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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 2021.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2184. Vol. LVIII. THURSDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 1950 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT ED/TOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. TECHNICAL EDITOR C. B. BAILEY-WATSON, B.A. 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 : Ilifft, Manchester. Telephone ; Black-friars 4412 (3 lines). Deansgate 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW. C.2. 26b, Renfield Street. Telegrams : Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4357. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas : Twelvemonths £3 Is. Od. Six months, £1 10s, 6d. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.03. 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: Off the Beaten Track - 480 Rockets and R.A.T.O. - 482 The Carlat Helicopter - 484 Turboprop Development 489 Soviet Fighters - - - - 492 Airline Competition - - 502 No News is . . .?L AST week the Brabazon made unpremeditated news when members of the Bristol j Aeroplane Company's staff expressed personal opinions apparently without oScial sanction from the company—a practice usually frowned upon in the air- craft industry, as in most others. Perhaps, like Flight, they thought it was high time that something more was said about this enterprising though costly national experiment which pops up at London Airport from time to time and which has now borne certain Ministers aloft. During the constructional period regular and informative bulletins were issued, and the news service built up to a climax at the time of the first flight. Since that time, hBwever, it seems to have been the policy to release less and less information and to-day the aircraft is being treated almost in the manner of a security-shrouded military prototype. In making this comment we must add that we think it unlikely that any blame for the shortcomings attaches directly to the public relations staff. Here, as elsewhere, in the absence of official news all kinds of embarrassing " infor- mation" is liable to be passed round and many an old story dragged up. Thus, one hears once again that the Brabazon I has cost approximately £14 million, that it is suffering from engine-vibration troubles and, now, that it will not be flown across the Atlantic. Not long ago the public was confused by reports and disclaimers regarding the granting of a limited C. of A.—this following the fiasco of the first passenger-flight experience which was to have been given to Ministers, officials and members of the Press. There are still many normally well-informed people who believe that the Brabazon was made large purely and simply because someone thought it was a good idea to build a giant aircraft. That range, payload and performance requirements on the North Atlantic route were settled in advance, and that it was these that dictated ' the minimum size of the aircraft, is left unstated. Atlantic or Not ? In the Daily Herald Bristols' chief designer is quoted as saying: " It is not intended to take the Brabazon across the Atlantic . . . but have no doubt about one thing: Brabazon I could fly the Atlantic non-stop and with safety." He added that the air- craft was built purely for experimental purposes and to deviate from those would delay its progress. As the aircraft is a prototype of a transatlantic transport design one would have expected that flights to the American continent would feature in the development programme. Judging by this same report, however, it does seem that the Brabazon will fly outside the country during 1951, and its first sea crossing is likely to be to Shannon Airport in Ireland. At present the aircraft is on the ground, reportedly for the fitting of rubber mountings to its eight engines. A Mr. G. P. Hebden of the same company, speaking to the Taunton Rotary Club, did well to point out (according to a press agency) that the quoted cost of £14 million for the Brabazon had mostly gone into runways, hangars, special test equipment and, the most valuable of all, "know-how." He believed that insurance value of the prototype at the time of the first flight in September, 1949, was only a little over £1 million. He continued encouragingly, but in contradiction of the chief designer's statement: " After doing the necessary number of hours around the country we hope to be in a position to cross the Atlantic and to demonstrate that the Brabazon is in truth the first airliner to be able to fly non-stop from London to New York." Mr. Hebden also stated that the turbine units of the second Brabazon would increase its speed by about 100 m.p.h., " but when this one is ready will probably depend largely on national policy." Flight feels that the Brabazons are in a class of their own and that the great interest manifested in them by the British public—who look forward to the day when B.O.A.C. may operate such aircraft direct to New York—should be fostered both for the benefit of the aircraft themselves and for aviation as a whole. Moreover, taxpayers have lately grown accustomed to asking how the other half of their salaries is being spent.
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