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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0592.PDF
388 FLIGHT, 23 March 1950 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of " Flight" does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents in these columns. addresses of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in all rases accompany letters. The names and Time for Training WHILE 1 entirely agree with almost everything that ex-S/L.Phillip R. Goodwin says in his letter (March 16th), I believe that in remarking that he is unable to spare the time to join the Reserve, he is probably depending upon printed pamphlets for his information rather than investigating the facts by a visit to a V.R. airfield or talks to active V.R pilots. I would suggest that if he is keen to fly he goes into this matter carefully, for from personal experience 1 can say that the authorities are most understanding and co-operative. Presumably the fifteen days' continuous training is the most difficult requirement, but arrangements can now be made to divide it up, or even waive a part of it, to suit individual requirements. Incidentally, I believe a scheme is now coming into action which will permit attachments to regular squadrons for "camp" for those who can give the full time. So far as regular attendance is concerned, the requirements are nothing like as difficult as those of the Auxiliary Air Force, erf which so many of us would like to be flying members. If a great deal of a man's time is occupied, a very occasional week- end of flying with the V.R. is sufficient, and the worst that happens is that he will receive only a proportion of his £35 tax-free gratuity instead of the lot, because he has not com- pleted the minimum qualifying hours. FLIGHT LIEUTENANT, R.A.F.V.R. London, S.W.14. - . ^ f •:,.-. (second tour).; . - Backs to the Engines? . ,r would be interesting to see the official hedging which must now be going on to disprove that backward-facing seats would save lives in crashes. Rather than attempt to prove such prejudice wrong, let us, inet&ld, take a standard case of an aircraft crash with forward-facing seats and see what happens. Given sufficient impact (which is not difficult to obtain, in these days of high landing-speeds) the occupant of a forward- facing seat will, if wearing the usual type of strap provided for passengers, either: (1) Break his (or her) neck; (2) be flung over his strap; (3) be flung under his strap; (4) crush his skull in, on something ahead, if the seat anchorage gives. What happens with a back ward-facing seat? In this case. the lap strap is sufficient to keep the passenger securely held and, if the'seat does come adrift, the back of the seat head- rest protects the passenger's head from the initial impacts at least—and the initial impacts are the worst. Incidentally, wire "preventer" stays, from the underneath of seats to the floor, designed to withstand fore-and-aft shocks, would help prevent telescoping, and the seats themselves could be designed to protect the occupants from injury even if tele- scoping takes place. (I won't insult the intelligence of designers by suggesting how.) If the above does not convince our planners that backward seats are best, why is it that they are fitted in the King's aircraft ? Of course, if we like to tackle the problem of air safety from the beginning, the first requirement is to insist upon a slow landing speed of no more than 60 m.p.h. whatever the penalty in reduced flying speed when cruising. Would any sane man agree tosit in a charabanc or omnibus while it is dropped on a runway from anything between one to four feet up at a speed of 140 miles per hour or so? Yet that'is what, in effect, our airlines of to-day require of .their passengers. Incidentally, while on the subject of air safety, it seems odd that it is not within the capability of man to devise an aircraft which, in the event of danger or necessity, could rid itself of those parts of which retention is a liability and not an asset— to wit, petrol tanks, dead weight, etc. Could not something be learned from the Mayo composite aircraft, and passenger aircraft be constructed in two sections, with the petrol tanks and cargo in the lower, jettisonable half, to which the engines could be affixed on short wing stubs, thus leaving the top hall in the form of a detachable glider? DENIS HORNSEY. East Twickenham, Middlesex. [F/L. Hornsey, D.F.C, tells us that he was formerly Research and Development, Equipment (Bombers) representa- tive on the M.A.P. Emergency Escape Committee. He has 1,600 hours' Service flying experience.—ED.] One of the two Meteor pictures. Left : as it was ; right : as Mr. Lynch suggests it should have been. Which A LTHOUGH in your editorial comments you praise the •**• Gloster photographer for his skill in securing the two Meteor pictures reproduced on p. 313 of Flight for March gth, you have done him less than justice by printing them with the ground as a base. Both need turning so that the aircraft are seen from correct perspective. The first then comes round on to its right-hand edge and gives a much more vivid impres- sion of hurtling earthwards. The other needs turning upside down and then leaves a landlubber like myself with the alarming feeling that if one dropped out of that particular machine one would plunge into high heaven. Hillingdon, Middlesex. m WILL LYNCH, A.R.P.S. [This is always a debatable matter. In the past, on occasions, we have done what our correspondent suggests— and been criticized for it.—ED.] '"PHE official pamphlet for the Meteor 7 states that "the -»- occupant of the rear cockpit suffers higher g loads during aerobatics than the pilot in the front cockpit." Surely the amount of g suffered is variable by two factors only, the diameter of the loop being performed and the speed of the aircraft. The diameter of the circle is obviously within an inch or so for the two occupants, and their speed is the same. It is, of course, possible that the effect of g is greater owing to the angle of the body, legs, etc., but the pamphlet states that the actual '' load '' is greater. Perhaps your readers can solve this one. New Maiden, Surrey. K. N. HASELWOOD. March March March March March March March March Mar. 28 March March April April April April April Apri! April 23. 23 24 24 25 27. 28 28. -31 29 30 1 1 3 3. 4. 4. 5. April FORTHCOMING EVENTS R.Ae.S. (Glasgow): " Fuel Consumption," by J. Leggatt. R.Ae.S. (Isle of Wight): " Gliding," by P. A. Wills, C.B.E. College of Aeronautics Senior Common Room Society : Annual Dinner. Aircraft Golfing Society : Annual Dinner. Helicopter Association : " Performance Testing of Heli- copters," by F. O'Hara, M.A. R.Ae.S. (Bristol) : " Gliding," by A. H. Yates. B.Sc, A.F.R.Ae.S. Institute of Transport (Metropolitan Graduates) : " Post- war R.A.F. Developments and their Effects on Civil Aviation." by A. J. Allum. R.Ae.S. Graduates : "Undercarriage Design and Testing," by G. S. Cranwell, Grad. R.Ae.S. Royal Meteorological Society : Symposium, Oxford. R.Ae.S. (Gloucester and Cheltenham) " Aircraft Materials and Processing," by Dr. H. Sutton, D.Sc. F.R.Ae.S., F.I.M. (at Gloucester). R.Ae.S. : " Testing Aero Engines and Power Plants." by A. C. Lovesey, O.B.E., B.Sc., F.R.Ae.S. British Interplanetary Society : " Space Travel—Fact and Fiction," by A. C. Clarke, B.Sc. Aircraft Golfing Society : Captain's Prize Laleham G.C. Institute of Transport : Brancker Memorial Lecture—A.V.-M. D. C. T. Bennett, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O. R.Ae.S. (Derby) : "Testing Engines and Power Plants," by A. C. Lovesey, O.B.E., B.Sc., F.R.Ae.S. R.Ae.C. : Film Show, Londonderry House. R.Ae.S. (Belfast): Annual General Meeting. R.A.F. Golfing Society: Match v. Greyhound Racing Association. R.Ae.S. (Bristol): "Aircraft Production and Engineering," by Prof. J. V. Connolly, B.E., A.F.R.Ae.S.
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