FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0175.PDF
10 February 1956 173 This striking study of the Caravelle was secured on a recent "high-incidence" take-off from Toulouse-Blognac. Leading-edge flaps are drooped and the main flaps partly extended; stoneguards, just discernible, have been fitted to the rear bogie-wheels to protect the Avon intakes. CIVIL AVIATION LORD BRABAZON S PRESCRIPTION CPEAKING as "the looker-on who sees most of the game," Lord•^ Brabazon of Tara put forward a motion in the House of Lords on February 1st drawing attention to "the unsatisfactory situationexisting today relative to the building of commercial aircraft in this country." Lord Brabazon recalled that after the war a "verytalented committee," of which he had been made chairman, was set up by the Air Minister and the Minister of Aircraft Productionto express users' requirements as to future civil aircraft to be built. Recommendation No. 1 was for a machine that could fly betweenLondon and New York non-stop either way. It had not been for the committee to say whether the machine should be built or whoshould build it. Lord Brabazon had always considered it "a some- what strange piece of forward planning" that the Minister ofAircraft Production at the time decided to have the machine built without asking who wanted it or who was prepared to use it.Lord Beaverbrook had referred to the machine as the Brabazon and the name had stuck, but Lord Brabazon could not say thathe enjoyed being associated with its extraordinary career. Referring to the Princess, Lord Brabazon said that the commit-tee did its best to get users to recommend that a big flying-boat should be constructed, but that no operator was prepared to joinin such a recommendation. The Ministry of Supply had taken a different view, and Lord Brabazon congratulated them on theirvision and initiative in ordering three. He felt it was a pity, how- ever, that the Ministry ordered the same engines as were scheduledfor the Brabazon: "They must have known that the firm were quite incapable of producing them." Princesses might have beenused by British South American Airways, but the Corporation was merged into B.O.A.C., "who definitely refused to have any-thing to do with this aircraft." He next questioned the wisdom of the decision to cancel theV.1000 and asked whether it was the future policy of the Corpora- tions to run tramps instead of airliners. Describing the story of the Brabazon, Princess and V.1000 asa piece of "rag-time forward planning," Lord Brabazon said, "I accuse no party ... no individual of being to blame." For thefuture, he made four recommendations. Transport Command, he urged, should pioneer new civil types ofmachines. They, in conjunction with the operators, would then develop these aircraft. "My second recommendation," saidLord Brabazon, "is that there are too many aircraft firms." This wanted attention from the Ministry of Supply, to see that not morethan four or five should exist. Third, he would like to see it laid down that in ten years time the corporations should fly whollyBritish machines. Finally, no order should be given for a great civil machine until the following agreed to co-operate and operateit: The Air Ministry, the Ministry of Supply, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Corporations and the independent operatorsjoined with the great shipping lines. There should also be a committee presided over by a cabinet minister with two colleagues,one a member of the Opposition ("so as to keep continuity"), the other an experienced civilian. Replying for the Government, the Earl of Selkirk pointed outthat there was already a Transport Aircraft Requirements Com- mittee, which met at the Ministry of Supply. On it were seniorrepresentatives of the Air Ministry, Admiralty, M.T.C.A., the Treasury, M.o.S. and the Corporations. K.L.M. JOIN ELECTRA QUEUE COLLOWING the visit of K.L.M.'s president, General Aler, to•*- the United States last month, comes news that the airline has placed an option on ten Lockheed Electras. The general said thatthere was "a very good chance" of his placing a firm order— which would be the first outside the U.S.—since Lockheed wereoffering delivery in 1959. K.L.M., who have an order for nine Vickers Viscount 803s, must also be regarded as a potentialpurchaser of Vanguards. Electra customers to-date are American (35), Eastern (40), Braniff (9), National (20). EXIT THE JOURNEY LOG-BOOK A WELCOME move to reduce the amount of paper work done•**• by civil operators and airliner crews is the abolition, just announced by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, ofaircraft journey log books. Entries previously made in log books are already included in the General Declaration—carried on allinternational flights—the standard clearance document for all customs, immigration and health control purposes which, unlikethe log book, enables copies to be submitted simultaneously to the different authorities. In recent years the General Declaration, asprescribed by I.C.A.O. after the war, has become the accepted document for the clearance of aircraft in and out of all airports.Furthermore, the use of the journey log book for operational purposes has given way to the procedure whereby separate aircraftdefect and maintenance records are kept. This is in accordance with the Air Navigation Order requiring an airframe log book,one for each engine and propeller, a telecommunications log book, and a record of flying hours and defects. A full-scale plywood mock-up of the Douglas DC-8 is taking shape at Santa Monica. The mock-up, which cost £89,000, will have only one wing but is "complete" in most other respects.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
