FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1908.PDF
5° FLIGHT, II July 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 all cases accompany letters. Canada's Industry and British Designers TTHE letter from Mr. W. E. Petter, published in your issue of •*• June 20th, should not, I feel, be allowed to pass without comment. The implication that British engineers who emigrate to Canada and the U.S.A. are selfishly allowing the attractions of a higher standard of living to outweigh their duty to the British aircraft industry and to the nation, is, in my opinion, a distortion of the situation. One could argue, and with good reason, that the aircraft industry is failing in its duty to engineers and technicians in that it is patently reluctant to offer remuneration which not only compares at all well with that of other professions, e.g. medical, legal, etc., but which does not even adequately meet the continually rising costs of Uving in this country. Mr. Petter himself points out that in Canada the funds available to the aircraft industry are limited. Therefore, the fact that, in spite of this, a higher material standard of living is available there cannot but be significant when one compares the conditions at home. Even inside the British aircraft industry anomalies are in evidence. Thus, a scrutiny of vacancy-lists indicates that for some curious reason work associated with production processes and management is more highly paid than technical work on aircraft design. Until those responsible see fit to offer suitable attractions to aircraft engineers and technicians in this country, it is, I suggest, inevitable that the latter will continue to seek elsewhere for employment. Hampshire. TECHNICIAN. Genesis of Northolt TNDER the heading "An Aerodrome for Harrow" there was a *-* paragraph in Flight of February 10th, 1912, which indicated the beginnings of Northolt Airport. It read:— "There is every likelihood of London having a new aerodrome in its close vicinity, as negotiations are in hand for the making of an aerodrome at Northolt, just south of Harrow. The piece of land in question is some 260 acres in extent, and after the removal of about a mile of hedge will be quite suitable for flying. The railway facilities are fairly good, as Northolt Junction Station on the G.W. and G.C. joint line is on the ground, while Eastcote on the District Railway is quite close, and the aerodrome is bounded by two main roads." There is no record of the airfield being used, so far as I can discover, until it became a training aerodrome for the R.F.C. early in 1915, having been chosen, after an aerial survey, by the then Major (later A.V-M. Sir Sefton) W. S. Brancker, who was to lose his life in the R.101 disaster fifteen years later. Perhaps I may now recall that the Major Brancker of World War I had the reputation of being rather a ham-handed pilot: the rumour was current in the R.F.C. that if he was flying and the engine stopped (which engines of those days often did), and he landed undamaged, f the field in which he landed was, without any further survey, t deemed to be suitable for an aerodrome! After the end of the 1918 war Northolt reverted to civil use and a was the base of the Central Aircraft Co., which designed and built r a few original machines and then faded out. : t Then it became an R.A.F. fighter station until 1946, when it e was made into one of the two London airports and the head quarters of B.E.A. There has been a unit of R.A.F. Transport y Command there too, because of which the Air Ministry still s regard it as an R.A.F. station—and recently refused me permission s to publish photographs which I took from a civil airliner—as there is a general regulation forbidding air photos to be published of y R.A.E stations. This is in spite of the fact that many such j photographs have been published of Northolt, including one in the M.C.A. booklet titled "Northolt Airport," which has been on sale [ to all and sundry for one shilling. e London, S.W.3. GEOFFREY DORMAN. 1 The Serial System j T7ERY soon, the R.A.F. serial-number system will come to t » ZZ999 and a change will have to be made. As there are very few aircraft now in existence with a single-letter, four-figure serial, it -, will be interesting to see whether the Air Ministry will revert to this old style or will commence AAA10, etc. Raynes Park, S.W.20 E. B. SENNETT. South Bank Helicopter Terminus A FEW weeks ago it was reported that an investigation was being •**- made as to the suitability of the South Bank area in London as a location for a helicopter terminal. One is constantly reminded that helicopters are foreseen as the primary air transport vehicle for all stages up to 250-300 miles. Indeed, I believe I am right in thinking that B.E.A. are actively preparing a policy for using largish helicopters almost exclusively. One also hears frequent diatribes about the time spent in travelling through increasingly congested traffic between city centre and air port. Against this is set the golden future of travelling direct between city centres by helicopter. Before this laudable and efficient state of affairs can be brought about, however, a central base for the helicopters must be estab lished. There are lots of diverse points of view to be considered, of course, and as many corns as possible must be left untrodden upon; but even helicopters need a fair amount of space for (normal) take off and landing manoeuvres; and open spaces in the heart of any great city are not readily available. To take London as a prime instance, although there are many acres of parkland, it is unlikely in the extreme that any of it could be appropriated for helicopter operations, vital as they will undoubtedly be. Big helicopters will have fairly high wheel loadings and thus roof-top areas—even if large enough, and they are rare—would need to be of the requisite strength. Where, then, will the metropolitan terminal for heli copters be situated. It seems to me implicit that the site should be in the heart region of the city : to push it out to the fringe is to negative one of the great advantages the helicopter offers us. I should like to see an article examining the whole problem in detail, and setting out what sites are being considered. London, W.i. BARRIE ALDBURY. RAPIER not BLUDGEON (Contd. from page 42) The destruction of German war potential in the Second World War was accomplished by the use of the Bludgeon. That a Bludgeon was used arose from the limitations of navigational, bombing, and blind landing equipment, and because of the rela tively small destructive area of high-explosive bombs. In a future war, money will govern the supply of jet bombers, costly in them selves, and a bludgeon cannot therefore be afforded. Moreover, those limitations which necessitated the use of a Bludgeon no longer apply. Again, operations against the Soviet Union imply operations across great distances, and for these a small force is required. The plan must therefore be to operate a small force of highly com plex aircraft, manned by highly trained crews who are able to deliver a bomb on any given objective in any weather; in short—to use a Rapier. FORTHCOMING EVENTS July 11-12. National Air Races, Newcastle-on-Tyne Municipal Airport. July 19. Leicestershire Aero Club: Rally, Leicester East. July 20-27. Ae>o-Club d'ltalia: International Air Week, Italy. July 26. Royal Engineers' Flying Club: Air Day, Rochester. July 27. R.A.F, Golfing Society: Match v 2nd T.A.F., Bad Eilsen. Aug. 2. "Daily Express" Challenge Trophy Race. Aug. 2-3. "ILSY" Air Display, Ybenburg. Aug. 3-4. S.M.A.E.: National Model Aircraft Rally. R.N. Air Station, Gosport. Aug. 9-10. Skegness Airport: Display. Aug. 13-17. Nordic A/2 Models Contest, Austria. Aug. 15. Aero-Club de Charente Maritime: Laleu and La Rochelle Air Meeting. Aug. 15. Ailes Montluconnaises: Rally. Aug. 16. Aero-Club de Vendee: Sables d'Oionne Rally. Aug. 16-17. Bembridge and Sandown Aero Club: Rally. Aug. 23. Coventry Aeroplane Club: Air Day and Siddeley Challenge Trophy Race. Aug. 23-24. AeVo-Club de Trente: Dolomites Circuit. Aug. 30. Midland Aero Club: Display. Aug. 30-31. U.S. National Air Races. Aug. 31. A.B.A.C.: Summer Convention. Aug. 31. S.M.A.E.: British Model Championships, College of Aeronautics Cranfield. Aug. 31- Sept. 7. Scandinavian Air Rally. Sept. 1-7. S.B.A.C: Flying Display and Exhibition, Farnborough. S«»pt. 7. Yorkshire Evening News Model Flying Festival, Sherburn-in- Elmet. Sept. 15. Battle of Britain Day. Sept. 15. I.A.T.A.: Eighth Annual General Meeting, Germany. Sept. 17. Golf: R.N. and W.R.N.S. v. R.A.F. and W.R.A.F., Camberley. Sept. 20. R.A.F. At Home Day.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
