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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0786.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2205. Vol. LIX. FRIDAY, 27 APRIL 1951 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH. D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR 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, Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone, Blackfriars 4412 (3 lines). Deansgate 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2 26b, Renfield Street. Telegrams, Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months £3 3s. Od. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.00 BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months, $16 IN THIS ISSUE: Auxiliaries Called-up - 490 Australia's New Air Maps - - - - 497 Comet Construction Methods - - - 500 Airport Radio Overseas 504 R-F.C and R.N.A.S. Unite Again - - 506 Air Defence Today - 513 Gathering StrengthW IDE publicity has been given to the speech made by the Chief of the Air Staff at the luncheon of the Air League of the British Empire held at the Mansion House recently. It is reported at length on page 513 of this issue. There are two matters mentioned by Air Chief Marshal Slessor to which special reference must be made. In the first place, we heard with both relief and pleasure his assurance that the R.A.F. would continue to be a balanced force with—as soon as possible—a powerful fleet of heavy bombers of its own. It was hard to see how any .other course could be justified, yet until very recently it was murmured in high places that heavy bombing should and would be left to the Americans. Although for the time being a limited tactical role has been forced upon R.A.F. bomber squadrons by circumstances, we now have the assurance of the Chief of the Air Staff that it is but a temporary one. We know, too, that British four-jet bombers are now being built with all speed. Secondly, the present state of manpower in the R.A.F. is noteworthy—and a little disappointing. The improved conditions and rates of pay have encouraged good num- bers to enlist for ground trades, though not enough, perhaps, on long engagements; but of young men suitable for training as pilots numbers are insufficient. It is Flight's opinion that the lack of young pilot material is to a large extent the result of the regrettable neglect of the private flying movement during the last six years. This nation is aviation- minded, but needs to be encouraged in the next step of becoming flying-mindtd. With both a great past and the hope of a great future in mind, the C.A.S. rightly said that "The British people in this second half of the twentieth century must become as great an airfaring nation as we have been a seafaring nation in the past." Facing Which Way?I N recent months there has been much discussion as to whether or not the case for rearward-facing seats in airliners has been fully proved, and some current views upon this important matter merit consideration. In Australia, for example, the Minister for Air has voiced a very definite opinion : that all new airliners in the Dominion should have rearward-facing seats. On the other hand, Mr. Frank Beswick, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, explaining Britain's attitude, said recently that although we had made a tentative suggestion to I.C.A.O., the reversible seat (we understand that Mr. Beswick meant reversed seat) was not yet acknowledged to be technically practicable; until the problems of floor strength and the design-strength of the seat itself had been settled it would not be reasonable to make any definite order affecting British aircraft. Representing the operators' views on this subject, I.A.T.A. acknowledges merit from the abstract viewpoint of safety, but does not favour any immediate move towards standardization. Other kindred operational and traffic considerations need fuller explora- tion—between operator and aircraft manufacturer—before such a step should, it is felt, be taken. In the meantime efforts will be made to obtain some idea of how the public can be expected to react to an innovation which from the airline's point of view would, of course, be extremely costly. Although, as the American Flight Safety Foundation has pointed out, the results of a recent accident to an R.A.F. four-engined transport could certainly be quoted as a sound example in favour of rearward-facing seats with rigid backs extending three or four inches above their occupants' heads, they give little or no justification for advocafiBig similar positioning for the reclining-back or sleeperette type of seat as used in many passenger transports to-day. The aviation industry is believed, like I.A.T.A., to want more information and evidence before making a decision of such a sweeping nature. The upper limit of acceleration which passengers can withstand in backward-facing seats has yet to be determined. Expense must not be permitted to prejudice safety, but a decision which—to mention only one factor—might involve reductions in payload sufficient to disrupt the existing economic pattern of air transport cannot be taken hastily.
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