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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0788.PDF
3«o FLIGHT, 28 March 1952 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed by correspondents in these columns; the names and addresses of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in ah cases accompany letters. America and the Flying-boat Y OUR editorial on the flying-boat (February 22nd) is not only interesting but right to the point from the American "Eliza bethan" viewpoint. As you know, the Newark, New Jersey, air port was closed due to three bad smash-ups in Elizabeth, a neigh bouring town. To prevent similar accidents at other airports, the approach and take-off over water is being used more and more. In other words, the big landing-fields are going to be located in the future as much as possible near water, which will auto matically make it convenient for flying-boats to use the same approximate location, using the water itself. If all airliners flying the Atlantic out of New York were flying-boats, the airport terminals would be greatly relieved of their present congestion. In a few years' time, the flying-boat may be forced to be used in order to allow sufficient space for landing normal cross-continent planes. New York. R. TOM SAWYER. Recruiting Labour MUCH has been said on the subject of housing as an obstacle in the way of recruiting labour for the aircraft industry. This is all painfully true but its solution is, at the best, a long-term one and, as the accent is on urgency, a short cut is required. Owing to the wide dispersal of the industry, moving house or extensive daily travelling has long been the lot of the aircraft worker. Potential recruits are, doubtless, wise to this aspect, and, as the prospect of the former is slight, the rising cost of daily travelling makes the wisdom of leaving a local job for one in the aircraft industry questionable. Find a way of reducing the "fares item" in the aircraft worker's budget and you will have your short cut. London, S.W.9. E.W.S. Ultra-light Luxury at Low Cost R ECENT discussions on ultra-light aircraft design have caused me to re-read with some interest an article which appeared in an American aviation journal Air Trails Pictorial) in February, 1950. It deals with an editorial air test of the Mooney Mite. Although now two years old, it does give some indication of what can be achieved in the ultra-light aircraft field. With 26ft io£in span and 17ft 7jin length, the aircraft, a low-cantilever-wing type with semi-cowled 65 h.p. Lycoming, monocoque fuselage, and sliding bubble canopy, has a bare weight of 500 lb, giving a disposable load of 280 lb, enough for 11 gallons of petrol and one of oil, and 40 lb baggage, for which there is ample soace. The aircraft is fitted with flaps which work in conjunction with a "safe-trim" device, the whole empennage being hinged so that flaps are effective for landing and climb as required. The tricycle undercarriage, the nosewheel of which is steerable to 5 deg in either direction, is retractable, by a lever similar to a car hand brake; this was rather difficult to operate but could have been (and probably now has been) improved by a better lever system. Very little weight penalty is incurred for the device, the wheels folding into wells. This, no doubt, is partly responsible for the D.H. PROPELLERS AND MISSILES "T AM now permitted to disclose that for some time we have been -*• actively engaged in projects of the utmost importance in the field of guided weapons." This statement from the chairman's address at the annual general meeting of de Havilland Propellers, Ltd., held recently at Hatfield, is the first reference to an activity which may eventually become even more important to the com pany than the development of airscrews. The year under review was reported to be the best trading year the firm had yet experienced. A greatly increased programme was planned for the current year and Mr. W. E. Nixon, chairman of the board, expressed confidence in the company's ability to meet it. He was glad that much current work was against contracts for civil air transport at home and abroad; new airscrews, mostly for turbines, were progressing well, while flight-trials of hollow-steel-bladed airscrews had been satisfactory. The production plant at Lostock was full to capacity and a new factory had been taken in Bolton. With regard to machine-tool and material deliveries, the position was "fairly satisfactory," while the shortage of skilled labour was a little less acute. A new departure during the year had been the manufacture of electronic equipment for the company's own laboratories and for industry—principally for stress- and vibration-measurement. exceptional performance—speed range from 36 m.p.h. to 138 m.p.h., with between 115 and 125 m.p.h. cruising, for 35/40 m.p.g., and an initial rate of climb of i,30oft/min; the Mite tested at 730 lb was airborne in less than 100 yd, and at 6,000ft in six minutes. The cockpit is rcomy, and radio is fitted, as are A.S.I. altimeter, compass, tachometer, oil pressure, temperature, and fuel gauges. Carburettor- and cabin-heaters are standard equip ment, and several positions from full open to fully closed are adjustable for the sliding hood. The pilot was very enthusiastic about the flying qualities of the Mite; he reported good handling, manoeuvrability, and excellent stall delay and recovery. Such qualities imply a millionaire's toy, far beyond the reach of the average enthusiast, but this is the greatest surprise of all: the Mite then cost a mere $1,995, which, working at the old exchange rate of $4.18 to the £ (which we must do to get a true value, the new rate of $2.80 being a special measure designed to meet a specific crisis largely caused by winning a war) gives about £477 6s—unless my slide rule has warped under the shock! Cambridge. PEDANTICA. The ex-B.O.A.C. Solents R EFERRING to your remarks on page 222 of the February 22nd issue of Flight, regarding the ex-B.O.A.C. Solents, these air craft were, I believe, taken over by an organization known as International Aircraft Sales, of which John Alcock, ex-B.O.A.C, was a director. I understand that three of the Solents were sold to Trans-Oceanic Airways in Sydney; one of them crashed at Malta on the way over from U.K., and a second one hit a dredger in the Brisbane River, Queensland. Flying-boat operators in Australia at present are: (i) Qantas Empire Airways, with Sandringhams to the Pacific Islands and Catalinas in New Guinea; (ii) Trans-Oceanic, with Sunderlands and Solents to New Guinea, Lord Howe and Hobart; (iii) Barrier Reef Airways—Sandringhams and Catalinas to the islands of the Barrier Reef; (iv) Tasman Empire Airways—Australia and N.Z. Singapore. HYDRAVION- [We understand that several more of the Solents have been dis posed of since this letter,was written.—Ed.] No. 58 Squadron—Information Wanted I AM collecting material for a history of No. 58 Squadron, and would like to appeal through your paper for ex-members to send me photographs and memoirs. The former will be carefully copied and the originals returned; the latter are welcome in any form. It is easy to obtain the official skeleton of a squadron history; it is very difficult to clothe it with the flesh and blood of reality. So everything is wanted—the spirit prevailing in work, sport and social life, the humorous stories and the serious ones, blacks and prangs, gongs and praise. The Malt House, JOHN BISHOP Benson, Oxon. (S/L. J. G. Bishop, D.F.C.) WESTLAND RESULTS T HE financial year of Westland Aircraft, Ltd., ended on June 30th, 1951, was principally a period of production-development of the Wyvern naval strike aircraft and the S-51 helicopter. Speaking at the sixteenth (adjourned) annual general meeting of the company last week, the chairman, Lord Aberconway, said that this fact was reflected in the value of the company's stocks and work-in-progress—which had increased still further in the current year. The Westland-Sikorsky S-55 helicopter was now being prepared for production at Yeovil, and orders were coming in; the first "Anglicized" S-55 was expected to fly this summer. Lord Abcr-conway spoke of the large backlog of orders held by the subsidiary company, Normalair, Ltd., who had increased their design and development staff and extended their works during the year. New Westland directors appointed since the close of the year under review were Mr. D. C. Collins, works director, and Mr. D. L. Hollis Williams, the company's chief engineer. Net profit for the year marked an increase of £29,731, standing at £71,985; the recommended dividend of 5 per cent was the same as the figure paid the previous year. At an extraordinary general meeting which followed the A.G.M., a resolution increasing borrowing powers from £600,000 to £1,000,000 was adopted.
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