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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1036.PDF
468 FLIGHT, 18 April 1952 BRAZIL'S AIRLINE PROGRESS The Saab Scandia (seen, on the left, at Linkbping) was awaiting delivery to Brazil. Originally operated by Aerovias Brasil, it is now one of the six Scandias used on Brazilian domestic routes by VASP. (Right) One of the PBY-SA Canso amphibians used on Panair do Brasil's services from Belem up the Amazon to Iquitos in Peru. after six months' trial. When strategic or other national interests called for air transport to points of small economic significance the lines were subsidized, usually at the rate of 5s 8Jd per kilometre flown. Towards the end of 1948 one carrier began operating to remote points on the Amazon and another to isolated towns in Goias. Air transport is the obvious solution for the communica tions problem in the Far North and West Centre. Goias, where conditions are better than on the Amazon, has only 240 miles of railway and 12,000 miles of indifferent roads in an area of 240,000 square miles. Navigation over the rivers is obstructed by falls and rapids, which necessitate frequent transhipments of passengers and cargo, and in many districts it is interrupted for all except shallow-draught boats in the dry season. Passenger and freight rates by air are practically the same as by river steamer, but journeys which occupy 10 to 20 days by water are made in two to seven hours by air. Air transport charges in general were dangerously low in 1948—in many cases 75 per cent lower than before the war, although operation costs had increased considerably. There is still a good margin for increase of which the com panies hesitate to avail themselves, fearing loss of traffic would result. The semi-official Conjuntura Economica pointed out in August 1950 that a C-46, transporting five tons of freight between Rio and Porto Alegre, makes the return flight in one day and costs 100 cruzeiros (£2), namely, the same as a four-ton lorry, which spends 12 days on the journey. Similarly, a passenger, flying by Constellation on the same route, pays 975 cruzeiros (£19 10s) and arrives at his destination in three hours. The train journey takes 70 hours and costs 500 cruzeiros, plus hotel, bed and meal charges. For medium-weight loads air transport is more economical in Brazil than any other system when incidental charges for insurance, etc., are taken into consideration. The introduction of new rates and other economic safe guards was accompanied by a sharp overall increase in traffic, particularly in freight movements. The 1949 balance-sheets showed a slight improvement in the financial position of all but one carrier, who suffered heavy non-operational losses. Fifteen new routes were inaugurated during the year, placing Brazil second among the nations as regards length of inland lines. Compared with 1948, the distance flown by national carriers increased by 21 per cent, the number of hours by 12 per cent and passenger and cargo movements by 22 and 49 per cent respectively. The companies had 263 aircraft in service, 1,307 pilots, 1,090 mechanics and 631 wireless operators. The official list of airports shows seven prepared for DC-6 types and 94 for DC-3S, with 29 marine bases and 145 smaller airfields distributed throughout the country. National carriers operated two round flights weekly to Miami in 1949, four to Europe and the Middle East and seven to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. These international services were maintained without Government aid and entailed heavy losses, competing, as they did, with the subsidized services of eight well-equipped foreign enterprises. In 1950, however, the Brazilian Congress passed a law authorizing subventions at the rate of 10 cruzeiros (3s 9f d) per kilometre flown between the last call on national territory and the terminal of the line. The immediate cost per annum was estimated at £1,074,000, but during the next 18 months new subsidized services were inaugurated to Beiruth, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Cochabamba in Bolivia, and Cayenne in French Guiana. In 1950, in addition to the international subsidiesj the Treasury paid £250,000 in respect of inland routes. Although subventions aided several carriers and traffic continued to increase, the overall financial situation remained unsatisfactory. The 1950 balance-sheets disclosed a com bined deficit of £282,000 on the year's working and only one company distributed a dividend. Costs continued to increase, the traffic movement on several routes was unre- munerative, while an excessive number of aircraft competed on others. Thus, six companies operated a total of 373 flights weekly between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in each direction. In order to curtail operational costs and combine services, several companies amalgamated or formed con sortiums in 1951, thereby reducing the number of indepen dent carriers from 21 to ten. Passenger and freight charges are now about to be adjusted, but the greater part of the increase may be absorbed by overdue salary adjustments. In spite of present financial difficulties the prospects for Brazilian air transport in the future are excellent. The population is growing at the rate of one million annually, purchasing power is increasing, the range and volume of industrial production is expanding rapidly and agricultural, mining and manufacturing activities are being developed in hitherto neglected regions. These1 factors, combined with immense distances and topographical difficulties, seem to guarantee the future of air transport in Brazil. P.T.F.E.-INSULATED COILS AMONG the exhibits of British Insulated Callender's Cables, • Ltd., at the recent exhibition held in London by the Radio and Electronic Component Manufacturers' Association were examples of P.T.F.E. (Polytetrafluoroethylene) winding wire. By the use of this material, coils can be wound capable of continuous operation at temperatures ranging from 75 deg C to 250 deg C, and the maximum can be further increased for comparatively short periods of operation. The insulating film of P.T.F.E. is generally o.ooiin thick. From a production viewpoint the present stage of development of the material necessitates care in the winding of coils. Success ful experimental windings are, however, being produced by the Royal Aircraft Establishment. B.I.C.C. state that both production capacity and the raw materials required for manufacture are extremely limited and application must.be confined at present to requirements having the support of the Ministry of Supply.
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