FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0303.PDF
FLIGHT, 9 February 1950 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" does not hold himself responsible Jor the views expressed by correspondents in these columns. The names and addresses of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters. Runaway Junkers IN reply to the letter from Mr. D. J. Taylor, published inFlight of January 26th, requesting the history of the Junkers Ju 90 at Farnborough, I may, perhaps, point out that after the war many German aircraft were brought to England for flying trials, including this Ju 90. After several months' flying and the German Aircraft Display in November, 1945, the majority of the aircraft were broken up. However, this particular Ju 90 was towed up to the hill where it now stands, but only at the second attempt, as after the first "ditching" it rolled down the slope and across the runway. This accounts for its now being placed behind trees, which will act as brakes should it again break away. Reading, Berks. BRIAN H. WEBB. [This appears to clear up the mystery. "For the record," however, the aircraft in question is actually a Ju 290.—ED.] Opportunity? ••'.••^^•-•;:;'' I WAS very interested in your editorial, "The Iron is Hot,"in the issue of December 1st, 1949. and especially in the last paragraph: "... Flight will do all in its power to support those people who have for some time past advocated sending British aircraft such as the Viscount, and later the Comet, for demonstration abroad as soon as it is a practicable possibility." I would like to ask if consideration has been given to the demonstration of the Viscount, the Comet, the Brab., and the military types—Canberra, Gloster-Avon Meteor, Vickers- Supermarine 510, and Hawker P. 1052—at the International Trade Fair in Toronto at the end of May, and at the Canadian National Exhibition at the end of August. These two fairs are attended by several million people, in- cluding buyers the world over. Apart from any orders secured, British prestige would be enormously enhanced Since the resumption of the Canadian National Exhibition alter the war, daily exhibitions were given by the Vampires of the R.C.A.F. and the Sea Hornets of the~R.CN. I can testify to the tremendous interest in, and popularity of these flights; how much more so would be a real shop-window display of all the British aircraft mentioned! I do not think it is possible to gauge the tangible or intangible results which might accrue from a really representative showing of British aircraft over here. It seems to me that the International Trade Fair would be the ideal starting-point for such a showing, with the Canadian National Exhibition the finale, the aircraft being shown at various centres in Canada and the U.S.A. in between— especially in the latter countrv. For reasons unknown to me, this suggestion may not be feasible, but I am an Englishman intensely interested in British prestige and the increasing sale of British goods in Canada and the U.S.A. J. L. SYDDALL. Brantford, Ontario. .• %.••'•;.,-•..."',•.•-..•>.; ;;«L- Thunderstorm-flying ^ ^r TPHERE are many R.A.F. and ex-R.A.F. pilots whose com- -*- bined experiences of flying in cu-nim, especially in the .Far East, might be worth the collection which contributors have recently suggested. I remember that when, in early 1942, four Catalinas of No. 240 Squadron arrived in Ceylon from Northern Ireland, one of the first "facts of life" impressed upon us was that the only way to avoid tropical cu-nim disaster was to fly at 500ft to 800ft—especially at night. This advice was given to us by Hugo Burgerhardt of the Royal Dutch Navy, well known to many R.A.F. pilots in the Far East and later in the United Kingdom. Burgerhardt (now, I believe, test pilot to Fokkers), had had great experience of flying Dornier boats in the Dutch East Indies, and he and Lt. Van Roy (now a colonel in the Dutch Air Force) were very emphatic about this cu-nim avoidance. I recall departing on one black night from the good advice given, and entering a cu-nim area at 3,000ft in a Catalina. We hit the down-draught, and in what appeared to be a split second we were being hurled downwards on an even keel. Maximum boost and revs, with the stick hard back, had no effect; the climb-and-descent needle was wrapped round the clock and the altimeter unwound with the speed of a jet rev- counter. The aircraft was pushed right down to sea-level, but fortunately held on "the cushion" a foot or so above thewhitecaps. The up-draugtit then took charge, and in a matter of seconds we were uplo 4,000ft. As far as I recollect, I.A.S.remained at about 105 knots throughout, and I was completely unable to influence the aircraft in any way. After that I stuck to the 500ft rule, and although often inpouring rain and heavy but ordinary bumps, never had the elements take charge of the aircraft again. I realize that 500ftis not a practical height for airliners, and that there is a risk at night of hitting an unseen waterspout under the cloud base,but I am certain that there is no really safe, refuge to be found in the height band of 500ft to 25,000ft in tropical conditions. There are many pilots of 205, 240 and 413 Squadrons alonewhose varied experience of tropical cu-nim is considerable. I mention only W/C. Bradshaw, now with Transport Command;S/L. Furseman, now Station CO. at Filton; S/L. Round, now Regional A.T.C. at Bristol; W/C. Hildyard, now at the ForeignOffice; W/C. Roberts, who runs an airline in the Caribbean; A.V-M. Plant and G/C. (?) Scott of the R.C.A.F.; and, per-haps most of all, W/C. Stacey, lately Assistant Air Attache in Washington. These men, and many others to whom cu-nim was a dailyenemy, could, between them, compile a valuable dossier on the tactical problems involved. Perhaps, if this catches theireye, they could be prevailed upon to contribute a note on their experiences. The menace of these tropical clouds has been proved indisasters, and I can recall several known instances of aircraft entering cu-nim and never being seen again. My own recollec-tion is that, in the neighbourhood of Ceylon, the "line-squall " formations were, on average, some 80 miles long from east towest, and that the accepted drill was always to turn west along the line, and get behind it. One Catalina which tried to getthrough the centre of such a squall was lost; a second machine, a few minutes behind it, went only through the tail-end, andemerged with many started rivets. London, W.i. CHARLES GARDNER. Rocket-propelled Intercepters T FEEL indebted to Mr. Stanley H. Evans and to Flight for-•- the information regarding American progress in supersonic flight research, with particular reference to the Douglas Sky-rocket, contained in your issue of January 5th. It is to be hoped, however, that British " imagineering " ofthe rocket-propelled intercepter fighters to come will not follow blindly an American lead. The American continent has itscentres of population and of production at distances measured in thousands of miles from bases at present held by a possibleaggressor-nation. With command of the sea areas around their coastline, the Americans are able to set up advance posts onislands or afloat, ready to alert their defence system and give a reasonable warning of the approach of enemy aircraft—eventhose proceeding at 2,000 m.p.h. ! The position of the defence system of the British Isles is very different, as anyone who sawthe V-2 in action will appreciate. As a nation, we are not even able to rely on radar to assist us with reports of enemy air-craft one hundred miles distant—the present published range of our equipment. Even at this range, radar is subject toscreening by metallic foil, easily distributed, or to the danger of being misled by formations of comparatively short-rangewinged objects of most elementary mechanical form (V-r style). Perhaps OUT local defence needs will best be met by guidedweapons, in which case the necessary automatic homing devices will need most development. That job taken care of. we canthen put our main aircraft-design effort into producing a really effective offensive machine—which seems logical in any case,since a really devastating attack will probably he our only hope of salvation in the event of another conflict, and thethreat of such an attack probably our best protection. Supposing that we must have manned intercepter fighters,it is suggested that something along the lines of the German BP-20B Natter project may best fit our needs. If this projectcould be developed into a small, "utility" aircraft, capable of being mass-produced, launched vertically and flown by apilot in a prone position, valuable seconds on an interception might be saved. Our fighter squadrons are tied at present toairfields mainly sited by topographical considerations. Inci- dentally, these airfields are all carefully marked on maps thatare readily available to friend or to prospective foe alike. Air- craft of the Natter type could be stationed around our coast- >•'/•
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
