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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0303.PDF
I February 1952 135 New Forest Airfield TN your issue of January 18th Capt. Lamplugh challenges my •*• statement that the New Forest Flying School aerodrome was where the present R.A.F. airfield of today is. I think my recollection is as likely to be right as is that of "Lamps." In 1916 I flew at Beaulieu, an R.F.C. flying school, which took over the ground used by the N.F.F.S., and it is firmly in my memory as I had my first prang there when the Beardmore engine of an F.E.2b quit as I was taking off. When I visited the present airfield two or three years ago, Allen Wheeler, who was then station commander, and the late "Jeep" Cable (who was stationed there) both told me that the old airfield formed a corner of the present one. The whole lie of the land has been altered by engulfment (a good bureaucratic word !) —the building of runways, hard-standings, perimeter tracks, hangars, and station buildings—and some old roads have been closed, diverted, or built over. London, S.W.3." GEOFFREY DORMAN. I CAN confirm Capt. Lamplugh's statement as to the location of the New Forest airfield. I was stationed there during the First World War; it is, in fact, just south of the village of East Boldre, and in the little churchyard of that village are the graves of those who were killed in training during that brisk and brutal era of flying. Incidentally, this airfield was the scene of a typical administra tive muddle. Until the end of the war it consisted of temporary wooden living quarters and hangars of corrugated iron, but shortly before the armistice, and when it was evident that the war was ending, a most magnificent series of permanent buildings, with underground petrol service, and brick living accommodation, was erected. On revisiting the spot three years later I found that the whole had fallen into ruin. It has since been completely removed, and it is, in fact, very difficult to locate its position. I still possess a photograph of an Avro which managed to land on the top of East Boldre Post Office, its tailskid precariously fixed in the chimney. The pilot escaped ignominiously down a ladder ! Cowplain, Portsmouth. F. N. SCAIFE. Aircraft-ferrying Facilities W E have here at Croydon the nucleus of what could, in the event of war, be another A.T.A. We have a ferry pool consisting of half a dozen men who possess Private Pilots' Licences, and whose experience varies from 200 to 4,000 hours. The pool is capable of ferrying the following types of aircraft: Beaufighters, Mosquitos and Spitfires (all marks); Oxford and Anson variants; all light twins; and all single-engined light aircraft. The services of these ferry pilots are available to all on an expenses-payment basis, and any organization requiring ferry pilots may care to write or telephone to Central Aeronautical Bureau, Ltd., Croydon Airport, Surrey (Croydon 3382). In order that our services be kept up to date, jet flying experi ence is urgently required by our two senior pilots, and any company which can provide such experience would, naturally, have two additional jet pilots available for delivery services. In addition, experience is required on the latest military trainers. In view of the acute shortage of pilots, it is felt that the C.F.G. Pilot Pool may be cf service to the industry. Croydon, Surrey. — MICHAEL J. CONRY, Chairman, Central Flying Group. The Navy and Coastal Command TAOWNRIGHT assertion has ever been the Navy's method of U argument. Say a thing convincingly and quite a lot of people will swallow it unquestioningly. The plea by "Icarus" for the transfer of Coastal Command to the Navy, and the subsequent correspondence, have been most interesting. He says that personnel, after a tour of duty in Coastal Command, , are liable to be sent to Bomber Command. That is better than in the Navy, where air people are liable to be sent to sea or some station where no flying takes place. If Coastal Command plays a major role in sea power then the Navy must play a minor role; so why not transfer Naval Aviation back to the R.A.F. ? "Icarus" admits that Naval Aviation is not sufficiently experi enced to take over Coastal Command on its own. Whether any R.A.F. personnel would be prepared to transfer to the Navy is a moot point. There would be no prospect of promotion unless they were prepared to go to sea to take a watchkeeper's certificate. And just imagine the erks dressed in the ridiculous uniform specially retained to give the lower deck an inferiority complex ! Incidentally, it would be strange if Coastal Command were pre pared to go over to the Navy after the Scharnhorst-Gneisenau slander, when the Navy blamed Coastal Command for not coming out. On this occasion the Navy was going to show the world how the job should be done. Theirs was to be all the the glory. Mr. W. N. Cumming's third point, in his letter published on December 21st, hits the nail right on the head. How many non- air officers have been given air appointments within the last five years? By non-air officers is meant not qualified, as either pilot or observer. Jobs for the boys ? In 1914-18 R.N.A.S. meant "Really Not A Sailor" and the out look of My Lords Commissioner of Admiralty is the same today. Until the Admiralty institutes promotion examinations comparable to the A, B and C examinations of the other Services, along with a stiff examination to staff courses, no one will believe their intentions to be really serious. • London, S.W.u. SPINIFBX. ""fc|TLKMAID'S" criticism of the analogy used by "Icarus" •!•»•*• is itself mechanically unsound. True it is that a tripod will not wobble if one leg is lengthened, but it is stable only if the centre of gravity lies within the triangle formed by joining the three points where its feet rest on the supporting surface. There fore you can shorten a leg as much as you like, but you cannot lengthen one beyond the point where the e.g. is directly over the line joining the other two without causing the stool not only to wobble but to fall on its side. Cambridge. PEDANTICA. An Earlier DC-7 PI the January nth issue of Flight (p. 51) there is a reference to the "new type of Douglas transport, to be known as the DC-7." Are you aware that this designation was assigned by Douglas, as far back as 1942, to the U.S.A.F. C-74 Globemaster 1 ? I believe Douglas also assigned DC-8, and a name, "Mixmaster" to the U.S.A.F. XB-42 (formerly XA-42), an unconventional pusher monoplane powered by two Allison V-1710-125 piston engines, and fitted with contra-rotating airscrews. It was delivered to the U.S.A.F. in 1945, together with the XB-42A, which had auxiliary jets fitted. Croydon, Surrey. J. M. N. HUDSON. [Yes, we were aware of this earlier use of the designation DC-7. Its re-employment is evidence, once again, of the confusing methods sometimes employed by U.S. constructors.—ED.] Those Phonetics MAY I add my cry of horror to those already raised at the thought of the new phonetic alphabet? It seems but yesterday that we sadly discarded "Ack, Beer, Charlie, Don" in favour of this new Americanized thing, "Able, Baker, Charlie." And now the latter is regarded with nostalgic affection at the prospect of wrestling with this new piece of tomfoolery! I cannot think that economy in syllables was the aim of the inventors, or why Foxtrot and not just Fox? In this age of internationalism and British eclipse it seems only natural that we should have to sacrifice our code to the needs of the tongues of others, but some consolation can be gained from the fact that at least some of our language is retained. I once heard a Frenchman using his own particular phonetic alphabet, in which I recall "Isidore" and Naomi." At least we have been spared that. Even so, there will be some life-long rebels in our ranks who will continue to use their favourite words, and eventually we shall have a wonderful mixture which will persist, presumably, until the last "old-timer" has gone to his grave and a generation untainted by "Able, Baker, Charlie" has arisen. Perranporth, Cornwall. G. A. PERROTT. Old-timers' World Reunion YOU will probably remember me, at least in your archives. In 1913 I was the first German aeronaut to fly from Berlin to London via Paris. Moreover, from 1926 I represented the interests of the de Havilland Aircraft Co. in Germany. At present, I am president of the "Alter Adler" (Old Eagles), an association of the first pioneers of aeronautics in Germany— an organization similar to that which already exists in France. According to the rules of that association (and also, at first, in our own organization) only those pilots are admitted who gained their F.A.I, certificate before August 1st, 1914. The purpose of the "Alter Adler" is, among other objects, the exchange and maintenance of common recollections of the development of aeronautics. Founded in 1927, the association celebrates its silver jubilee this year. For this reason, and with the approval of the German Federal Travel Ministry, it is planned to hold, in Germany, the First International Reunion of World Pioneers of Aviation. Preliminary work has already been started. So far as I am aware there is, unfortunately, no similar associa tion in England to which I can address myself. I would, therefore, be very grateful for information as to where I could obtain a list of names and addresses of pioneers still living. Bad Kissingen, Germany. ALFRED FRIEDRICH. [We are putting our correspondent in touch with one who may be able to assist him. Meanwhile, for any reader who cares to supply information, Herr Friedrich's address is Bad Kissingen, Promenadstrasse 5d, Germany.—ED.]
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