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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1897.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER , First Aeronautical Weekly in the World ••'' / v' L Founded 1909 No. 2135. Vol. LVI. THURSDAY, 24 NOVEMBER, 1949. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices :• . . DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I. Telegrams : Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone: Waterloo 3333 (60 lines). Branch Offices : COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. • Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM, 2. King Edward House, New Street. Telegrams : Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone : Midland 7191 (7 lines). MANCHESTER, 3 260, Deansgate. Telegrams : tliffe, Manchester. Telephone : Blackfriars 4412 (5 fines). Deansgate 3S95 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2 26b. Renfield Street. Telegrams : Ififfe, Glasgow. Telephone ; Central 4357. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas : Twelve months, £3 Is. Od. Six months, £1 10s. 6d. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.00. BY AIR : To any country in Europe (except Poland). Twelve months, £5 Is. Od. Six months, £2 10s. 6d. Canada and U.S.A. Six months, $16. In this issue: Ships and Flying-ships - 664 Forging the Air Weapon 672 Naval Night Fighters - 675 Mamba powered - - - 689 Holland's Jet Trainer - 687 Freighter-Fertilizer - - 689 B I Jet AwakeningT O an American it must seem ironical that though no other nation is in such an economically sound position, it is principally for reasons of expense that jet transports are still on United States drawing-boards while Britain and Canada already have promising and well-advanced designs in the air. Only comparatively recently has America become jet-transport-conscious, although the turbojet for military aircraft has held nation-wide interest since it became known that the first power unit of this kind had been shipped from England to America for examination. Not unnaturally, the American industry has hitherto concentrated its attention upon military aircraft, for which plenty of contracts have been forthcoming, and un- doubtedly the success of the Comet and of the Jetliner in Canada has given a pro- found jolt to that justifiably complacent section of the American industry which has of recent years provided equipment for the majority of the world's airlines. The overall shock has been the more severe because, preoccupied as they are with their own diverse affairs, Americans are not on the whole as well informed about progress in other countries as are those countries about American develop- ments and ideas. It is widely believed in the United States (and in some quarters the belief is carefully fostered) that the British aircraft industry is nationalized and fully subsidized by the Government. " We could have built the Comet if the U.S. Government had put up the money," they say. Yet of all large post-war civil projects in this country, the Comet owes most to private enterprise and capital— though not, perhaps, to the extent of $25,000,000 to $30,000,000, the figure quoted by Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker for the development of a comparable aircraft. For our own part, it would be foolish to under-estimate America's capacity, and we agree with Mr. Beall of Boeing when he says that they do not feel the overall picture of American jet-transport development to be as gloomy as stories would have them believe. "... We can pick up where they have left off and bring out an improved aeroplane," he says. Mr. Beall's company, makers of the Stratocruiser, have as many as three civil jet designs under consideration, and have also a great deal oi supporting experience with the six-jet B-47 bomber. Incidentally, the thin, very flexible, swept wings of this striking design may provide a partial solution to the gust and turbulence problem with high-speed transports, for test pilots report a remarkable damping-out of bumps, the fuselage riding as if supported on a pair of vast leaf-springs. With the Stratocruiser and B-47 in mind, it will be interesting to hear what Boeings consider a.practical wing-loading for a jet transport. Many other Americans have voiced an opinion on jet airliners. An ostrich outlook is attributed to Senator Johnson, who is reported as saying: "When trans-ocean jets are practical, you can bet that U.S. manufacturers will be ready to build them." An influential aviation columnist, Max Cook, quoting 1956 as the probable date for American jet transports to commence operation, is reported to have said that the problem does not so much concern engines, the United States being ahead in this field. It seems such an unlikely statement that he has probably been misquoted a not unusual occurrence. Although American manufacturers ran almost cer- tainly draw upon sufficient experience to enable them rapidly to produce high-speed transports ahead of any in being to-day, the same cannot be said of the power units. There is no known American turbojet which satisfies the requirements for civil operation, or which has achieved the standard of performance, reliability or life between overhauls of those in use in British gas-turbine transports. There is real and justifiable concern in America lest the country lose not only world but domestic markets as well. If the absence of financial support is the main problem there is little doubt that some way of overcoming the deficiency will be found Mr. Beall will have the support of all his country's industry when he states: "We do believe that this country must immediately start planning for jet transports if we are to maintain our role in aviation progress." It is gratifying in Britain not only to have such confirmation of the wisdom of decisions taken in the aircraft industry three to four years ago, but also to find that for once, as a nation, we have planned and prepared in advance.
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