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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1726.PDF
752 FLIGHT, 20 June 1952 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" does not hold himself responsible for expressed by correspondents in these columns; the names and of the writers, not necessarily for publication, must in accompany letters. Canada's Industry and British Designers T HAVE been interested in the correspondence on this subject •*• which has appeared in recent issues, including letters from British designers in North America. I have recently spent some weeks in the U.S. and Canada, where I met a number of these emigrants, who appear to be disappointed at the small volume of first-class design and technical work, as distinct from modifications, being carried out in Canada. This is not surprising in view of the relatively small population and consequent limitation of funds available, further complicated as it is by the fact that only a very few industrial undertakings in Canada (or, indeed, anywhere in the Empire outside Britain) are endowed with the experience, men and facilities to undertake the full and complete cycle of aircraft design, development and pro duction, In consequence, notwithstanding favourable removal terms and excellent salaries and living conditions, there is a steady trickle of British engineers to the south of the Border. The loss of good British designers and engineers to Canada and the U.S. is a most serious threat to the future of the British aircraft industry and, unfortunately, it is encouraged at present by the failure of the Government to utilize all the technical skill and capacity on new aircraft design and development available in many British firms. Whilst I am all in favour of the gradual dispersal of defence effort throughout the Commonwealth, there is no short cue in the establishment of complete and experienced aircraft firms, and in my opinion British engineers should think carefully before going to Canada at the present time. There are other factors to be considered than a higher material standard of living when planning one's future career, and amongst these is satisfaction in the class of work one is called upon to perform. In the U.S.A. there is a large amount of interesting new work and living conditions are, it is agreed, even better, provided the security difficulties surrounding employment can be overcome. Nevertheless, I look forward to the return of many valuable and widely experienced Britons when in due course the inevitable set-back occurs in the stimulating but, I believe, unstable American aeronautical development scene. W. E. W. PETTER, Hamble, Hants. Managing Director, Folland Aircraft, Ltd. Salisbury Plain in World War I HTHE letter from Mr. Smith-Masters, published in your issue •*• dated June 6th, implies that a substantial proportion of the Army officers who were seconded to the R.F.C. on its formation (or came to it from the Air Battalion of the R.E.s) crashed fatally on Salisbury Plain and that memorials were erected to commemo rate their last endeavour. HaviDg been attached to the No. 1 S.N.B.D. (when it was commanded by Major Baldwin, D.S.O., shortly after the Kaiser's War), I was familiar with the locality, but can recall only one such memorial. Our aerodrome was at Stonehenge and the famous monoliths were actually within its confines. Today nothing remains of the "permanent" hangars which housed the D.H.4 and D.H.9 aircraft of the day flights. The Handley Page 0-400S of the night flights were housed in Bessoneau hangars a mile from the brick buildings. We also had single-seater fighters. Within a few hundred yards of the Bessoneau hangars stood the only memorial which I can vouch for, and this marked the spot where Capt. E. B. Loraine (Grenadier Guards, attached R.F.C.) and Staff Sgt. R. M. V. Wilson crashed on a Nieuport monoplane on July 5th, 1912. The episodic flight which Mr. Smith-Masters shared with Henri Jullerot presumably started and finished at Larkhill. It was here that Maj. A. W. Hewetson was killed in July, 1913, but he was an Artillery officer home on leave from India and was learning to fly at the Bristol School for his own edification and enjoyment. In October Maj. G. C. Merrick, D.S.O. (R.G.A., attached R.F.C.) lost his life on a Short type S.38 biplane at Upavon. The final chapter of accidents during this pioneering era occurred in March, 1914, when Capt. C. P. Downer was killed at Upavon when the wings of his B.E.2 collapsed, Capt. C. R. W. Allen and Lieut. Burroughs at Neveravon when the rudder-post of their B.E.4 failed, and Lt. Treeby at Upavon whilst practising on a Maurice Farman biplane. The above names are recalled in response to your correspon dent's statement that "several pathetic little stone memorials" are "scattered about in this district" and that the names they bear should be recorded "before they are lost." Ryde, I.o.W. FRANCIS A. KAPPEY. the views addresses all cases The model referred to by Mr. j. A. Sizer. Historic Modelling "Y"OUR columns have from time to time made reference to that -1 rather remarkable effort of 1911, the Paulhan-Tatin Aero- Torpedo. Recently, on leave, I dug out a 1912 issue of your excellent journal and found some scale drawing of this aircraft. I designed and built the iin : ift flying scale-model shown in the enclosed photograph. The model shows great promise and is fast and stable. Bristol, 7. J. A. SIZER. [The photograph is reproduced above. The Paulhan-Tatin machine was an advanced, very clean design; it achieved, we believe, nearly 90 m.p.h. on the power of a 50 h.p. Gnome engine, which was mounted just behind the cockpit and drove the tail propeller by a 20-ft shaft.—ED.] Pioneer Aeronautical Draughtsmen TN regard to the letter from J. R. Anderson in your issue of -*- May 30th anent very early aeronautical draughtsmen, let us at least give credit where credit is due. Dr. A. P. Thurston was employed by Sir Hiram S. Maxim on the design of the latter's captive aeroplanes—large merry-go- round amusement machines. One of these was erected and run at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, another at Liege, Belgium, and a third at Blackpool. The writer believes that five of these ventures were built altogether. They were not an outstanding success and, to use Sir Hiram's own expression (vide his autobiography), "This little attempt to make one hand wash the other" resulted in his having to defend an action in-the High Court, and the whole venture (as far as he was concerned) ended in financial loss. The draughtsman employed by Sir Hiram on his famous steam aeroplane, experimented with at Baldwyn's Park, Bexley, Kent, in 1894, was the late Sidney Hollands, who worked in this capacity for Maxim from 1891 to 1893, and was thus probably the first aeronautical draughtsman, anywhere in the world, to be engaged as such and to receive a salary as such. The world's very first aeronautical draughtsman) of course, was Leonardo da Vinci, who designed aircraft in 1505; but, presumably, he was self- employed as regards this aspect of his many-sided career. The writer knew Mr. Hollands personally. London, S.W.17. E. V. HAMMOND. [Dr. Thurston confirms that the facts given above are sub stantially correct, though he adds that Sir Hiram had two motives in building the "captive flying-machines" : one was to raise money for his true aeronautical experiments; the other was to interest the public in the physical sensations of flight. Dr. Thurston states that he helned Sir Hiram with the petrol-driven biplane which he built at Crayford between 1907 and 1910.—ED.] June June 21 21-22. June June June June June June June 22. 22. 24 25 27 28 28-29. June 28-29. June June July July July July July 29. 30- 13. 4-7. 5-6. 5-7. 6. July 6-13. July 10-14 July 11-12. July 19. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Boston Aero Club : Display. . Aero-Club de Bisse Normand'e: Flers Rally. S.M.A.E.: "Flight" Cup Models Contests, Butlin's Holiday Camps. Aero-Club de S woe: Aix-les-Bains Rally. Golf: R.N. v. R.A.F., Sandwich. Go!': R.A.F. v. Army, Sandw;ch. London Aerophne Club : M'dsummer Dance, Hatfield. R.N. Air Station, Egl ngton : Air Day. Aero-Club d'Eure et Loire : Rally, Chartres. R.Ae.C: La Biule Rally. Northern Heights Model Flying Club: Gala Day, Hawker Airfield, Langley. International Gliding Contests, Spain. Airo-Club de Belgique: Control-line Models World Champion ships, Melsbroek, Brussels. Aero-Club de Touraine: Wines Rally. R.Ae.C.: Deauville Rally. Aero-Club d'Auvergne: International Air Meeting. Ailes Ardennaises: Air FSte. Wakefield Cup Models Contest, Norrkoping, Sweden. National Air Races, Newcastle-on-Tyne Municipal Airport. Leicestershire Aero Club: Rally, Leicester East.
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