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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 2051.PDF
FLIGHT, 30 November 1950 501 CLUB and GLIDING NEWS TN an attempt to reduce the high cost of private-aircraft owner-•*• ship in these difficult days, the Royal Aero Club recently conducted a survey of the expenses incurred by owners whooperate their aircraft in accordance with the R.Ae.C.'s own system of Maintenance Schedules, introduced in 1948. Theprinciple of these schedules is that, instead of allowing small faults to accumulate until the annual C. of A. overhaul becomesdue, the owner should arrange for a series of monthly checks, with additional engine inspections every ten hours; a six-monthly inspection (with an overriding maximum of 120 hr); a yearly inspection to coincide with the C. of A.; and, finally,a complete overhaul every three years on the lines of the former annual C. of A. overhaul. This more detailed examin*tionshould also be carried out if the aircraft has reached 500hr before the three years are up. The main cost-reducing factor is, of course, that at the yearlyinspection A.R.B. surveyors make due allowance for the fact that the aircraft has been regularly inspected and maintainedaccording to R.Ae.C. schedules. The cost of the overhaul is thus reduced and at the same time a higher standard of air-worthiness and, consequently, of safety, is attained. The schedules are applicable to single-engined aircraft notexceeding 3,500 lb a.u.w., or a power-rating of 220 h.p., and also to the Miles Gemini which, by special arrangement, mayalso be maintained in accordance with this scheme. The schedules are fully approved by the A.R.B. and are intendedsolely for privately owned machines. Some examples of the very reasonable figures recorded byprivate owners taking advantage of the scheme are: main- tenance of an Auster Autocrat for one year, £20 18s, in additionto the £5 fee for renewal of C. of A. (this is an exceptional example); a Miles Gemini, £32 plus £11 A.R.B. fee; an AusterArrow, £34 14s 6d plus £5 A.R.B. fee! and another Autocrat, £42 13s plus £5 A.RJB. fee. The R.Ae.C. also quotes basic figures for the number ofman-hours which in normal conditions should be needed for inspections of certain types of aircraft. Monthly inspectionsof Austers should take 3 hr, Messengers 4 hr, Proctors 5 hr and Geminis 5 hr. For six-monthly inspections these figuresshould be doubled, except in the case of the Proctor, which requires 14 hr. . The schedules may be employed only by firms having theRoyal Aero Club's approval, which is given only on the recom- mendation of the A.R.B. after investigation of the staff qualifi-cations and facilities of firms applying for approval. HTHROUGH a shortage of flyable weather, the Airways Aero-*• Club, based at Denham, was able to achieve a total of only 154 hr during September. One unlucky new member from theScottish Division spent a whole week at the airfield and only managed to get in 2\ hr flying. Six new members joined during the month and three othershave now completed their Private Pilot's Licence examination. The club was recently visited by the M.C.A. in connection with the granting of approval for the P.P.L. course which reducesflying time required for this licence from 40 to 30 hr. It is hoped that the approval will be announced shortly.The 17-year-old D.H. Dragon Orcadian is now available for the use of all members with " twin " experience. It will carry sixpassengers and a fair amount of baggage, and is offered at £3 15;; per hour. Handling notes for this aircraft are being compiledand a four-channel radio will be installed within the next few weeks. * * *T HE Kemsley Flying Trust is now prepared to assist suitably.qualified Groups to purchase high-performance sailplanes; terms will be subject to negotiation and applications should bemade to the B.G.A. Now that the new Slingsby 18-metre sail- plane has flown—and, according to reports, shows promise ofbeing superior to the Weihe—the Kemsley Trust offer may open new prospects for the manufacture and use of all-British high-performance machines. Viscount Kemsley is giving a cocktail parry at LondonderryHouse on December 4th, the 21st Anniversary of the B.G.A. The party, which is by invitation only, is to be followed by adance which is open to all. Tickets, price 15s each, may be obtained direct from the B.G.A. at Londonderry House, 19,Park Lane, London, W.I. # # #T HE B.G.A. is now exploring the preliminary ground for nextyear's National Gliding Championships. It is understood that the Championships will involve more " task" flying thanhas been the case in the past, as it is considered that such com- petition provides a better opportunity of assessing the relativeskill of contestants. The standard required of entrants is also likely to be higher. If all plans materialize, it seems likely thaithe 1951 National Championships will show a great advance over those held in the past, and it is to be hoped that a greaterproportion of the competing machines will be entirely of British design and manufacture. * * * LINGSBY'S new T.31 two-seater trainer has been undergoingextensive trials and is now available for purchase. It is a development of the Motor Tutor, which itself was a develop-ment of the Tutor Glider. The new T.31 has tandem seating and the wings are interchangeable with the normal Tutor fuse-lage and struts. Performance is understood to be very satisfac- tory for a machine of this type, and the manufacturer considersthat the craft will form a very valuable addition to club fleets. News of a high-performance two-seater was contained in awritten answer in the House of Commons some time ago when it was said that an order was being placed for three high-performance machines to a design which won the Duke of Sutherland's prize competition in 1946. The Ministry of Supplyand the Kemsley Flying Trust contributed £4,250 each to the project, and it is understood trtat work is now well in hand. Itis hoped that the machine will be ready for the 1952 World Contests. COCKPIT A LA MODE : The manufacturers' description of a 1951 Navion Super 260's exceptionally capacious cabin reads almost like a fashion editor's review : " Styled by Charles of California, . . . generous amounts of red, green and grey liathsr trim are used with soft but durable harmonizing fabrics." Together with this new sartorial elegance the 1951 model features an external door to the baggage compartment. As the flying view shows, this little aircraft retains the clean, sturdy appearance of its predecessor. A metal Hartzell airscrew is an innovation. V\
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