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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0078.PDF
76 FLIGHT, 16 January 1953 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" does not hold himself responsible/or 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. Flying Over Mountains T HE very interesting article by Mr. A. H. Yates in Flight for January 2nd, on "Airflow over Mountains," shows a consider able danger to aircraft from down-currents when there is a strong wind. There is, however, the possibility of added danger from winds over mountains causing regions of reduced atmospheric pressure, which makes altimeters in aircraft read too high. Winds of 100 m.p.h. are not infrequent over the tops of the hills and mountains in the British Isles. In a progress report from the U.S. Department of Commerce Weather Bureau, in December 1947, Mr. L, P. Harrison said that in an 100 m.p.h. wind at Mt. Washington they measured altimeter errors of 370ft, due to change of stagnation-pressure, but that this might have been increased by various other causes such as distor tion of cyclonic pattern, changes of energy by friction, etc., which might bring the total error up to 1,250ft, plus a further error if the temperature gradient near the mountain was different from that used in the calibration of the altimeter. In Mountain Winds and their Effects on Flight, a paper issued by the Bureau of Safety Investigation, C.A.B., a case was reported of an altimeter reading 3,000ft higher than the actual altitude. The report on the Aer Lingus accident shows that the aircraft gave its height as 6,500ft within three minutes of the accident. As civil aircraft usually change height slowly, it is probable that the altimeter was reading little less when the aircraft was caught in the down-currents. If, however, the real altitude was considerably less than this, due to the errors suggested, the danger of down- currents would have been much increased. Is there not a possibi lity that this error might in some cases have caused collison with mountains ? The possibility of these errors never seems to have been fully investigated and it would be very interesting to know whether any British pilots have observed them. Ministry of Supply, K. W. CLARK. London, W.C.2. Assistant Director, for Director of Civil Aircraft Research and Development. The "Redundant" Instructors T HE young men of Britain have in the last few months had their attention drawn to the need for the birth of a new spirit of adventure and enterprise in every walk of life. A special call went out to young men to begin a Second Elizabethan Era by establishing British supremacy in the air both commercially and militarily, just as the First Elizabethan Era was born of skill and initiative at sea. Every day comes fresh evidence that the young men of Britain —the young in heart and the young in years—are answering that call in the field of aircraft design and manufacture. Inch-high front-page headlines tell only too well of the British lead in this field; and the masses of the people say "How wonderful : how fine and dandy. We are in front, years in front, and never again will be caught unprepared as we were in 1939." In smaller type on an inside page a headline tells of the closing of civilian-operated flying-training establishments. The masses of the people do not read this; and if they read the small paragraph they do not comprehend the danger. They do not know of the small band of 250 flying instructors who will this year be set aside as worthless; or if they do know, they will dismiss it with possibly a vague comment about some slight redundancy in aircraft industry. To establish and maintain British air supremacy it is not enough to design and make the best machines. We must have the best pilots to fly them as well. In the military field the R.A.F. selects the pilot material for training; so far, because of that selection (in many cases, in spite of it) these 250 flying instructors have turned out good basically trained pilots from that material, ready to learn to use an aircraft as a weapon and later, after R.A.F. service, to become pilots in the commercial field. Who are these civilian flying instructors? What manner of men are they? These men trained pilots for the bombing of Berlin and the Ruhr, for our air supremacy on D-day, for the shooting down of "buzz bombs" and for operations against Japan after the European struggle was over. Most of them know operational flying, too, with its grimness and terror and the need for courage and quick decision. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge which no instructor trained since the war can possibly have until another war is upon us. Flying hours they count in thousands. They are young in heart and fairly young in years, yet old enough to instil confidence, respect and discipline into the youthful pilot trainee of today. Most of these instructors, carefully vetted by R.A.F. examiners at regular intervals, have qualified to R.A.F. standards in the past year by hard study in spare time after the day's work is done. All are members of the Volunteer Reserve or attached to Auxiliary Squadrons—many have been members since the reforming of these forces in 1947. A number gave up good, secure, pensionable work in 1951-52 to devote themselves to training Britain's pilots. Now, after a brief 12 months, they are faced with unemploy ment, and no prospect of further achievement in their profession in this country. They are told that the reason is national economy; but how can economy be achieved by closing the civilian schools when so much more will have to be spent in expanding the R.A.F. training establishments ? They know that pilots will still be needed this year, and in the years to come, to fly the wonderful machines now being made. How much will be lost to Britain in the throwing-aside of so much experience and quality ? These 250 men of Britain have pride in their jobs and will con tinue to give of their best for many years if given the opportunity. They believe, with ample justification, that they are the cream of basic flying instructors in this country today. They also have pride in themselves, and if thrown aside now they will not answer the call a second time, when the need for their services will surely come. Burnaston, Derby. FRANCIS G. SPENCER. (On behalf of the flying instructors of No. 3 B.F.T.S., Derby.) F.E.2S, "Brisfits" and B.A.T.S T HE letters from A.Cdre. Sir Vernon Brown and Mr. C. Brown, which appeared in Flight of January 2nd, are remarkable not only because they both obviously refer to the same action, namely, the destruction of the Zeppelin L.48, but also because both ascribe the L.48's defeat to an F.E. 2B. Yet both thereby contra dict recorded history. The end of the L.48 is described on page 33 of Vol. V of The War in the Air (the official history) in this way :— "At 3.28 a.m. at Theberton, north-east of Saxmundham, she met her end. She was attacked simultaneously by Captain R. H. M. S. Saundby, Royal Flying Corps, in a D.H.2 of the Orfordness Experi mental Station, and by Lieutenant L. P. Watkins, Canadian Army attached to No. 37 Home Defence Squadron, in a B.E.12. The final blow was delivered by the latter officer and the L.48, in flames, descended slowly into a field at Holly Tree Farm." A footnote to the page quotes Watkins' report, which starts : "On the morning of the 17th June, 1917, I was told by Major Hargrave there was a Zeppelin in the vicinity of Harwich, and was ordered to go up on B.E.12 6610." The same action is described by Capt. Joseph Morris in his book, The German Air Raids on Great Britain, 1914-18, in the following terms :— "Second Lieutenant L. P. Watkins of No. 37 Squadron, who went up from Goldhanger just after two o'clock in the morning, was at a height of about 11,000 feet over Harwich when he 'saw the A.A. guns firing and several searchlights pointing towards the same spot.' Almost at once he sighted the L.48 about 2,000 feet above him. He immediately climbed towards her, firing two drums in succession into her tail without effect. Having now reached 13,200 feet he was still some 500 feet below the L.48. Three short bursts were followed by the remainder of the drum and 'the Zeppelin burst into flames at the tail.' The L.48 fell flaming into a field at Holly Tree Farm near Theberton. Captain R. H. M. S. Saundby, of the Experimental Station at Orfordness, had engaged the airship about the same time." In the Appendix (p. 278) to his book, Capt. Morris gives Watkins' machine as a B.E.12. It can be seen that both authorities agree that the L.48's con queror was 2nd Lt. L. P. Watkins, not Lt. Holder, and that the aeroplane was a B.E.12, No. 6610, not an F.E.2B. In view of the fact that Watkins was at 13,200 feet, it seems unlikely that he was flying an F.E.2B, with its service ceiling of only 11,000 ft (160 h.p. version). The service ceiling of the B.E.12 was about 12,500ft, which seems more reasonable. The extraordinary thing is that two quite independent people should provide an essentially similar story, which yet conflicts with the official record. The serial number B.401 quoted by Mr. C. Brown would be quite acceptable as an F. E. serial, and his letter is of additional interest in providing the name of a further firm of sub-contractors. The B.A.T. machine mentioned by Mr. P. M. H. Lewis was undoubtedly one of the Bantams, and almost certainly the one which bore the early civil registration K.123. At the time Mr. Lewis saw it, it belonged to Mr. C. P. B. Ogilvie, and now reposes, sadly dilapidated, at Old Warden. Quite a number of Bantams were built: known British serial numbers are B.9945, B.9947,
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