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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1858.PDF
C2 2 FLIGHT, TO November 1949 CIVIL AVIATION NEWS K.L.M.'S "CATS": Eighteen-passenger Catalina amphibians will shortly ba operated by K.L.M on inter-island services in the DutchEast Indies. The photograph was taken at Atlanta, Georgia, where the conversions, which include the installation of more powerful Pratt and Whitney twin Wasps than those fitted in standard models, are being undertaken by the Aero Corporation. KAPIDE REPLACEMENT IT is reported that more than 16 designs for a small general-purpose transport aircraft to replace the obsolescent D.H.Rapide have been submitted for consideration by B.E.A. B.E.A. has confirmed that if a satisfactory project is forth-coming an immediate order will be placed for 15 aircraft straight from the drawing board. As mentioned in Flight ofAugust nth, a cruising speed of 150 m.p.h. coupled with the Rapide's ability to operate from small and rough airfieldsare considered essential features of the new 10-15-seat airliner. As an effective means of reducing its operating deficit theCorporation hopes to use a replacement that will achieve an operating cost of 70 per cent of that of the Rapide. B.E.A. utilize the Rapide on a 2,8o5-mile network of internal services in the U.K. B.E.A.'s BRIGHTER OUTLOOK FIRST results of B.E.A.'s economy programme reveal a sub-stantial operating profit for the three-month period fromJuly to September. This profit, which was calculated after all expenses had been paid, amounted to 6s 8d for each passen-ger carried, or a profit of £2 9s per flying hour compared with a loss of £10 per flying hour for the same period in 1948. Pro-ductivity increased to 2,983 capacity-ton-kilos per employee compared with the figure of 1,923 for the corresponding periodof 1948—an achievement which was effected after a 14 per cent reduction in staff from 7,537 to 6,487 in 1949- An average of3,202 passengers per day was carried^-620 a day more than last year's figure. The incentive provided by the Corporation's bonus scheme,which, it will be recalled, was the reason for a strike when introduced a year ago, is considered to have been largelyresponsible for the profit. Flying time is said to have increased by one-quaxter, while only three-quarters of the manpowerwas used on aircraft maintenance as compared with the same period of last year. COMPETITION IN AFRICA T TNCERTAINTY overhangs the inauguration of new servicesI—' linking the Union of South Africa and Nairobi through Nyasaland. Both Central African Airways and B.O.A.C. haveapplied to the Central African Air Authority for permission to operate such services. Anticipating a favourable decision,B.O.A.C. proceeded several weeks ago with plans for the pre- paration of a flying-boat base at Cape Maclear, on Lake Nyasa,and announced (as mentioned in Flight of September 15th) that one of the three-times-weekly South African flying-boatservices in each direction would night-stop at this base for a trial period of three months. The preparations, which included the transport of a 12-ton motor launch, the gazetting of CapeMaclear as a Customs Station and the establishment of exten- sive accommodation and refuelling arrangements, were of noavail, however, as the introduction of the service had to be postponed because the relevant operating licence had not beenissued. Meanwhile, Central African Airways have applied for alicence to divert their Viking service from Salisbury to Nairobi in order to call at Blantyre instead of at Ndola. Neither ser-vice can be pat into operation until a decision has been made by the C.A.A.A., which nas now announced that in view of thealmost parallel routing of these services, the final consideration will be deferred to enable the two companies to consult eachother. LONG-RANGE FREIGHTERSr is indeed ironical that trje opportunities which exist at the present time for greatly increasing the dollar-earning capacity of the British air freight market, as a result of devaluation, appear to be lost through lack of freighter air- craft possessing sufficient range and payload to make operation a paying proposition. This is a particularly regrettable state of affairs in view of the large cargoes which will tend to move towards America and Canada rather than in any other direction as a direct result of the new exchange rate. Of the aircraft which can make such trips, the few available Liberators can accomplish the flight onry as far as Montreal, where, in the interests of economy, their cargoes must be transferred to regular airlines in order to complete the journey to New York. Converted Halifaxes and Haltons, too, can complete the flight only with a reduced payload and even would have to be routed by short stages via Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland. More suitable aircraft, such as Skymasters and Constellations, are, to a large extent, operated by state airlines which are not usually willing to make charter quotations lower than the normal airline rates, and, in any case, most airlines have not sufficient aircraft to undertake additional charter flights. Moreover, as European imports from North America are being progressively restricted to raw materials only, for which avail- able payload is negligible and desired rates too low, return flights would quite often have to be made with an empty aircraft; high freight quotations would be necessary to cover this eventuality. Business generally on the air-freight market is at a low ebb at the present time and there is reported to br a. serious lack of forward bookings for the coming months. The position for Halifax and Halton operators has become particularly difficult and rates as low as 4s 6d per mile are currently being quoted in order to keep the aircraft flying in competition with Dakotas—aircraft which virtually captured the freight market T? 18
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