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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0074.PDF
74 FLIGHT, 20 January 1956 GERMANY TODAY —as Seen by a British Aeronautical Engineer SIR ROY FEDDEN SOON after the war, Sir Stafford Cripps sent me to Germanywith a team of engineers, in two Dakota aircraft carryingtwo Jeeps, to find out all we could about German jet engines and the new aircraft into which they were fitted. Our report said wewere profoundly impressed by what we discovered and that there was aeronautical research going on at the cessation of hostilitieswith which there was nothing to compare in the U.K. or U.S. Had the war continued another 18 months the story in the airmight have been a different one. We flew back from time to time with special examples, andeventually there was set up in my offices at Cook's building, in Stratum Street, a comprehensive exhibition of advanced Germantechnique. At the time many serving officers and technicians came and looked at this exhibit, but we who had spent many weeksassembling it were amazed at the comments, which, broadly, were: "most interesting," "rather fantastic," "why worry, haven'twe won the war?" Subsequent events, over the last ten years, go to prove that it was unfortunate that such available data werenot taken more seriously; and there is little doubt our American Allies and the U.S.S.R. benefited greatly by appreciating its truevalue. I had not had occasion to return to Germany until last autumn,when I spent most of October on an engineering fact-finding tour, during which I motored about 3,000 miles and went over a gooddeal of the ground which I had surveyed with my team in 1945. I attended the conference of the German Scientific Institute forAviation at Augsburg, at which there were 650 delegates, including many nationalities. Great enthusiasm was shown and many plansdiscussed for the future. It was interesting to meet the leaders of the past German aircraftindustry again, and to hear what they had been doing during the last ten years, and their plans for the future. I visited plantsconnected with aircraft and engines in pre-war days, and heard that gradually they were collecting together their old staff and,while working on bread-and-butter products, considering new lines to embark upon for the future. Obviously, any come-back inaviation will be a much longer-term affair than in 1933; but 1 realized that the urge and determination was there. I was impressed with the remarkable recovery that Germanyhas made since 1949, and duly noted the keenness of management and workpeople, and the strides that have been made with limitedfacilities and improvizarion. One can clearly see the mark of adversity on both executives and workpeople. Since the war theyhave had such hard times that they are enthusiastic about solid employment. How long this will last it would be difficult to say,but the competition that we may expect from many outstanding firms with their newly set up plants will indeed prove to be atesting time for our engineering fraternity. A 48-hour week is standard for the workpeople; offices start at 8 a.m. There are notea breaks or other diversions. In my report of 1945 I said that certain towns had been sobadly bombed that I doubted if they should be rebuilt, and that it might be better to start again afresh. In this I was wrong; butthe reconstruction work that has been done is astounding, although it is incorrect to say that Germany is rebuilt. Ten years after thewar one is shocked at the acres and acres of bombed sites still existing, which are more extensive and far worse than anything inthis country. The philosophy has been that it is no good building houses before factories, public buildings, etc. It is only duringthe last 18 months, therefore, that there has been any serious reconstruction of private dwellings. The Germans' approach to their problem is striking when werealize what has been done in our own country and what is still left undone, and it may be that a via media might have been abetter policy to take in this country. The design and construction of some of their rebuilt railway stations and bridges is outstanding,and brings home the vision and boldness of their civil engineering. There is no question at all that the German people, from top tobottom, are working very hard indeed, and it is disturbing to see this in comparison with what is all too prevalent in this countrytoday. It is also distressing to have brought home to one so emphatically how we have thrown away our chances in the lastten years. One of the most topical subjects I was able to look into wastechnical education, and I had the opportunity to talk to several German education authorities on this all-important question. I alsodiscussed this matter with a number of senior German aeronautical technicians who had spent anything up to nine years in Russia.They speak highly of Russian education, the importance and devotion that is given to this whole matter, and the urge there isto become an aircraft engineer. I am told on good authoritv that READERS of last week's issue will have seen our abstracts from SirRoy Fedden's paper given at the Aircraft Production Conference, in which he made some forthright criticisms of the British aircraft industry.The lecture contained brief references to the aircraft industries of Germany and Russia; in the present article, which is exclusive to"Flight," the author enlarges on these subjects. Sir Roy Fedden, M.BJJ. D.SC, Hon. F.R.Ae.S., M.I.Mech.E., F.R.S.A., M.I.A.S.,M S A E., has had a long and distinguished career in aircratt engin- eering, notably in the field of engine design and production. there are 6,000,000 permanent resident students in Russianuniversities, and that last year over 100,000 of these graduated in engineering. There is none of the stigma that is attached toengineering as a profession that there is in this country. On the contrary, the "red carpet" is put out by the family for the sonwho chooses some branch of engineering and successfully qualifies. The following table gives an overall picture of how the trainingof engineers is being tackled in the four most important countries. If this country is expected to survive at all as a great power, thefigures make sombre reading. ANNUAL OUTPUT OF ENGINEERING GRADUATES (1954) Country G.B.U.S.A. U.S.S.R.Germany Full-timestudents (all faculties) 80,602 2,500,000 6,000,000 121.000 Period forgraduation (engineering) 34 3 -4 Numbergraduating (engineering) 2,237 22,329 102,000 3,000 Number frompart-time courses(engineering) 6,923 50^000 6.000 With technician friends and acquaintances who have spent along time in Russia I had interesting talks on the progress of Russian aviation. As a result of these discussions I have arrivedat the conclusion, which is purely a personal one, that German technical opinion of Russian aviation is divided into two camps:those who think that everything that U.S.S.R. are doing in aviation is excellent and better than anything else, and those who arederogatory to their technique generally. From questions I was able to put in regard to Russian researchequipment, machine tools, design teams, etc., I formed the opinion that probably the right answer lies between the two. I do notbelieve that Russia is outstanding in basic thinking. They have had enormous benefits from a big group of German technicianswhom they have sucked dry and have now, with a few exceptions, returned to their native land. The Russians' planning has beengood and realistic, their timing excellent. They have made a point of concentrating on a very few aircraft types and buildingthem in large quantity. Probably their best fighter, attributed to a Russian, owes much to German technicians. In Russia the greatest prestige is given to creative work.Consequently, such professions as those of artists, musicians, ballet dancers, highest-grade teachers and aircraft engineers receivegreater honour and more money than others. A senior aircraft engineer is responsible for signing a contract to produce a designto a certain specification and date. If he failed to accomplish this and it could be proved a serious mistake had been made he mightbe stripped of his honours and salary and, in extreme cases, would go to prison. With the acceptance of Germany into NATO it would seem asuitable time to confer with her on such questions as technical education, research into engineering materials, inspection methods,etc.; but we must send over people of high enough level, in order to command respect and interest. AIR-MAPPING PERSIA "Vf ORE details are now available of the contract, worth some±yM- £250,000, awarded by the Persian Government to the Air Survey.Co., Ltd. One of the biggest air survey contracts everawarded to a British firm, it was gained in open international competition. The work will include not only topographical mapping but sur-veys for town planning, road, rail and pipe-line construction, irrigation, hydro-electric schemes, ports and aerodromes, andgeological exploration. The contract appoints the Air Survey Co. (which is a sub-sidiary of the Fairey Aviation Co., Ltd.) as consultants and con- tractors to the Persian Government and also requires the companyto instruct Persian technicians, during the next two years, in aerial photography and the preparation of maps
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