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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0754.PDF
49O FLIGHT, 20 April 1950 THE CASE for the FLYING-BOAT . . . aircraft with comparatively small expenditure. For ex- ample, it has been estimated by B.O.A.C. that less than ^100,000 will be required to furnish their base at Hythe with extended facilities for the handling of the Princess class flying-boat. It can be said that whereas not only new runways but new hangarage will have to be provided and maintained for large landplanes, in the case of flying-boats the '' runways'' are free and the capital expenditure is solely for buildings, slipways (where required) and hard standing. If, then, the large flying-boat is to be the basic air transport of the future, B.O.A.C.'s decision means that to-day's landplane operators will be faced with the difficulty of adapting themselves to the new commercial trend with little or no experience of this form of operation. In addi- tion, they will be devoid of maintenance personnel experi- enced in this class of work, and also of aircrews. Strategic Value The Military Aspect.—Now let us examine the point of view which probably has the greatest effect upon the official attitude to the flying-boat—military strategy. Here again we can put forward a strong plea for the retention of the flying- boat bases by the Government on strategic grounds alone, for the comparative invulnerability of a marine base as compared with an airfield is self-evident. During the last war, after the fall of Singapore, a vital supply line was kept open by the "C" class flying-boats when no landplane base was available. The Japanese hav- ing occupied the majority of territories in direct line with the Middle East and Australia, there still remained marine bases, often merely strips of smooth water served by primi- tive boats carrying oil drums and other supplies, where the operation and servicing of flying-boats was possible. It is not implied that the main factor of wartime trans- port and supply should be by flying-boat alone, but it is obvious that water-borne aircraft are valuable enough rein- forcements to warrant that the existing facilities should.be maintained by way of Government subsidy or direct owner- ship. What, then, is to prevent all present flying-boat bases being maintained by the Government and thus reliev- ing the operator of their cost? It should not be overlooked that the United States, though not employing the flying-boat upon commercial air- line work, have augmented their military programme with •substantial orders for the development and supply of the Martin Mars and other types of marine aircraft. Flying-boats and the Shipping Lines.—That the larger aircraft are bound to come must be accepted for, apart from reasons of range and payload, the proportion of persons travelling overseas who would -normally travel by ship but who now go by air, has already reached 15 per cent, and is still on the upward trend Taking into consideration the ample convenience offered by ship travel, together with the facilities provided and the social atmosphere engendered to while away the tedium of ocean crossing, this fact indi- cates a marked preference for the speed offered* by air travel. It would not, therefore, be assuming too much to assert that, if airliner capacity were to be doubled, with the same frequency of service, then the proportion could rise as high as 30 per cent, and perhaps even higher pro rata. Operat- ing on this basis, an airline would be in a position so to reduce fares as to become directly competitive with ship travel. In the past, shipping companies have displayed interest in air transport. We have already shown how increases in capacity and size are best and most economically attained by the use of a waterborne aircraft. If, then, the flying- boat is (erroneously) out of favour with the chosen instru- ment of civil aviation in Great Britain, there presents itself an opportunity for a non-scheduled series of services, operated on a scale large enough to permit the specifying and ordering of specialized aircraft; and who better fitted to undertake the formation of a merchant fleet of the air than those skilled and experienced in the building up of Britain's merchant navy? Need for Compromise It has been shown that flying-boats can be operated as economically as can contemporary landplanes, and it should be understood that, from the operator's point of view, the term "economic" covers utilization which, in turn, incorporates relative speeds. But if air travel is to remain with the airlines solely, the contention is that, even though to retain flying-boats (in full or token services) would to-day entail the sacrifice of a portion of revenue, the operators would certainly not be faced with a complete deficit; the next few years would see their investment amply rewarded by the speed and facility with which they.,., could commence operations with very large flying-boats.?' of a size to put them on a competitive basis with shipping.i. Conclusion.—From the foregoing, the conclusion to be» drawn is that it is imperative, at this time, "to reach a\ compromise between the landplane and the flying-boat. It is not enough to accept the glib assurances of the men at the top that flying-boats are uneconomic. It is certain that a full fleet, operated correctly, could at least break; even ; and why should not an approach be made to the" various countries served by flying-boats in order to reach an agreement to share the cost of marine bases? To kill the flying-boat now will surely store up trouble for the future. A.S.T. CEREMONY AT the Hamble headquarters of Air Service Training lastFriday, April 14th. A.V.-M. R. L. R. Atcherley. C.B.E., A.F.C., Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force, inspected the R.P.A.F. contingent who are undergoing train- ing at what has been described as Britain's air university. There are, at the present time, 425 students at A.S.T., this bringing the total number who have passed out since the war up to the considerable total of 1,729. These figures, when regarded in proportion to the total number of students who have taken courses since A.S.T.'s inception in 1931—some- thing over 3,100—give a dear indication of its progress. As may be imagined, English is by no means the only lan- guage which can he heard at Hamble; in point of fact, the post-war A.S.T. courses have been taken by students of no fewer than 39 nationalities. The greater proportion of the foreign entry is, however, Indian; although the present strength includes 12 Pakistani civilian students, in addition to the 30 officers and 20 N.C.O.s and other ranks from the R.P.A.F. The officers are taking the two-years technical course, which is the full equivalent of the engineer officers' course in the Royal Air Force, whilst the N.C.O.s and airmen are taking the 12 months' radio engineering course. For the C.-in-C.'s inspection it was a pleasant spring day with a cool, gentle breeze and sun-haze clouds" and the R.P.A.F. contingent were drawn up in rigid lines before the saluting base on the tarmac in front of "A" hangar. Above the rostrum, the R.A.F. ensign and the flag of Pakistan stirred lazily in the breeze. Having received the snlute, A.V-M. Atcherley made his inspection and then, in company with A. Cdre. R. G. Bowditch (Director of Maintenance and Supply, R.P.A.F ) G/C. M. Rabb (Air Adviser to the Hi^i Commissioner of Pakistan) and S/L. F. M. Ahmed (staff officer), the C.-in-C. watched the march-past. SrMMONDS AEROCESSORIES PROGRESS EXPANSION of their production and sales organization athome and abroad is announced by Simmonds Aeroces- sories, Ltd. Production has been increased under the direction of Mr. L. G. Oxford (who has recently visited a number of American plants and has now been appointed joint managing director) and Mr. C. J. Turner (works manager). Mr. E. S. Mead now becomes general sales manager of the five sales divisions. Mr. C. Rosier, general manager of Simmonds Aerocessories, Pty., Ltd., Melbourne, recently visited this country, and from May 1st his company will handle sales of Fram oil cleaners; Spire Speed Nuts are now being manufactured in Australia. In Sweden, a sales office has been opened in Stockholm under the direction of Mr. Curt Edgren; and South African sales representation is to be extended following a visit by the com- pany's' chairman, Mr. C. W. Hayward.
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