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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 2178.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2232 Vol. LX. FRIDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 1951 ED/TOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. MISWT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. TECHNICAL EDITOR C. B. BAILEY-WATSON, B.A. t,HT EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, : ^^ STAMFORD STREET, ; ; ; ' LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone, Waterloo 3333 (60 lines). Branch Offices: COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Telegrams, Autocar, Coventry. Telephone, Coventry S210. 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 126S (2 lirm). SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months u 3s. 0d. U.S.A. and Canada, J10.00 BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months, $16. THIS ISSUE : Demonstrative- - - - Modern Montgolfier - - Jwbilee Ball - - - - - Bomb-rubble Runway - Royal Visitors at Trenton five British Military Transports - ... power-operated Controls 554 560 562 563 565 566 570 Electronics "To Finish The Job"T HOSE items of equipment which fall under the heading of electronics probably represent the greatest single step between the old and the new in civil and military aircraft. It has been stated on more than one occasion that the modern jet fighter carries radar equipment costing more than the entire aircraft which was its counterpart in the Hitler War era. For example, the Canadian Defence Production Minister said recently that the CF-ioo's electronics cost more than a complete Spitfire. Another source has estimated that the Sabre's equipment, including its gun-sight, represents more than the cost of a complete Vampire of early mark. A recent reference in the House of Commons to the number of individual electrical valves—measured in hundreds—in a modern bomber, each one of which is vital to the correct functioning of the piece of equipment it serves, was nothing short of terrifying in its implications. From the little that has been released about various forms of guided missile, also, it is known that here again at least a third of each project is the work of the electronics engineer. Because of its preoccupation with domestic home and export needs, the electrical industry has found it difficult to divert sufficient of the manpower, particularly the brains, necessary to meet the requirements of the Services; thus in many important classes of equipment development has been slow and programmes are seriously behindhand. At the same time, such has been the technical progress in recent years, and development of operational techniques, that both fighters and bombers intended for all-weather night and day duties are virtually powerless without their radio communications equipment and radar aids for detection, sighting and navigation. Certain classes of vital electronic equipment must, in fact, be considered a close second to turbine and compressor blades as potential production-bottlenecks. The appointment by the M.o.S. of Mr. N. C. Robertson as Director-General of Electronics, referred to on page 561, is welcome news, although it may be remarked that if this new post is a prerequisite for rapid development it was already overdue when it was created in July. For some time past, the majority of big concerns in the electrical and radio industries have been engaged on Ministry of Supply development contracts in conjunction with firms in the aircraft industry, and several have hinted at the difficul- ties encountered when trying to speed-up the work in hand. It is to be presumed the new D.-G. will be required to tackle these problems. We wish him success, knowing that he will not want for support from Air Marshal Sir John Boothman, Controller of Supplies (Air). We may add that the loss of Air Chief Marshal Sir Alec Coryton—Sir John Booth- man's predecessor and, more recently, Chief Executive (Guided Missiles)—though the Bristol Aeroplane Company's gain, will be severely felt in the Ministry of Supply. A successor to Sir Alec has yet to be appointed. Excursions and AlarmsI AST week-end an evening broadcast announcement by the B.B.C. gave details of a Gemini taxi aircraft which was believed to be many hours overdue, having taken J off from Croydon early in the afternoon. Happily it proved to be a false alarm, for the machine was found to have landed at London Airport after only 35 minutes' flying. This occurrence with a happy ending—except, perhaps, for the police and others who spent hours searching for and worrying about the aircraft and its occupants—brings to mind other occasions in the past when aircraft have been reported missing, often on cross-Channel flights, but have subsequently turned up unharmed at an airfield. Airmen in this country fly the more comfortably for knowing that a very good emergency organization is in operation at all times. Though, not knowing the full circumstances, we do not impute blame in the case of the Gemini, the fact remains that it is imperative that cries of "wolf" occasioned by avoidable errors or downright carelessness about reporting arrivals or changes in destination should not be allowed to occur, and thus impair the efficiency of the emergency organization, discourage its members or cause unnecessary expense or inconvenience.
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