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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1701.PDF
820 FLIGHT V.1000—A BID ABANDONED Controversy at High Levels: the Long-haul Situation Reviewed THE implications of the Government decision to abandonthe Vickers V.1000 can be assessed with accuracy only byfuture historians. But from all that has been said by the parties concerned it is possible to form one clear impression:except from the manufacturers, there have been few voices raised in loud protest. This would be surprising if only one issue—thecancellation of an expensive and already well advanced national undertaking—were involved; but the fact that the dropping ofthe V.1000, to use the words of Air. George Edwards, managing director of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), "means we have aban-doned to the Americans, without a struggle, a highly important market," makes the absence of dissent doubly surprising. Comment, inevitably, has concerned not only the V.1000 butbroader issues involving the whole future of British long-haul transports and the American types with which they will have tocompete. It is appropriate to record the views expressed on these matters during the past two weeks. Giving its reasons for the cancellation of the V.1000, theMinistry of Supply stated: "During development the weight of the V.1000 had grown substantially and had outstripped the enginecapacity. It had taken longer than was expected to solve the problems of meeting the specifications of the R.A.F." Mr. GeorgeEdwards pointed out that the increase in structure weight, which had been necessitated by the decision to make the V.1000 a trans-atlantic airliner, had in fact been fully matched by increases in power of the Rolls-Royce Conway and that the V.1000 could havebeen in all ways competitive with the DC-8 and 707 "and in some ways better." To substantiate their claim Vickers have released weightsand performance details of the aircraft, which are included on page 794. It is understood that R.A.F. Transport Command, faced withthe prospect of an over-weight V.1000 for which suitably developed Rolls-Royce Conways would not be available until1958, decided that they could not wait until that date. Since the Hastings-replacement situation is becoming urgent, the order forsix Britannia 250 L.R.S was placed instead. (It is unlikely, how- ever, that these aircraft could be in squadron service before 1957.) The Vickers view is that the DC-8 and the Boeing 707 areunlikely to have engines capable of non-stop Atlantic operation before 1960, and that the V.C.7 would have been capable of per-forming a non-stop service in both directions by 1960. In the opinion of Mr. George Edwards the decision to cancel the aircraft"is a national disaster we shall regret for many years." Of particular interest was the B.B.C. Television discussion onNovember 14th between Mr. Woodrow Wyatt for the B.B.C., Mr. George Edwards for Vickers, Mr. P. G. Masefield for Bristol,Sir Miles Thomas for B.O.A.C., and Mr. C. T. Wilkins for de Havilland. Asked why B.O.A.C. could not have ordered the V.C.7 despitethe military V.1000 cancellation, Sir Miles said that the Comet 4 was more suitable for the Empire routes; that the few V.C.7srequired for transatlantic operation, say six, would not justify production; and that the aircraft in any case would be verydemanding as to airport requirements. Mr. G. Edwards, when asked why, in view of the promised performance of the V.C.7,Vickers did not go ahead without an R.A.F. or B.O.A.C. order, pointed out that the initial operation of a large and complexaircraft could only be undertaken satisfactorily in the hands of home operators. Mr. Masefield said he believed that the Britannia would be intransatlantic service a good deal ahead of the American jets and would make a very good show of itself even after they had been introduced. He believed that the DC-8 and the 707, with theengines at present projected, would not be genuine non-stop air- craft, whereas the Britannia 300 L.R. would be. He contended,however, that Britain must take a very serious account of the American jets and that in his opinion the country should be onthe Blue-Riband route with jet as well as turboprop transports. Asked what B.O.A.C. would do about DC-8 and 707 trans-atlantic competition in 1960, Sir Miles Thomas was of the opinion that it would not be until 1962 at the earliest that the Americanswould have these aircraft in non-stop transatlantic service. Britannias would be achieving this within two years from now.He dismissed the possibility that B.O.A.C. would have to buy U.S. jets for the moment and affirmed his confidence that theBritish aircraft and engine industries would in due course sur- mount U.S. jet competition. Asked whether the industry hadbeen told of the necessary requirements, Sir Miles said these had been made clear to a joint committee of the industry and theMinistry of Supply and that design studies were being made at the moment. Early in the programme came a contribution from Mr. C. T.Wilkins, de Havilland chief designer. He said that British engines were developing so rapidly that there was a possibility that theComet 4 with its present fuel capacity would be able to operate the Atlantic non-stop. He added that his company were notconsidering a transatlantic jet airliner at the moment because he felt that operators required something smaller that could be morewidely applied. Reactions from the United States to British comments on theprospects of the DC-8 and the 707 have been significantly restrained. During the television programme die voice of Mr.Creedy of Pan American World Airways, speaking from New York, was heard. Asked whether the Boeing 707 would bedelivered in December 1958, and be in transatlantic service at that time, Mr. Creedy replied in the affirmative, adding thataccording to PanAm's information the Boeing 707 was a non-stop airliner in both directions. In reply to a cable from Flight a Douglas spokesman statedthat they had contracted to deliver overwater DC-8s, with "advanced" engines, to P.A.A. in late 1959 and to K.L.M. inearly 1960. While not wishing to enter the lists of controversy Douglas pointed out that they did not have a reputation for com-mitting themselves to delivery dates which could not be fulfilled, or for offering optimistic delivery in order to attract orders. Theyconfidently expected that the DC-8 would be in non-stop trans- atlantic operation by 1960. Pratt and Whitney, about whose J57 and J75 doubts have beenexpressed, can say nothing for reasons of security. It is likely, however, that the "advanced" engine mentioned in the Douglasand Boeing brochures is a development of the high-compression, twin-spool J75 which in its present 15,000 lb thrust form is inproduction for the Republic F-105, North American F-107, and probably for the tanker version of the Boeing 707 (KC-135). Testflying is under way in a B-45, due to be joined shortly by an eight-engined B-52. The power that developed versions arealready giving on the test bed is believed to be very much higher. In an article in the Financial Times, Sir Miles Thomas statesthat one of the transatlantic projects in which B.O.A.C. is interested is the projected B.E.25-powered "V.L.R." machine, a specifica-tion for which is being prepared jointly by Bristol and the Con- vair and Canadair divisions of the U.S. General DynamicsCorporation. This is referred to on page 794. MR. N. B. HIGGS WE hear with regret of the death, in New Zealand on Novem-ber 12th, of Mr. N. B. Higgs, who until recently had repre- sented the Bristol Aeroplane Co. in the Dominion since 1939.He was 49 years of age. Mr. Higgs joined the Bristol engine division in 1936 and forthree years was a member of the experimental department, work- ing on all types of engines. He transferred to the service depart-ment in August 1939 and at the end of that month left the United Kingdom for New Zealand, where he was a servicerepresentative until 1946. In that year he was appointed the company's agent in the Dominion, later forming a company inassociation with his brother, who was formerly with the engine division's technical publications department. Mr. Higgs remained the company's agent until the formationthis year of the Bristol Aeroplane Company (New Zealand), Ltd., although severe illness had for some time prevented him fromtaking an active part in business affairs.
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