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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0040.PDF
38 FLIGHT THE BUSY NETHERLANDS New Service and Civil Manufacturing and Operating Developments Reviewed DESPITE its comparatively small size and population, Holland has for many years held a prominent place in European aviation, both in civil and military operations and in aircraft construc tion. That such activity has not diminished is shown by this page of news-items from a Dutch correspondent. He begins with some additional information about the planned production of Vickers-Supermarine Swifts by Fokkers, mentioned recently in our pages. Several other items have already been recorded, but this round-up of information serves to give a useful overall picture of present and probable future developments. THE number of Swifts to be built by Fokkers is reported to be 500, half of which will go to the Belgian Air Force; the engines will be constructed by the Belgian F.N. company. Towards the production costs the U.S.A. will provide 42 million dollars under the "off-shore" pro gramme. The first Dutch Swifts are expected to fly in the summer of 1954. The Fokker order of 330 Meteors (180 for Belgium) is nearing its end, and the sub-contracts with the Aviolanda company have been almost completed. Preparations are now being made for the construction of the 20 Fokker S.14 jet trainers ordered by the Dutch Government. Orders from other countries are expected shortly and the S.14 prototype will be sent to the U.S.A. for a demonstration tour early this year. American orders for these trainers are to be executed by Fairchild. Fokkers are further preparing the production, under licence, of four Saab Scandias for the Brazilian airline VASP, which already has six of these aircraft. A large pan of the work has been sub-contracted to the Aviolanda and De Schelde companies, but final assembly will be done by Fokkers. The other two companies are very busy with overhaul work for the Air Force and Royal Navy, while De Schelde are also building the Saab Safir trainer (some 100 for the Swedish Air Force, and eight for Sabena). The company has developed a new version of the Safir, the Saab 91C; it is a four-seat tourer, in which the Safir's normal fuselage tanks have been removed and placed in the wings, thus providing additional passenger-space. Construction of the prototype has started. Overhaul work is done by Avio-Diepen at Ypenburg Airfield, mainly on military aircraft, but also on the equip ment used by flying schools and private owners; the company have serviced Dakotas and other types for Caltex Oil and are now particularly busy with work for the U.S.A.F., many hesitate to introduce safety modifications at the earliest oppor tunity; and independent learning curves could be used to assess the effect of the modification on the production of the rest of the aircraft or component. He suggested that those items most susceptible to modification —control surfaces, for example—should be made in limited quantities only, until the aircraft had completed a considerable amount of test-flying. But, nevertheless, modifications were responsible for anything up to 50 per cent of works staff time and 25 per cent of tooling capacity—a most surprising revelation, in the opinion of Mr. Puckey, who summed-up the conference. The final paper was read by Mr. H. S. Howat, Assistant Director of Aircraft Production, M.o.S. He estimated that, a few years ago, the cost of modifications to Service aircraft was in the neighbour hood of £64 m per annum. Although the numbers of modi fications demanded by defects, or potential defects, might be very large there was some consolation in the fact that the effort required was, in terms of man-hours, usually no more than 20 per cent of the total modification load. On the other hand, the modifications demanded by the user to secure better efficiency, although fewer in number, caused about half of the total load. Mr, Howat estimated the cost due to modifications at about 1 per cent. Generally speaking, once a modification had been introduced its effect was small. But a smoothly flowing production line of whose Dakotas are overhauled at Ypenburg. A concrete runway is to be constructed at Ypenburg next year, of dimensions sufficient to accommodate all types of aircraft, so the company is expecting a considerable extension Of its business. Ypenburg will ultimately become the base of the military transport squadron, equipped with Dakotas (ex-R.A.F. and U.S.A.F.), which is now at Valkenburg Airfield, the home- base of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Force. It is also possible that jet fighters will be stationed at Ypenburg, but no final decision has yet been taken in the matter, as there is rather stiff opposition from the local residents. The Government Civil Flying School, which does its primary training at Ypenburg, is eventually to leave the field, but so far no new site has been chosen. Advanced training, now done at the military air base of Gilze-Rijen, near Breda, will move to Eelde, near Groningen, in the extreme north. Eelde will also become the diversionary airport when Schiphol is QBI. Important decisions are expected next year in relation to Air Force equipment. So far there is still a lack of any night fighters; it is planned to purchase them, but spokes men have said that no suitable type has yet been found, and that therefore the decision is still being postponed. F-84F Thunderjets are expected next year under the M.D.A.P. scheme, in addition to the many F-84ES and F-84GS already delivered and being delivered (the latest having been ferried across the Atlantic by American pilots). Further army liaison aircraft are expected under the same scheme—probably Cessna L-19AS. Twin-engined Beech- craft trainers will also be supplied to the Netherlands, and will go either to the Air Force or to the Navy; the Air Force has already received 28 of these aircraft, delivered in 1951. The Navy will receive a number of Sikorsky S-55 helicopters to replace the Supermarine Sea Otters now being used for air/sea rescue work. So far the Navy has only one helicopter, an S-51 (previously the civil-registered PH-HAA) used for experimental purposes. K.L.M. have added to their fleet a DH 89 for air-survey work, bearing the registration PH-TCG. Next year, six Convair 340s, two Douglas DC-6As and 13 Super Con stellations will be delivered. Although knowledge is still disclaimed by the company it is thought that K.L.M. will enter a Super Constellation for the New Zealand race. refused to be slowed and modifications usually demanded addi tional skilled labour to make and fit the new part in the initial stages. The main difficulty was the organization of modification so that it entered the line at the right place and speed. In large- scale production the supply of parts for retrospective modification might account for 50 per cent of the total effort. Mr. Howat went on to describe embodiment by working parties, the effects of scrap and overheads, and the preferred methods of introducing major modifications and of controlling modification at the source. The summing-up was admirably presented by W. C. Puckey, M.I.Prod.E., F.I.I.A., Deputy Controller of Supplies (Aircraft Production), M.o.S. He was particularly interested in Mr. Walker's suggested close collaboration between the design and production departments. He was reminded of the story of the two Irishmen fighting each other until they discovered an Englishman; then they both fought the latter. His second impression was of the great need for more, and better-trained, planners, tool engineers and—let him whisper it—managers. But the industry had never been so strong technically and production-wise, The two words it had been writing in the sky were "Air Power". Without being accused of bias, he suggested that air power was made up of design power, production power and operating power. And the greatest of these was—all three. DISCUSSING PRODUCTION (Continued from page 37)
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