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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1486.PDF
596 FLIGHT, 7 October 1955 CORRESPONDENCE ... Aircraft NoiseI N the daily Press there has lately been a good deal of controversy—though in view of its one-sidedness that is probably the wrong word—on the subject of aircraft noise. While I sym-pathize with some of the people who are unlucky enough to live directly under the take-off path from military airfields from whichjet aircraft operate, I find it less easy to understand complaints (and there have been many) from people residing at a distance ofsay eight or nine miles from big airports such as L.A.P. I live in such a situation myself, but I have never yet beenworried—much less awakened—by the noise. Thousands of people live beside busy railway lines and do not even notice thesound of trains by day or night, yet aircraft noise (which, distance for distance, is probably much lower in decibel value) alwaysbrings these complaints. Is it not perhaps a question of an old generation and a new noise? Personally, I find the sound—like some railway noises—quitea "friendly" one. So often, especially on the approach before going into fine pitch, engines can be heard idling so gently thatanyone of a mechanical turn of mind is made happy at the thought that they probably could go on running like that for weeks ormonths. Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. . . ..... EARTHBOUND. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Oct. 7. Helicopter Association: "The Control of Helicopter Rotor Vibration," by P. R. Payne. Oct. 10. Institute of Transport: Presidential Address by P. G. Masefield, M.A.(Eng.), F.R.Ae.S., M.lnst.T., F.I.Ae.S. Oct. 19. R.Ae.S.: Graduates and Students Section: Rocket films. Oct. 20. R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture: "The Jet Flap/' by I. M. Davidson. Oct. 25. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "Boundary Layer Effects in Supersonic Flow," by R. J. Monaghan. Oct. 26. British Institution of Radio Engineers: Annual General Meeting and Lecture. Oct. 27-28. Aircraft Electrical Society: 12th Annual Display of Air- craft Electrical Equipment, Los Angeles. Oct. 28. R.Ae.S.: Graduates and Students Section: Dance. Oct. 28. Aerauto Association (Chelsea College Old Students): Din- ner and Dance, Ardington Rooms, London, S.W.4. Nov. 2. Institute of Welding: Annual Dinner, Park Lane Hotel. Nov. 3-4. I.A.S. and C.A.I.: Second Annual Joint Meeting, Ottawa. Nov. 11. Helicopter Association: "Design of Helicopter Operating Sites," by H. T. Hough, M.I.C.E., M.I.Mun.E., M.T.P.I. Dec. 16, Londbti Airport Inauguration by H.M. the Queen. R.Ae.S. Branch Fixtures (to November 2nd):^ Oct. 12. Manchester, "Development of Guided Weapons," by W. H. Stevens. Oct. 17, Halton, Film and talk. Oct. 19, Coventry, "Cockpit Hoods," by Dr. Holland. Oct. 20, Southampton, "Gas Turbines: Basic Principles and Pro- duction Problems," by C. E. Wurr; Isle of Wight, "Domain of the Helicopter," by R. Hafner, F.R.Ae.S. Oct. 31, Halton, Problems of Space Flight," by F/L. R. W. Durrant. Nov. 2, Southampton, "Flight Refuelling," by P. S. McGregor. THE INDUSTRY Efficient Factory-construction ::, : BUILDING a factory to a time schedule—even more thanbuilding a house—depends on so many imponderables that the contractor who undertakes such a task must have plenty ofconfidence in his methods. That such confidence was not lacking in the case of the new foundries erected at Nuneaton, Warwick-shire, for Sterling Metals, Ltd., was apparent on a recent visit to the site. The contractors were Beecham Buildings, Ltd., andthey had guaranteed that they would complete the building within a year. The standing of both firms, is, of course, proof that noquestion of jerrybuilding would enter into the matter. The projected foundry was to be no small affair. The mainblock measures 500ft long by 267ft wide. It consists of a central north-south bay spanning 67ft, flanked on each side by two bayseach of 50ft span. All five bays are 28ft high from floor to eaves level. Along the full length of the east side is another bay of34ft span, with an eaves height of 40ft. The total floor area is some 200,000 sq ft. That the promise was fulfilled, in spite of a particularly coldand wet winter and spring, is largely due to the method of pre- cast construction employed, a speciality of Beecham Buildings.Without going into building technicalities of a kind that would be out of place in an aviation journal, it may be said very brieflythat the reinforced-concrete structural members and the majority of the walling elements were pre-cast in Beecham's works atShipston-on-Stour, some 30 miles distant, transported by road, then erected at the site by a small, highly-mechanized team. Advantages claimed for the factory production of concretemembers, as opposed to pouring of concrete in shuttering on the One of the bays of the building referred to above: in this photograph it awaits roofing with glass and aluminium sheeting. Along the tops of the main columns are beams to carry rails for five-ton travelling cranes at 18ft above floor level. site, include the facts that (1) assembly of moulds and reinforce-ment, and mixing of concrete, can be effected with precision and economy; (2) permanent, rigid moulds ensure good surface finish;and (3) production of members is unaffected by weather. Though the system is to this extent a standardized one, therange of basic members available is so wide that any Beecham building can be specially designed for the processes it is to house. Apart from the technical methods employed, there is the addi-tional advantage that the whole of the work—-design, quantities, precast production, transport, erection and civil engineering—is inthe hands of various departments of a single, closely co-ordinated organization. Flexible Tubing from A. and P. THHE development of seamless stainless-steel flexible tube was•*• announced recently by Accles and Pollock Ltd., the Oldbury, Birmingham, firm of steel-tube manufacturers. The new productmakes its appearance after a considerable period of development work, and following discussions with the principal aircraft com-panies, which have led to an agreed size range. The flexible tube is made by producing helical convolutions inthin-walled stainless-steel tube. The plain tube for subsequent manufacture of flexible hose can be made from any of the populartypes of austenitic stainless steel; and, after convoluting, the material is in the slightly cold-worked condition. During theconvoluting operation the wall thickness is not reduced and the finished length is slightly less than half the original plain tubing,which means that lengths of convoluted tubing are limited to approximately half those for cold drawn seamless tubes. To assist econo'mic production, state Accles and Pollock, thesizes it is proposed to manufacture are being limited to a repre- sentative range decided in consultation with other interestedindustries. This range will be extended, however, and there is no reasonable limit to the process. The cost of tools for a specialsize is, however, comparatively high. The first list gives seven sizes with nominal bores ranging from^in to fin. Outside diameters range from 0.320in to lin in the same range, and wall thicknesses are between 0.006in and .014in.Tools for the manufacture of these sizes are being produced to a schedule and some of them will not be available until earlynext year. Sperry-Canada Contract ~C RECENTLY announced by the Sperry Gyroscope Companyof Canada is a contract for fire-control equipment for the U.S. Air Force, amounting to some $1,300,000 (£470,000).Components are to be manufactured and assembled at the com- pany's Montreal plant (which was purchased from the CanadianGovernment last April), and delivery is expected to be com- pleted within a year. Mond Nickel Appointment THE Mond Nickel Co., Ltd., have appointed Dr. W. Steven,B.Sc, Ph.D., to be superintendent of the development and research laboratory in Birmingham in succession to the late Mr.Howard Evans. Dr. Steven spent five years with William Jessop
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