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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0378.PDF
252- FLIGHT, 23 February 1950 AMERICAN NOTEBOOK By Stanley H. Evans F.R.Ae.S., A.F.I.Ae.S THE COMET'S TRAIL SOME interesting discussions, percussions and reper-cussions are now going the rounds in America over thecurrent performance of the de Havilland Comet. Admiral DeWitt Ramsey (president of the U.S. Aircraft Industries Association, American equivalent of the S.B.A.C.) recently told a Los Angeles audience that: '' Probably no aviation subject has generated more tur- bulence in recent months than the problem of developing prototype transport aircraft. Ever since the Comet first Hew, we in Washington have been deluged with enquiries as to where are the American jet airliners, and when are they expected to fly. Each time the Comet makes a new flight or the Canadian Avro Jetliner flies, we feel the impact in our offices—or, rather, our phones do." ^ Admiral Ramsey went on to say that no one in the American aircraft industry had complete and definitive answers about the jet transport situation at this time. It waa unquestionably true, he admitted, that the British and Canadians had jet airliners flying and that they in America did not have any even ready for the assembly lines. "But," said the Admiral, "it is not true that this means that America is lagging all along the line in the development of jet aircraft. On the contrary, our manufacturers probably excel the British in actual experience with the design, development and operation of all of the many types of jet aircraft required for modern warfare." To highlight this point, Admiral Ramsey emphasized that American manufacturers had designed and developed some 34 different types of military jet and composite jet- cum-piston-engined aircraft, whereas the British displayed only 24 types of such craft, including the turbojet and turboprop airliners, in their shop-window at Farnborough last year. Which seems a quaint sort of debating point to this observer—rather as if the function of Government is to develop a super seven-ocean Navy for global prestige, and then forget all about the mercantile marine that is surely the Navy's chief raison d'etre. (Trade may follow the flag, but the flag would soon be at half-mast without the trade.) Then the Admiral agreed that American manufacturers are very much concerned about the degree of progress achieved by the British, with no fewer than six turbine- powered transports now flying in the civil airliner class. He also went on to say that the A.I.A. has an industry committee at work trying to resolve the many conflicts of interest and legislative problems entailed, so that jet trans- port development could be accelerated. Previous legisla- "Flight •• Bell-ringer : " Each time the Comet makes a new flight ... we feel the impact in our offices—or, rather, our phoneSs^o"—the president of the U.S. Aircraft industries Association. tion that had been introduced in Congress was objectionable to many manufacturers because it was unduly restrictive. During the past month or so top engineering executives of the aircraft industry have been conferring in Los Angeles with a view to making recommendations to the A.I.A. HARD CURRENCY Mr. Wellwood Beall, Boeing's energetic V.P. in charge of engineering and sales, whom we have previously quoted ;it some length on this subject Flight, September 29th, 1949), has been taking a leading part in these discussions. Mr. Beall seems to feel that the' British jet designs are now so firmly frozen that if the Americans start right away to pro- vide the financial backing for prototypes, they can pick up where the British have leit off and bring out something better. He says they have the technical know-how (based, presumably, in the case of Boeing, on their B-47 bomber), the engineering talent, the facilities, and a great deal of enthusiasm for the future of such a project. The one big problem is money. (We have been told on several occa sions recently that the British turbined flock has been gold- plated with American Marshall dollars!) Apparently the Boeing philosophy of getting an existing Government agency to carry the civil jet torch is beginning to break through the opposition of the rest of the airframe industry, and there are signs that Douglas, Lockheed, Northrop, Convair and possibly Martin, will swing into step in the procession. Credence is lent to this view by the fact that the A.I.A. has now come out with its official blessing recommending that an existing Government agency he- made responsible for the purchase of prototype aircraft oi advanced design. No mention is made of any particular J agency,, nor to the financial mechanism for producing these potential world- beaters on a quantity basis. Mr. Beall, however, is much more r-pecific. He has now gone on record with a definite proposal that the Civil Aeronautics Administration" sponsor the construction of new jet transports and the subsequent leasing of them to the scheduled airlines. In publicly airing his views, Beall states that'the plan could be administered without Odds and pods : an artist's conception of , a mythical Boeing " civvy-jet" based on J the B-47 Stratojet bember.
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