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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0530.PDF
244 FLIGHT, 26 February 1954 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" does not hold himself responsible for 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. The Sopwith Pup T HAVE been most interested to read the recent correspondence *• in Flight about those intriguing Sopwith "one-offs" of the 1914-15 period. Recently I came across a photograph of another little-known—at any rate to me—Sopwith aeroplane of the same period. It showed a large-gap, non-staggered biplane with two pairs of interplane struts a side. The photo, unfortunately, was not a very good one, but there appears to be no centre-section, only two tandem vertical struts from the fuselage to the upper wing, whilst the ailerons, which may be of the balanced variety, are strut-connected. The engine, reputed to be a 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape, has the mounting and cowling similar to the Tabloid, whilst the fuselage is rectangular with the usual deck fairings. The machine is a two-seater with the front cockpit well forward under the leading edge and the rear cockpit under the trailing edge, on which there is no cut out. There are head fairings in front of, between and behind the cockpits and the whole affair is perched on a stalky vee undercarriage. It appears to be a very ordinary aeroplane and, I should think, was designed for school work. On the fin is the military number 1064. Perhaps Mr. Williams, Mr. Bruce or other readers could tell us more about it, especially as to whether my assumption that it was a "one-off" is correct. London, S.E.5. L. T. MASON. Remembering the R.F.C. "Take the cylinder out of my kidneys, The connecting-rod out of my brain; From the small of my back take the crankshaft And assemble the engine again." DOES that bring back memories? Alas, there is no way of assembling the old R.F.C. again, but those of us who served in (and with) it have a chance to keep its memory alive. In 1953 Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Slessor had publicly appealed for help in endowing a room at the well- known Victory Ex-Services Club at Marble Arch, in memory of the old Corps. I quote one of his statements: — "One of the things that struck me was that, although no less than 236 rooms bear memorial plaques to ships, corps, regiments and squadrons, and the Royal Air Force (through the R.A.F. Association) have endowed no less than 43 rooms, there is no memorial to those who served with the Royal Flying Corps, though the Club is one just as much for the men who served in the Kaiser's war as for their sons in Hitler's." He asked for a sum of £500; my enquiries have shown that donations to date have only just topped £300. To any of us who served in the R.F.C. and knew that magnificent and never-to-be- forgotten spirit it is apparent that this lack of support must be due to his appeal not getting sufficient publicity. Come on! We cannot let the old R.F.C. down; do send some thing to: Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Slessor, G.C.B., D.S.O., M.C., Victory Ex-Services Club, 73-79 Seymour Street, London, W.2. London, E.C.3. A. G. LAMPLUGH. Pioneer Helicopter Passenger Services I N the interests of historical accuracy I hope that you will find room to print a further amendment on the subject of the world's first scheduled helicopter passenger service. That printed in your issue of February 12th is not correct; the Cardiff-Liverpool Service by B.E.A. commenced on June 1st, 1950—whereas (as recorded in Flight of May 18th, 1950) the world's first scheduled city-to-city helicopter passenger service was run from May 9th to 19th and linked the London and Birmingham sections of the B.I.F. This service was operated by Westland Aircraft, Ltd., in conjunction with Rotor Stations, Ltd., who provided the facilities. To quote from the Flight report: "It must also be recorded that B.E.A. graciously entered an Associate Agreement which allowed the service to be run, though it robbed them of the prestige of claiming the forthcoming Cardiff-Liverpool service as the world's first. . . ." Also in that article you said some very nice things about the enterprise of the organizers, stating positively that this was the world's first, etc., etc. The service was a regular one, flown on schedule, and tickets could be bought through the normal agents. The fact that it was run for a limited period does not enter into the picture—it ran for the full period for which it was intended; and when B.E.A. reach the passenger load-factor of 90 per cent which that service maintained for its duration they, too, can congratulate them selves. Over 11,000 passenger-miles were flown between London and Birmingham during those ten days of the B.I.F., and by one pilot. My memory is assisted in this matter, as my wife and I were passengers No. 2 and 3 respectively on the first flight of the service; we even have the signed bottle of sherry that we con sumed on the flight. Hunton Bridge, Herts. COLIN COOPER. [B.E.A. contacted us regarding the original reference, and claimed that their Cardiff-Liverpool flights had constituted the first scheduled helicopter airline service.—Ed.] Elevation for Sir Winston ? "IV/f Y age is only 12 and I am very keen on aircraft. On the day *-" Sir Winston Churchill went off for his Bermuda Conference I happened to be watching television in the evening and on the newsreel Sir Winston appeared, leaving London Airport. When he mounted the steps he went up one step at a time. Can't there be a moving staircase? In some cases you go to the steps in a coach. If you have luxuries such as this why can't there be a moving staircase worked from the tarmac tug? Cuckfield, Sussex. Guy MANSELL. Pneumatic Breakwater Y'OUR article Small Turbine Quartet (February 5th) perhaps *• did less than justice to one of the two uses mentioned for the Palouste compressor. The successful reduction of waves and swell is not achieved simply by pumping compressed air through pipes to the sea bed. The pneumatic breakwater to which the Palouste was coupled at Dover was, if only a crude Mark I, the result of some thought and design. The full potentialities of the pneumatic breakwater remain to be explored; the genesis of a portable gas-turbine compressor delivering large volumes of air at medium pressures is a useful adjunct. One application which may be of interest to your readers is that of providing sheltered runways for flying-boats (a sort of aquatic FIDO). The cost, while appreciable, would be a fraction of the outiay and maintenance of a land airstrip. A. H. LAURTE. Reigate, Surrey. Pneumatic Breakwaters, Ltd. IN BRIEF In connection with an official war history, information is required on Anson and Audax aircraft used in East Africa, mainly by the S.A.A.F., and on the following types employed by the Iraqi Air Force in the campaign of May 1941: Dragon, Rapide, Dragonfly, Moth, Northrop 8A. Details are required, in par ticular, on variants and modifications, engines, armament and equipment. Letters will be forwarded. * * * Acknowledgment is made to a number of readers who have written pointing out that the "Flying Doctor" aircraft depicted on page 177, February 12th, was, of course, a D.H. 84 Dragon and not a D.H. 89 Rapide. Several writers ask whether any Dragons are still in service in Great Britain; for their information, it can be said that the current A.R.B. Register of British Civil Aircraft lists two, G-ACIT and G-ADDI, both owned by Air Navigation and Trading Co., Ltd., Squires Gate. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Feb. 26. Institute of Transport: Annual dinner. Feb. 26. Northern Heights M.F.C.: Annual dinner and dance. Feb. 27. British Interplanetary Society (Provisional Western Branch): "Provisioning of Interplanetary Vehicles," by G. L. Garth- wake Mar. 1. Royal Society of Arts Lecture: "Safety in the Air," by A. Cdre. Sir Vernon Brown, C.B., O.B.E. Mar. 2. R.Ae.S. Section Lecture: "Metal Sandwich Construction," by F. Tyson, B.A., A.F.R.Ae.S. Mar. 4. R.Ae.S. Main Lecture: First Barnwell Memorial Lecture, by Major G. P. Bulman, C.B.E., B.Sc, F.R.Ae.S. (at Bristol). Mar. 5. Helicopter Association: "The Design of the Drive," by J. L. Norton. Mar. 5. Avro 504 Club: annual dinner, Londonderry House. Mar. 5. Photogrammetric Society: "Soil Survey" lectures by Dr. Alex Muir and J. Callow. Mar. 6. British Interplanetary Society: "Design of a Life Compart ment Necessary for Space Travel," by N. R. Nicoll. Mar. 10. R.Ae.S.: 7th Louis Bleriot Lecture (in Paris): "The Domain of the Helicopter," by R. Hafner, A.F.R.Ae.S. R.Ae.S. Branch Fixtures (to Mar. 8).—Feb. 26, Birmingham, "Develop ment of the Vickers Viscount," by A. Greenwood. Mar. 1, Halton, film show. Mar. 2, Bascombe Down, "Air Transport— Present Problems and Future Prospects," by P. G. Masefield. Mar. 3, Chester, "Peacetime Use of Atomic Energy," by L. A. Rotherham. Mar. 4, Bristol, Main Lecture (see above). Mar. 8, Glasgow, "Aircraft Design," by R. L. Lickley; Halton, "Fatigue: What it is and Some Ways of Reducing its Incidence," by Major P. L. Teed; Henlow, "Bird Flight," by Capt. J. L. Pritehard.
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