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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1603.PDF
FLIGHT, 15 September 1949 ON L " Flight " photographOFFENSIVE : In keeping with its role as a long-range dive- and ground-attack bomber, the Bristol Brigand B. I is seen to have a particularly fierce appearance, even without the 3,2001b of bombs which may be carried externally under wings and fuselage. Two fan-cooled, 2,810 h.p. Centaurus57s power the Brigand, now going into service with squadrons overseas. Its maximum speed is 357 m.p.h. Air Memorial A MEMORIAL chapel to 90 airmen ofthe British, Dominions and U.S. Air Forces who were stationed at Cottes-more, Rutland, and lost their lives in the war, was dedicated in Cottesmore parishchurch on September 8th. A.V-M. the Rev. Leslie Fright, the R.A.F.'sChaplain-in-Chief, gave the address. R.A.F. Appointments AS briefly recorded in the previousissue, A.V-M. R. M. Foster, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C., has been appointed to succeed Air Marshal Sir Alan Lees, K.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., A.F.C., 'as A.O.C.-in-C, Reserve Command. From October 1st, the effective date of his appointment, he takes the rank of air marshal. A.V-M. Foster was Assistant Chief ofAir Staff (Policy) from February, 1947. until recently and was formerly A.O.C.,No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, to which he went in July, 1946, after havingbeen A.O.C. R.A.F. Austria, and Chief of the Air Division, Control Commissionfor Austria (British Element) from August, 1945. In 1939 he was a wingcommander serving in the Air Ministry Directorate of Plans. Almost imme-diately after the outbreak of the war he was posted to Bomber Command, inwhich he was successively S.A.S.O., No 2 Group, commanding officer of No. noSquadron, and station commander of the bomber station at Wyton until July.1941, when he went to R.A.F. Middle East H.Q. In January, 1942, he wasgiven command of No. 214 Group in Iraq, and later of No. 213 Group, in theLevant. Towards the end of 1942 he became S.A.S.O. at Air Headquarters,Caucasia, with the acting rank of air commodore, and in September, i943> H I Royal Air Force and Naval Aviation News and Announcements after having been head of a special plan-ning staff at Mediterranean Air Command Headquarters for six months, he went toItaly with the Allied Control Commis- sion. He was afterwards A.O.C., Malta,with the rank of air vice-marshal, from March, 1944, an<i was later A.O.C.,Desert Air Force from the following December until he went to Austria. Hewas promoted to the substantive rank of air vice-marshal in October, 1946. Also announced is the appointment ofA. Cdre. S. N. Webster, C.B.E., A.F.C., as S.A.S.O. at Coastal Command H.Q.,with the acting rank of air vice-marshal. Until recently, A.V-M. Webster hascommanded the R.A.F. Central Photo- graphic Establishment, to which he wentin November, 1948, after his return from Hong Kong, where he was A.O.C. fortwo years A.V-M. Webster is 49 and was commis-sioned in the R.A.F. in 1918 after serv- ing 411 the Army for some months. Inrg27, when a flight lieutenant, he won the Schneider Trophy for Great Britain,flying at a speed of 282 miles an hour in a Supermarine Napier Monoplane. Thiswas the first of three successive victories that won the trophy outright for thiscountry in 1931. . .. :• Empire Schools United THE three R.A.F Empire Schools,those of Flying, Air Navigation and Air Armament, are being amalgamated to form the R.A.F. Flying College atManby, Lines, which will open next January. The new College will giveselected officers practical instruction and experience in a combined course of fly-ing, navigation and the Use of weapons in all-weather conditions. It will alsoundertake investigations to keep tech- niques abreast of technical development,thus enabling teaching to be kept up-to- date. The "Empire" outlook of the threeschools which have pooled their know- ledge and resources to form the newCourse will be retained by Common- wealth representation on the instructingstaff and on the Course. The three aspects of flying, navigation ami arma-ment have now become so closely inter- related that the R.A.F. officer who willcaptain aircraft and command the squad- ron of the future must be thoroughlytrained in all three aspects if he is to fly his aircraft 01 command a squadronto the best advantage. Each Course, of about 30 officers, willlast 12 months, during which students will study the theory of combatant flyingand will practice, on the latest types of aircraft, the most up-to-date techniquesof high-altitude, high-speed, all-weather flying, navigation and the use ofweapons. During the later stages of the Course students will fly to various partsof the world to undertake such work as the study of flying in tropical and arcticconditions. They will also spend periods at experimental establishmentsfollowing the progress of specific scien- tific projects. An official description of the College'saim states: "The fighting efficiency of the Royal Air Force derives in specialmeasure from the personal skill, know- ledge and experience of those who com-mand flying units or who are concerned
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