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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0622.PDF
424 FLIGHT APRIL 14TH, 1949 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS I. C.A. 0. Discusses Airworthiness^ Charter Firms and Scheduled Services NEW VINTAGE: The SE 2010 Armagnac, first of 25 for Air France transatlantic service, seen during its first flight, on April 2nd. Comparable with the Strotocruiser, it is likewise powered by Wasp Majors. I.C.A.O. AIRWORTHINESS CONFERENCEA T the third session of the Airworthiness Division of I.C.A.O., which, attended by delegates from 13 Member States, recently concluded in Montreal, considerable progress was made in the task of establishing a code of airworthiness requirements applicable to all sizes of transport aircraft. At previous meetings requirement for larger aircraft (Category A) had been discussed, and this session was devoted to the resolu- tion of outstanding matters in Category A, and to the develop- ment of requirements for smaller transports. A proposal was made by the United Kingdom that climb requirements should be based on a method developed by Bos- combe Down. This was accepted, and it wasalso agreed that Member States should study the details with a view to making a comprehensive revision eighteen months hence. A second British paper, prepared by the A."R.B., in consultation with other interested bodies, outlined a complete set of perform- ance requirements consistent with the Boscombe Down method. It was hoped that it would assist States in their study prior to agreement in detail. Type tests and other requirements for turbine engines were discussed, and proposals submitted by the United Kingdom were adopted without material technical alteration. International standards were agreed for small passenger transport aircraft (Category D, limited to 12,500 lb). In most respects the Category A requirements apply directly, but to permit the use of single-engined types, requirements for per- formance with an engine inoperative are excluded. To recom- pense for the greater likelihood of forced landing, a stalling- speed limit of 56 m.p.h. is imposed, and operations confined to V.F.R. day flights only. An intermediate transport aircraft (Category C) was dis- cussed. The British view was that such a category should cover the small or medium twin, in which performance with one engine failed is provided for en route, but not during take-off or initial climb. Many aircraft of this general class are flying to-day with very satisfactory safety records. Certain States, however, questioned the wisdom of providing for such aircraft in future, and sought to limit their use. The upshot was that, by a small majority, agreement was reached that Category C should be limited to a maximum weight of 12,500 lb, and a stalling speed not exceding 65 m.p.h. MEMORIES OF IMPERIAL AIRWAYSM OST of the surviving directors and two of the three chair- men (Sir George Beharrell and Lord Reith) of the old Imperial Airways organization were among those entertained by B.O.A.C. to a luncheon to mark the twenty-fifth anniver- sary of the incorporation of Imperial Airways, Ltd. Those present included 20 members of the Twenty Five Club— veterans who had served for 25 years with B.O.A.C., Imperial Airways and its constituent companies. Sir Harold Hartley (the chairman), in welcoming the guests, recalled the early days of airline flying in this country, back to the time when, in 1919, Air Transport and Travel were operating their Hounslow to Le Bourget service and achieving a regularity of 96 per cent without radio and with very few instruments. (Sir Frederick Handley Page, who was present, has since pointed out that Handley Page Transport shared the honour.) Sir Harold caused laughter by his quotation of the Hambling Report, which, in 1923, recommended the amalgamation of the four companies then operating cross-Channel services into a ^1,000,000 combine. "The Government," the Report had said, " should not exercise any direct control over (the activities of the company, other than by the appointment of directors." A photograph taken at the luncheon appears on p. 426. RE. A. TO THE RUHRO N Monday, April 4th, British European Airways started a new service through the Ruhr, the first civilian service for ten years. Operated with Viking aircraft, five return flights a week are made, leaving Nbrtholt on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 1604 hr B.S.T. and arriving in Dusseldorf at 1755 and continuing to Hamburg, which is reached at 1915. The return flights are made on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and leave Hamburg at 0720 hr, calling at Dusseldorf at 0915 and reaching Northolt at 1115. Fares from London to Dusseldorf are £10 single and ^18 return, and from London to Hamburg ^14 12s single and ^26 6s return. CORPORATIONS AND THE FLYING BOATR EADERS will be aware of Flight's enthusiasm for the flying-boat type of aircraft, and when the proposed amal- gamation of British South American Airways and British Over- seas Airways was announced we felt a good deal of uneasiness about the possible effect of the merger on the future of the flying boat. During a recent chat we were, therefore, very glad to learn from Sir Miles Thomas, who will officially become chairman of B.O.A.C. on July 1st, that he shares our enthusi- asm (and that of the passengers) for the flying boat. He feels that the sea is our heritage, and that to start a voyage from water is to a Britisher the most natural thing in the world. Sir Miles had an opportunity recently to test for himself the pleasures of flying the African route in a Solent, and he greatly admires this aircraft type and its crews. The scenery is full of interest to the passengers, and the machine is one of the most comfortable in the world, giving freedom to get up and walk about, and to stand in the promenade and look down upon the unfolding landscape, the view of which is unobstructed by the high wing. There is a general impression that when the Handley Page Hermes land plane goes into service on the Springbok route, the Solent flying boats will be withdrawn. This will not necessarily be the case; if the boats continue to be popular with the travellers, the Solent service will be continued, although possibly the frequency may be reduced. Future first-class air travel will, Sir Miles considers, cater for two classes of travellers; the passenger who is sent out by his firm to settle some very urgent business, and to whom cost is relatively unimportant while time is extremely valuable. That type will obviously travel by the fastest type of aircraft available. The other class of passenger is the man who is not in quite such a great hurry, and who will in many cases bring his family along and combine business with a pleasant holiday journey. To such travellers the flying boat will appeal on account of its great comfort, and because the overnight stops give an opportunity for a quiet rest, so enabling the traveller to arrive at his destination fresh. Sir Harold Hartley expressed similar views, and in a broad- B 12
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