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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0150.PDF
148 FLIGHT WIT AND —at Boscombe Downs THE annual "Contractors Dinner" given at Boscombe Down by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment was, as briefly mentioned last week, the enjoyable affair which we have come to expect in each of many years. Some of those present—A. and A.E.E. officers, Government officials, manufacturers, test pilots and so forth —are portrayed, gaily if a little unkindly, by cartoonist Fred May on the opposite page. A. Cdre. A. H. Wheeler, O.B.E. (Air Commodore Command ing), proposing "The Guests," extended a welcome and regretted that accommodation prevented more friends from being invited. He went on to remark that aviation, like other industries, had its worries (to this Sir Frederick Handley Page added a loud "hear hear !"). Fifty years ago manufacturers worried first of all about whether their aircraft would fly, and secondly if they would sell. Now it was a moral certainty that they would fly, and they were usually sold in advance—in spite of what the A. and A.E.E. said. This led him to question the value of Boscombe. A. Cdre. Wheeler then went on to refer to Boscombe's "new management" and also to the arrival of Colonel Stark of the United States Air Force. The work of the Establishment was pleasant and interesting, but the staff were called upon to be critics, and he recalled Disraeli's dictum that critics were "the men who had failed" in the arts they criticized. At Boscombe there were few who had tried to design and build aircraft. The staff did, however, try to stick to the Air Ministry terms of reference and confine their criticisms to those things which concerned them. The air commo dore did not believe that even "the illustrious heads of the industry" could really criticize their own products. If the Bos combe pilots were clumsy and inept, well, it was probable that the aircraft would later get that sort of treatment anyway. There was no doubt that Boscombe had a real duty to do : it represented at least the average of Air Force users. A. Cdre. Wheeler added that the Controllers of Supplies (Air) did not like the wrong answers, and he went on to talk of a certain Captain Bousicault who, being the most stupid officer on Napoleon's staff, was never theless most useful in having all orders tried out on him before they were issued. Sir Frederick Handley Page, C.B.E., began his response by quoting the well-known hymn "The strife is o'er, the battle done, now is the Victor's triumph won." He then went on to refer to the sonic barrier and the shapes of aircraft wings—"some people have gone back to childhood days and imitated the paper dart." More thought should be given to the other end of the speed scale —to going slower at take-off and when landing. Here Sir Frederick recalled the remarkable record of the H.P. Hannibal of pre-war days. He concluded his speech with some entertaining speculations on what might happen were the aircraft industry to be nationalized. An additional speaker was Sir Harry Garner, K.B.E., C.B., M.A., who is to retire from the post of Chief Scientist, Ministry of Supply, on February 23rd next. He referred to his associations with Air Ministry, Ministry of Aircraft Production and Ministry of Supply, and remarked that he was the only one to have been the head of all three establishments, M.A.E.E., Felixstowe; A.F.E.E., Ringway; and A. and A.E.E., Boscombe. He recalled memories of the first trials of the Mosquito bomber and of a first attempt at a rocket-assisted take-off with a Stirling. He thought that aircraft today were "more exciting." There were "nearly as Jan. 30. Junior Institution of Engineers: "Metai Spinning," by R. R. Baskerville. Jan. 31. S.L.A.E. (London): Lecture. Jan. 31. Closing date for England-Christchurch (N.Z.) Race Entries. Feb. 7. Helicopter Association: Discussion on Standards of Mainten ance, and Requirements for Helicopter Engineers' Licences. Papers by Members of-the A.R.B. and S.L.A.E. Feb. 7. British Interplanetary Society: "Limiting Performance of Rocket Motors." by W. N. Neat, B.A., A.F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 9. Institute of Transport: Brancker Memorial Lecture: "The Influence of Military Aviation on Civil Air Transport," by Sir Frederick Handley Page, C.B.E. Feb. 11. British Institution of Radio Engineers: "Modern Trends in Communication Materials," by L. A. Thomas, B.Sc., F.lnst.P. Feb. 11. R.Ae.5. Graduates' and Students' Section: "Production of Prototype Aircraft," by W. Thorn. Feb. 12. R.Ae.S. Section Lecture: "Integral Construction and its Effect on Production Methods," by E. Dixie Keen. B.Sc. (Eng.). Feb. 14. British Interplanetary Society (Birmingham): "Rocket Test-bed Instrumentation," by J. Venn, B.Sc. Feb. 17. Birmingham and District Aviation Club: Film Show. WISDOM * Dinner to the Industry many shapes as designers of aircraft," and no one could say what the ultimate shape would be. Sir Harry did not agree that piloted aircraft would go out in the next few years : it would be many years before that happened. Air Marshal Sir John Boothman K.B.E., C.B., D.F.C., Con troller of Supplies (Air), M.o.S, proposed "The Aircraft Industry." "What," he asked "is the industry? The two thousand or so firms having A.I.D. approval, or the main aircraft and engine manufacturers?" He would love to see a nationalized aircraft industry if it meant Sir Frederick Handley Page and Sir Roy Dobson sitting as Civil Servants in the same office. He did not think that flying was getting more exciting, and he defined the modern gas turbine as "an infinitely expensive and infinitely complicated blow-lamp." He also described it as having "a point at one end and a hole at the other," surrounded with a mass of bought-out equipment to the cost of which the manu facturers added their 400 per cent. In a more serious vein, Sir John said that the nation owed a debt to the aircraft industry and one that would become increasingly important in the future. Finally, he paid a tribute to Mr. George Edwards, who was to reply to the toast. Mr. Hugh Burroughes, F.R.Ae.S. (director, Hawker Siddeley Group) told in a brief speech of the great admiration for the way in which Air Marshal Boothman was doing his job—a tough assignment. He recalled the C.S.(A)'s Schneider Cup success, and concluded by adding a further tribute to the work of Mr. George Edwards, Vickers-Armstrong aircraft chief designer. The final speech, in reply to the toast of "The Aircraft Industry," drew from Mr. Edwards the remark that chief designers were shy, retiring and, by and large, inarticulate. During the last few months the aviation business had taken on a new look. In his opinion, "neither the utmost curvature in place of straight lines nor a job in which you cannot tell the body from the wing is the best"—he believed in the good old British compromise. It might be wondered if some people were building aircraft to fill space in the national Press rather than for the Air Force. Would it not be cheaper just to provide the handouts and save the price of the aircraft—in fact, to replace P.R.TJ. by P.R.O.? Turning to the subject of exports, he said that production alone did not sell aircraft; a most intensive and determined sales effort was necessary, and it had to be made clear to potential buyers that what the manufacturer would in fact undertake to do was very different from what his foreign competitors said he would do. The British aircraft industry could make aircraft; some companies could match American production, and in some cir cumstances, with the right size of order, could do much better. Mr. Edwards went on to say that designers could get nowhere without test pilots to prove the machinery and to do work which was a vital link in the whole process. To get the right answer meant taking risks, and he wished to pay the highest and most sincere tribute to the test pilots. Mr. Edwards also spoke of the work Sir John Boothman was doing, and added that a company must never cut down on development and research. So far as testing was concerned, companies in the industry were growing up and doing more and more to accept responsibility for the testing of their aircraft. They had to fight the temptation to think things were better than they really were. Finally, Mr. Edwards said that British designers hung together, and he was personally proud to take part in this sort of co-operation. It was as it should be. NG EVENTS Feb. 17. R.Ae.S. Section Lecture: "Recent Developments in Gliding," by A. H. Yates, B.Sc.(Hons.), A.F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 18. Aircraft Recognition Society: Meeting: Guest Speaker, Peter G. Masefield, M.A.(Eng.), F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 20. Institute of Navigation: "Navigation and the Operation of Jet Aircraft," by Capt. R. C. Alabaster, D.S.O., D.F.C. Feb. 21. British Interplanetary Society (Manchester): "Structural Problems of the Lunar Base," by P. L. Sowerby. Feb. 24. R.Ae.S. Graduates' and Students' Section: "Viscount Opera tions," by Capt. R. Rymer. Feb. 25. R.Ae.C: Britannia Trophy Dinner. Feb. 26. Aerodrome Owners'Association: A.G.M. and Annual Dinner. Feb. 26. R.Ae.S.: "New Materials and Methods for Aircraft Structure," by H. J. Pollard, Wh. Ex., F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 27. A.T.A. Association: Annual Reunion Dinner. Feb. 28. S.L.A.E.: "Aircraft Fire-proteetion Equipment," by R. W. J. Cockram, A.M.I.E.E., AJ.Mech.E. Mar. 6. Helicopter Association: -Discussion on Flight-testing Experi ences: contribution by C. T, D. Hosegood, S/L. W. R. Gellatty and Capt. J. A. Cameron. Mar, 7. British Gliding Association: International Contest Victory Baft.
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