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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0059.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2295 Vol. LXIII. FRIDAY, 16 JANUARY 1953 ED/TOR MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR. H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1 Telegrams, Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone, Water/oo 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, S10.00. BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months, $16. IN THIS ISSUE: Helicopter Development at Bristol 58 Soviet Basic Trainer - - 64 Leonides Activities - - 65 Radar Gunsight - - - 66 Stopways and Clearways - 67 Constructor and Operator 69 Fifty-Year Story - - - 73 Hawker Siddeley Progress 74 The Redundant Instructors 82 Out of the Frying-pan . . . ? T HE flying fraternity as a whole has expected great things of the new Government, but in the main they have been disappointed. In our opinion, and in that of many others, the biggest single error of omission has been the failure to create, or even permit to grow up, a feeling of confidence and stability in the aircraft industry, among the independent operators, or among the flying clubs and private owners. Even the Corporations are disturbed by the threat—we hope not a serious one—of amalgamation. We are without doubt on the threshold of an Elizabethan air age, but it may turn out to be a half-hearted counterpart of the first great Elizabethan age if the individual is to be frustrated and badgered by changes of plans, unco-ordinated scheming, or a variety of petty restrictions. In the House of Commons recently Mr. P. B. Lucas said that in America there was approximately one pilot per 350 head of population, while in this country the figure was nearer one in 6,000. We might add that, in spite of the large numbers of pilots trained during the war years, the British register of private and business aircraft has, by com parison with the pre-war days, diminished by no less than a third—to something under 400. One solitary manufacturer of light civil aircraft remains active. Do these facts indicate the existence of a good foundation of practical air-mindedness from which to face the challenging years ahead of us ? Not long ago we were welcoming a new scheme for the flying of A.T.C. cadets which would at the same time help to ease the cost of private flying. But no sooner was some thing given than more was taken away. The closing of civil schools and dispersal of 300 trained airmen-instructors is a great blow to civil aviation (though we are not unappreciative of the Air Council point of view). Apart from the material loss, if com panies and airfields are to remain in operation either a much larger share of maintenance cost will fall on the clubs and private owners, or facilities will have to be curtailed. All this amounts to a run-down of the private-flying movement at a time when its services are beginning to be most needed. Now, in the last week or two, the harassed club pilot wanting to fly abroad has learned of a further pin-prick, in the form of what is virtually petrol rationing by cash allowance. There is still time for better and more intelligent counsel to prevail, but as things are at present pilots will receive a sum of only £15 for petrol purchased abroad as from the end of January. This new misery—thought up, we understand, by the Treasury—is near-sighted, ill-conceived, and not a little dangerous in application. Perhaps a curve should be devised to adjust currency allowance in advance according to forecast winds. Surely it would not be right for a pilot Mediterranean-bound to profit from a tailwind springing up between Tyne and Dogger? His allowance should be docked by 10s at least—to be fair to the motorist who is less affected by the wind. Elsewhere in this issue we refer in greater detail to the closing of schools and to this meddling with a most efficient system for aviation fuel supplies abroad. Regarding the latter, if we are to have to put up with more forms and restrictions, at least let us preserve the thoroughly simple and practical fuel-carnet scheme and place a limit of, say, £50 on the allowance for a* aircraft. This sum would at any rate permit a flight of reasonable duration abroad while taking into account the mysteries of aircraft operation —we refer to the fact that even small aircraft use more fuel than a car; that they need more expensive fuel; that landing and hangarage fees are payable abroad (some even approaching the charges levied here by the M.C.A.); that transport from airfield to destination may be required; and that there are such things, internationally recognized, as fuel reserves for bad weather and diversions. Matters apparently regarded by some people as of minor importance may prove to have a most significant bearing on the future of aviation. For the continued health of the aircraft industry and of British aviation we must have stability and continuity of purpose no more mid-production cut-backs, no more build-ups followed by re dundancy, and no more loudly-heralded encouragement of private flying followed by a removal of the props from beneath its structure. Few things are worse than the devil one doesn't know.
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