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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1717.PDF
ADVERTISEMENT FLIGHT, 11 June 1954 The ilyin FORGOTTEN FACTOR IN DEFENCE At the present time, the air defence of Britain's sea-lanes and Britain's ships as they sail on their lawful occasions is broadly dependent upon a landplane—the Shackleton — and a flying-boat whose basic design is twenty years old—the Sunderland. Why is it that the flying-boat has been so neglected in recent years? It is chiefly because World War II left us with a pro fusion of ready-made runway aerodromes — and there was no flying-boat modern enough to compete with post-war landplanes. When we bowed to these circumstances we risked a great deal. We jeopardised the very knowledge and experience that enabled us to design in the 'thirties flying-boats that patrolled our seas throughout the 'forties and fought — for the United Nations — even in the 'fifties. And the Sunderland's 1,600 sorties and more than 13,000 hours flying in Korea could not have been achieved by anything but a flying-boat. Post-war Progress It is of course true that there have been post-war designs for water-based fighters. There has also been that stately, gleaming beauty, the Saunders-Roe Princess. These aircraft, only part of the evidence of two decades of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic research and development work, have kept the flying-boat in the air. More important still, they have shown publicly the progress made in performance and seaworthiness. Indeed, as a result of research into the hull structures and power plants necessary to meet open-ocean con ditions, the whole conception of the military flying-boat has broadened. It is now more efficient as an aircraft, more powerful as a weapon and more adaptable to our future defence needs. Equipped with modern flying-boats, R.A.F. Coastal Command could well become R.A.F. Ocean Command. The New Conception The modern flying-boat can operate from any natural stretch of water, in any weather that a landplane can cope with. Its runways and taxi-tracks are free — and bomb-proof. And while landplane size is already nearly at the feasible limit, due to prohibitive runway costs, the flying-boat can be as big as military and operational requirements demand. Its runways will still be at hand. Its base facilities will still be available at a fraction of the cost of a landplane layout. // will be able to refuel and rearm from ships in the open ocean, in conditions hitherto impossible. Its flexibility is unchallenged. The squadron of tomorrow (it should be today), equipped with its own flying maintenance men, its own inflatable sectional pontoons, could take off, fly to the other side of the world, establish its own base and operate in dependently. This same flexibility could be applied to the immediate transport of troops to almost any area where armed aid is urgent. Servicing? Relatively easy, with new and up-to-date methods. The flying-boat has no heavy and complicated undercarriage mechanism and needs to come out of the water only occasion ally. Routine maintenance can be done afloat. WHAT IS YOUR VERDICT? DO YOU THINK WE ARE WISE TO NEGLECT THIS FINE DEFENSIVE WEAPON ? An announcement by SAUNDERS-ROE COASTAL COMMAND The Short Sunderland — the Common wealth's most up-to-date military flying- boat. A fine aircraft — but twenty years old in basic design. OCEAN COMMAND The latest operational needs are anticipated by Saunders-Roe In this independent and adaptable Ocean Patrol and Transport project.
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