FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0695.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2252 Vol. LXI. FRIDAY, 21 MARCH 1952 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.1. 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, lliffe, Manchester. Telephone, Blackfriars 4412 (3 lines) Deansgate 3595 (2 lines) GLASGOW, C.2. 26b, Renfield Street. Telegrams, lliffe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines) 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: Cu-nim Quest- - - - 312 Supersonic Problems - 318 Naval Aviation Arguments - - - - 319 Short-haul Air Transport - - - - 322 Elizabethan Shows the Flag 325 Breathing English Air - 326 Atomic Power for Aircraft 330 Helicopters—Are We Keeping Up? WITHIN the last year or two, particularly in the Korean war area but also on their numerous commercial duties, helicopters have shown themselves capable of ful filling the most sanguine predictions of their supporters. This demonstration has been most welcome, but now it gives rise to concern lest this country's rather late start and comparatively slow progress in helicopter production may lead to a serious supply shortage; we also doubt whether adequate facilities exist for training pilots for rotary-wing aircraft. But first, because helicopters should not be regarded as any different from other air craft types so far as production is concerned, we may record an important pronouncement by the S.B.A.C.—made in the fight of the industry's newly acquired "super priority" (the eagerly awaited measures by which this preference is to be made effective were expected to be revealed during the debates on the Air Estimates in Parliament earlier this week). Constructors, say the S.B.A.C., are aiming for a big step-up in military and civil exports, particularly of gas-turbine aircraft, while "freighters, feederline air craft, helicopters and light aeroplanes are in the line . . . Aircraft for export serve security and solvency alike." This means that in the industry's view the building of mili tary and civil aircraft is to be regarded as one inseparable effort, a view with which we entirely agree. Reverting now to helicopters, we may refer to a recent question in the House of Com mons. Mr. Beswick asked whether, as it was becoming increasingly obvious that both for military and civil purposes helicopters tended to be the machines of the future, the Minister would see whether he could arrange for more research into these matters, and for development to be speeded up. We are glad to note that the answer from Mr. Maclay was that the Government was "anxious to see helicopters developed as quickly as pos sible." The intention, at any rate, seems to be there. In the civil field, a lead has been given to the industry by B.E.A., who did well to state clearly their future helicopter requirements. America's Lead An important section of the military picture today is filled in by the pronouncements of Major-General Heileman of the U.S. Army Transportation Department, who, as reported last week, believes that the "impact of the helicopter on military transportation of the future is all but impossible to over-estimate." This, he says, is not considered to be the introduction of a modified aeroplane into the air transportation system, but rather an improvement of the traditional ground transportation media to overcome most of our historical difficulties—"The helicopter is a directly applicable Army vehicle." Undoubtedly America has done a great deal more in the development and application of military helicopters than this country, and we cannot help feeling doubts as to whether our own Services have fully appreciated the scale of helicopter operations which may be required in the near future. Not only are the helicopters now serving wi± the Army, Navy and Air Force limited in numbers and capacity, but the facilities for training pilots are, in our opinion, inadequate to meet any sudden increase in demand. Unlike the fixed-wing squadrons, helicopter units have no civil training schools to call upon in an emergency, and, in fact, no facilities at all exist for the ordinary individual to learn to fly a helicopter in this country. Thus there is no reserve of training capacity. To fly a helicopter well and to exploit safely its remarkable capabilities requires a great many hours of experience. There is no doubt that the helicopter, will be required to fill many civil and military roles—rescue and ambulance, communications, anti-submarine work, troop and passen ger movement and mail carriage, to mention a few. How soon can we hope to have a sufficiency of aircraft and experienced pilots to fly them at current production rates ? It is to be hoped that Mr. Beswick's question will not just be recorded and forgotten, but will lead to an examination of the position to ensure that helicopters do not become another of the "too lates and too fews."
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
