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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0307.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2350 Vol. 65. FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1954 EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH. D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. ART ED/TOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1. Telegrams, Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone, Waterloo 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, llilfe, Glasgow. Telephone, Central 1265 (2 lines). SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas: Twelve months £3 3s. Od. U.S.A. and Canada, $10.00. BY AIR: To Canada and U.S.A., six months, $16. IN THIS ISSUE: Simulating the Sabre - - 144 Pressure Refuelling - - 148 Aeronautical Artist - - 153 Helicopter Forum - - - 157 Small-turbine Quartet - 159 Vampire Trainer - - - 161 Exeunt, as Expected T O remark today that this or that aircraft is slow in reaching service, or that plans to build one design or another are falling behind, is to risk being accused of "trying to get into the act." The curtain rose on the first scene of this particular play, in the House of Lords. Lord Trenchard spoke the words and the date was July, 1953. Since then, several principals have taken the stage, more than one bearing a quite legitimate axe for grinding. The finale is likely to be an anti-climax, for the realization will come that there is no short cut or economical way of achieving quick results. With Mars on the wane, the characters will retire severally—dismissed by Treasury but carrying, perhaps, a consolation prize handed to them by Uncle Sam. In all fairness to the manufacturers it must be stated that with scarcely an exception the time taken to get a given type of aeroplane into service from the word go is almost exactly the same here as in America. It is the decision to say go which is, and has been, the deciding factor so far as the ultimate delivery is concerned. Whether this is generally realized or not, there has been a great deal of talk about how long we have had to wait for the new bombers and fighters and about the need to plan boldly and in good time for the aircraft to follow them. Having settled the require ment and having managed to decide to place an order, money becomes the over-riding- factor controlling speed of building, development and line production. However, none of the foregoing should be interpreted as meaning that there is a kind of predestination about the ordering, building and development of aircraft and thus that efforts can be spared. It may be difficult to speed up the process, but it is all too easy to let it slow down and, in fact, come to a complete standstill. At the end of his recent Mitchell Memorial Lecture, Mr. "Joe" Smith said: "I believe myself that Mitchell would have foreseen in good time all these (design) problems rearing their ugly heads, and would have thought out solutions to them. . . . With all his skill and dogged determination I think it possible that he would have gready exceeded our rate of progress." Designers seldom work entirely in charted seas. The ability of a few to look as far as the horizon, or even a litde beyond it, marks them as the outstand ing men of their profession. Such as these are seldom taken by surprise. They estimate where others might have to guestimate, and in consequence their aircraft suffer fewer delays and fewer setbacks. Helicopter Hiatus A LL our readers will have heard of the B.E.A. Helicopter Unit, and many will be familiar with its work. For several years past—since 1947 in fact—die Unit and ^ its pilots have slowly built up experience, first with American Bell 47s and Sikorsky 51s, and later with British Bristol 171s in addition. It was this unit which experimented with, and then operated, regular day (and later night) helicopter services; it also operated the first passenger return service, from London to Birmingham, in the world. Considering the work done and the results obtained, this has not been a cosdy enterprise. Moreover, others have observed, admired and followed suit. Mail services are running in America, and taxi services between airports and city centres are planned; Sabena are already running regular passenger services in Europe, using single-engined American-designed helicopters (a newspaper report that the Belgian company is planning to operate helicopters to London is entirely inaccurate). What is the B.E.A. Unit being allowed to do? Practically nothing, we fear. No services, no suitable helicopters; and some of its most experienced pilots have left the fold to take up active helicopting abroad. We are well aware of B.E.A.'s plans for the future and of the larger commercially economical helicopters being designed or developed in England. But can we afford to wait and will the spirit and experience of the litde nucleus manage to survive during this freewheeling (or autorotating) period. We suggest that the position should be carefully considered again. A little more invested now in dollars or on development at home or both might bring in worth-while dividends later on. B
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