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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 2011.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2270 Vol. LXII. FRIDAY, 25 JULY 1952 ED/TOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT ED/TOR H. F. KING. M.B.E. TECHNICAL EDITOR C. B. BAILEY-WATSON. B.A. ART ED/TOR 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: World Gliding Championships - - Snarler ----- Nato Gets Down to It At the Races - - - Nato at Brussels - - 49th Division in Britain Airline Operational Responsibility - - Mig-15 - 86 - 92 - 93 - 95 - 96 - 98 - 99 - 102 Happily Ever After ? P ERHAPS it is a blessing that so many people want to air their views (and sometimes to grind axes) that the columns of Hansard and the daily Press are once again filled with talk of commercial aviation. At least it can be said that those in the best position to take action are showing an interest. The recent pronouncements by Government and Opposition, preceded as they have been by much argument, manoeuvring and negotiating, remind us of the typical romantic film, in which boy meets girl, major misunderstandings arise from minor incidents, boy loses girl, but both eventually reach their happy goal before the altar; after which, one is led to suppose, all their troubles are over. A similar blissful threshold is brought to mind when Mr. Lennox-Boyd states that we are "on the verge of a great air age," with a "very great field open to private operators." And for the Opposition, Mr. Beswick agrees there is "a huge opening for private operators in freight development." Bearing in mind that Britain's lead in turbine-powered airliners is recognized every where, that Comets are already operating and selling abroad, and that Viscounts and Britannias are well on their way, are not our civil aviation troubles practically over? Alas, these happy circumstances offer no more guarantee of a calm and trouble-free future than do a ring and a blessing. For example, it is vital to the nation's economy and prestige that we should be able to play a major part in this great air age; yet, according to reports, there are in all only 270 British commercial aircraft registered, as compared with 1,400 in America, and plans for the next two years provide for only 90 more, as compared with 500 in the United States. The independent operators are clamouring for the chance to step into the huge untapped openings in freight transportation, but what with? They have only a few obsolete, though still useful, Yorks, one or two Hermes with strings attached, and the chance of a few other four-engined machines surplus to B.O.A.C.'s requirements. What chance have these against fleets of fast, modern, pres surized freighters such as DC-6s and Constellations ? Part of the blame for the current state of affairs is, of course, attributable to unavoidable rearmament commitments; but a large part is also the responsibility of the late Govern ment. By stifling the independent operator in order to nurture the Corporations, they not only seriously handicapped the natural development of the country's air-transport industry (and in so doing greatly weakened the potential reserve strength of the merchant air service) but, as a direct result, so reduced the demand for most classes of transport aircraft that the manufacturing industry itself had no option but to tighten its belt—and this at a time when today's additional transport aircraft ought to have been building. If the men at the top really believe—as we do—their own pronouncements that a great air age is opening, then, regardless of political persuasion, they ought to act on that belief and without delay give all the operators and manufacturers a chance to take their rightful place in world air commerce. We have no doubt that there is plenty of scope for all. The Corporations have reached a state of efficiency and strength which would enable them to withstand such competition as there might be from British independent operators as well as from foreign companies. The politically biased suggestion that Corporation employees might be forced out of work should the independent operators be freed could not be farther from the truth. An expanding industry would bring more opportunities for employment and competition for the services of capable men. To continue to hold back the independent operators and "hot-house" the State airlines is to reduce our own strength and play into the hands of foreign companies. The immediate requirements would seem to be, in the first place, to exploit to the full our technical lead in civil jet aircraft—a very good start has been made; secondly, to give the private operators such freedom and guarantee of independence in the future that they can plan confidently ahead and obtain and invest private capital in badly needed new aircraft suitable for their specialized needs; and, thirdly, to set up a committee at the highest level (a combination, perhaps, of a Brabazon-type committee and that recently suggested by Lord Pakenham) to see that the production of outstanding British com mercial aircraft is expedited, and, more particularly, to make sure that the next generation of civil aircraft of all types will be as good as and more numerous than those of today.
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