wordsof the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, " Standardiz- ation in the aircraft industry has its own particular problems,and experience and care are essential in deciding which items are suitable for standardization and which must be leftseverely alone if the designer is not to be unduly restricted in his continual quest for increased performance" The successful activities of the Society towards promotionof standardization, not only of selected components but also of techniques, work which has extended over a period of about11 years, are well known and appreciated within the inner circle of the British aircraft industry. It is now deservedlyreceiving wider credit and publicity. When the S.B.A.C. first gave attention to the subject ofstandardization in 1938, its chief purpose was to bring about a reduction in design time, and to assist production and main-tenance through the use of the maximum number of standard parts in a new aircraft design. The Society realized at thattime that the support and enthusiasm of designers in the industry was essential if a range of standards was to be asuccess. This premise has remained the keynote of the Society's standardization activities. Unlike the procedurefollowed, for example, in America, the principle has been adopted that no design should be included in the standardrange unless it has the full support of all interested members. Since 1939 the S.B.A.C. has held regular monthly meetingsat which all airframe designing companies are represented, and at less frequent intervals similar meetings are held to dealwith matters concerning engines, airscrews, hydraulics and electrics. The procedure is, that each member in turn acceptsresponsibility for the developing of a new standard to the project stage. This is then circulated for study by the full committee,and after further discussion a final version acceptable to all concerned is adopted. Between five and six thousand standardparts have been agreed upon in this way. As a result, indivi- dual companies have been able to dispense almost entirelywith the extensive ranges of company standards which they had previously to maintain. Moreover, the work does not endhere, for the S.B.A.C. has been able to arrange for the manu- facture of almost every standard part agreed upon. Drawings are published in the Standards Handbooks, and the names and addresses of suppliers, with times for delivery of prototype and production components, are included. Complete sets of S.B.A.C. Standards Handbooks, contain-- ing five to six thousand items, have been circulated to no * fewer than 850 subscribers. The Handbooks are available to all countries, and so far Australia, Canada, South Africa, India, U.S.A., Holland, France, Norway, Sweden, Pakistan and the Argentine have availed themselves of this service. In addition to the standard designs for small parts, com- plete components such as pilot seats, rudder bars, trim control units, etc., have been introduced, and it is noteworthy that, except for special-purpose proprietary designs, every aircraft rivet produced in this country at the present time is to an S.B.A.C. standard. -: A rather different field of the work is that concerned with ,standardization of systems and procedure. Examples are the S.B.A.C. standard drawing office system and the projectedS.B.A.C. standard wiring system (including a draughtsman's electrical handbook). Plastics—Moulding- and Bulk Worthy of separate mention is an innovation, reported to- be working well, whereby the Society purchases moulding dies for the production of standard parts in plastic materials. After - approval of the products, members may purchase bulk supplies - ": at a price which includes a very small on-cost as a contribution towards tool charges. In this connection it may be remembered that the S.B.A.C. have reviewed plastic materials likely to be of use to the aircraft industry, grouped them on a basis of mechanical properties, and given each an appropriate S.B.A.C. reference number. This has been most helpful in overcoming " the difficulties resulting from the use of proprietary names, many potential users having previously only limited knowledge of alternatives. One of the best-known tasks in the field of standardization undertaken by the S.B.A.C. is that concerned with airscrew shafts. All manufacture in this country is controlled, and drawings are issued by the Society. Standards already provide for contra-rotating types of airscrews in all sizes required for engines at present in use, and there are indications that other countries, particularly France, may conform to these standards. The itSsue of material specifications is, of course, primarilv the work of the British Standards Institution, but the S.B.A.C. has an important part to play in this connection, and has undertaken much preliminary investigation in its own Mat- erials Committees. Moreover, the protection of materials has been given special attention, and either in office data sheet or B 6
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