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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1585.PDF
FLIGHT, 4 December 1953 739 CIVIL AVIATION TRANSATLANTIC TERMINAL: Prestwick's im portance as a military staging-point, as well as its commercial role, is illustrated by this recent view from the control tower. The DC-6B ofS.A.S. is taking on passengers for the final part of its journey from New York to Copenhagen and Stock holm; the Coastal Command Shackleton MR2 is taxying in after completing escort duties during the recent Royal fight. "Flight" photograph V.I.P. VISCOUNTS FOR INDIA TT was announced last week that the Indian Government have A ordered two Viscounts for delivery in the summer of 1955, bringing to 86 die number of diese aircraft which have now been sold or ordered. Other orders are, of course, under negotiation. Both machines will be operated by the Communications Squadron of the Indian Air Force and will be stationed at Palan, near Delhi. They will be the first to enter service with the improved Darts giving an extra 80-90 h.p. per engine under cruising conditions and a better all-round performance. One aircraft, designated Type 730, will be a lavishly equipped personal transport for the President and will also be used by the Prime Minister. The forward part of the fuselage will contain a saloon and rest chamber furnished with two beds, separated by a bulkhead from a conference room with a six-place table and sofa. An aft com partment will have seats for ten officials. The other Indian Air Force Viscount will be a 40-seater for use of members of the Government and senior officials. PRESTWICK AND ITS PROBLEMS TN commemoration of the 13th anniversary of transatlantic air •*• services to Prestwick Airport, the now-customary dinner was held there on November 28th by Scottish Aviation, Ltd. This event has achieved red-letter status in the British aviation calendar, not only because it honours a great step forward in the progress of air transport, but because of the unique opportunity it affords to the Englishman of renewing contact with so many leading personalities at this hub of Scottish aeronautical activity. The ownership of Prestwick was for several years at the heart of a major issue affecting the future of the airport—which, it will be remembered, was requisitioned by the Government at the beginning of the war. Scottish Aviation's claims for compensa tion were disputed by M.C.A. and no settlement was in sight until last year's dinner, when Mr. Lennox-Boyd announced that an arbiter would decide the case. Although the terms of com pensation have not been revealed, the dispute is evidently at an end. On Saturday, the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, chairman of Scottish Aviation, paid tribute to Mr. Lennox-Boyd for ending the deadlock. His Grace was speaking on "The Occasion," and he hinted that it was not one for unqualified rejoicing. There were indications that Prestwick's traffic might decrease. The future of Prestwick, he urged, was a national problem and not merely a side issue. For those who are not entirely familiar with the Prestwick problem, it should be interpolated that it is one of much longer standing than the Gatwick problem, and differs in almost every respect. It is largely the story of people who want a major domestic and international airport but have so far been denied one. Although Governmentally recognized as Britain's No. 2 airport, Prestwick has not become the great terminal envisaged by many of its supporters. The situation was summed up by an excellent leader in last Friday's Scotsman, which referred to Prestwick's "nominal status as the second international airport" and concluded, sadly but realistically, that "It may serve as a convenient refuge for planes diverted from fog-bound aerodromes and it may be kept on a care-and-maintenance basis for defence purposes, but the bright vision of Prestwick becoming an air junction with the prestige that the Clyde enjoyed in shipping has faded, perhaps beyond recovery." Next spring work will begin on Prestwick's new runway, which should eventually make the airport suitable for the largest transport aircraft under virtually all wind conditions. The Central Committee of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, one of the strongest voices raised in the defence of Prestwick, has said flatly that the construction of this runway will be a waste of money unless there is an increase in traffic. The committee would like to see Prestwick take over from Renfrew as the focus for Scottish feeder services. To counteract the argument that Renfrew is some 25 miles nearer the Glasgow city-centre, the committee points to Prestwick's weather characteristics and says that the surface-transport problem could be offset by an im proved railway system from Glasgow to Ayr and by the reduced flying time on journeys to the south. Recent despondency as to Prestwick's future results largely from the inauguration of Sabena's transatlantic service from Ringway to New York, with the prospect of a new B.O.A.C. Stratocruiser service also calling at Ringway. But whatever the respective merits of Ringway and Prestwick it is impossible to escape the logic of Mr. Lennox-Boyd's dictum, expressed at the 1952 Prestwick dinner, that the question of airport develop ment is eventually settled by the passenger. Unless the amount of local traffic available to the airlines using Prestwick is increased it is impossible to foresee any significant change in its present status, even though (to quote G/C. D. F. Mclntyre, managing director of Scottish Aviation) "it is the safest and finest and most natural airport on this side of the Atlantic." He described the choice of Renfrew as the domestic terminal as "a most extraordinary thing," notwithstanding the views of the Scottish Air Transport Advisory Council and its chairman, "the aviation oracle in this part of the world." Before proposing the toast of British air transport G/C. Mclntyre added that the dinner might be die last opportunity to say how much they had appreciated the wonderful change in relationship between the company and the M.C.A. in the last two years. In the absence of Mr. Lennox-Boyd, who returned from a holiday in Sicily just too late to attend the dinner, Mr. Profumo, the Parliamentary Secretary, replied with a few diplo matically chosen remarks about the independent companies' contribution to air transport progress in general, and the part played by Scotland in particular. Prestwick, he noted, had handled 16 per cent more passengers in 1953 than last year. On the subject of possible improvements to Scotland's net work of air services, Mr. Profumo was cautious. The Govern ment, he said, had a natural desire to expand on those routes which B.E.A. regarded as unremunerative, but the Ministry could not insist on the operation of services which would add to the Corporation's deficit. When he spoke of the need for an aircraft possessing low operating costs and capable of serving outlying points with no prepared airports, and thus having exceptional take-off and landing performance, we naturally expected some announcement concerning the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. However, it was left to Mr. T- Henderson Stewart, Joint Parlia mentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, to announce that the Government were considering this aircraft with the greatest sympathy; he hoped that there would soon be an answer for G/C.JVlcIntyre. We*learned from Scottish Aviation of the world-wide interest which was evoked by the announcement of this aircraft last year. The company's chief test pilot, Mr. N. J. Capper, has just returned from Malaya where the first four of a sizeable batch of "single" Pioneers (photo on page 744) are in service with the R.A.F. By employing the same wings, slats and flaps, the twin Leonides, 16-seat Twin Pioneer will be able to offer a unique small-field performance. Most of the design work is already completed, together with a mock-up, and construction of the first prototype is due to begin in two or three weeks—whether or not Ministry of Supply backing is obtained. By the use of simple construction methods Scottish hope to keep the price down to £35,000. If all goes according to plan the first Twin Pioneer should appear at Farnborough next year and the com pany is confident that production orders will follow very soon afterwards. G/C. Mclntyre believes that on a cost basis the helicopter will never be able to compete with thi^ type of fixed- wing airliner and that the demand for the Twin Pioneer, once it has proved itself, will continue for at least 10 years.
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