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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0291.PDF
FLIGHT, 16 March 1956 289 RESEARCH—A PHILOSOPHY . . . Before the advent of power . . . the research worker was ... alone worker, poorly paid, if paid at all, of lowly status and without business acumen; he was a curiosity both to the general publicand to the masters of industry. This early attitude of mind prob- ably explains why even today the unthinking consider all forms ofresearch to be a purely individual idiosyncrasy, far removed from the practical business of manufacturing and developing. • • • Fortunately, however, this somewhat supercilious attitude is rapidly changing and it is becoming widely recognized that theresearch of today determines the way of life of tomorrow, that those who neglect research in their industry will destroy theirheritage and that the qualities needed for a good research worker are not unlike those necessary for a good business executive. • * It was not chance that the growth of production in the UnitedStates of America coincided with the introduction of scientific and technical people into managerial posts in industry, nor was it badluck that the apparent prosperity enjoyed by the United Kingdom through industrialization in the Victorian era was not consoli-dated. We know now that it was due to the failure of the com- munity to recognize that industrial prosperity could not survivewithout adequate scientific and technical support both in the works and in the management. • Failure now to appreciate that yesterday's educational system isoutmoded by today's needs will surely lead to disaster tomorrow. • • If, as has been said, aeronautical engineering is ordinary engi-neering made more difficult it is equally true that aeronautical research is ordinary research made more expensive. • • Aeronautical research is destined to become, like the Arts andthe practice of medicine, a communal subject; a subject to integrate communities and, like metaphysics and astronomy, oneto be studied and progressed collectively without national restric- tions by all communities. • • It is ironical to find that there is throughout the world moreduplication of effort and of individual capital facilities connected with aeronautics than with any other of the sciences. • • At present national security operates against the free dis-semination of aeronautical scientific knowledge and this means in effect that any nation wishing to keep abreast with others must create its own scientific capital. * * Today all industrial communities suffer from extreme shortageof scientific and technical manpower. Although this acute short- age has only recently made itself felt its cure is likely to be along-term solution and it should not be assumed that, in an expanding industry, it will right itself. • • Concentration on the sciences may, through disregard of thehumanities, lead to ultimate disaster. No effort must be spared to ensure that the early educational years of the future scientistare so planned that he will acquire that broad outlook and sound moral principle which is the only sure basis upon which a scientificphilosophy can rest. * • The greater the defence significance of a science the more diffi-cult it is to keep the community informed; and, the less the com- munity is informed, the less it can contribute and consequentlythe less it will eventually be able to defend itself. The point of no return is impossible to define but there can be no doubt that todayfew communities would be far from this point were it not for the mature traditions of these old-established and learned societiesand institutions which have for so long pressed for the publication of scientific knowledge as and when it becomes available. It isthe influence and teachings of these bodies which urge the scientist to write and speak of his work; and it is the combined urge of thescientists, both within and without the Government, for their work to be published which ensures that information is not heldlonger than security demands. On such organizations rests our hope for the future. • • What is true for the organization of research within a particularcommunity applies with equal force to all communities within the comity of nations, although detailed arrangements may well differ.All communities have their learned societies and institutions and if all were equally effective in promoting publications the inter-national frontier would closely approximate to the advanced frontier of any one nation, there would then be less duplication ofresearch effort and the need for each community to have all the large and expensive capital facilities necessary for the pursuit of afull programme of aeronautical research would consequently be reduced. • • We spend our lives painfully searching for knowledge, butknowledge without wisdom will profit us nothing. VULCAN STRUCTURE TESTS DURING the past two years the third Vulcan B.I off the Avroproduction line has been subjected to a comprehensive series of structural tests. These it has passed with complete success.Rock-like rigidity for the rig was achieved without exceptional cost by sinking 104 concrete piles 30ft into the ground, each pilehaving a bulbous foot to resist up- or down-loads of 15 tons. The base of the rig itself comprised a T-shaped assembly of steelbeams, measuring 110ft each way and weighing 58 tons. Over this the Vulcan was suspended from 22 hydraulic jacks and it wasalso anchored to the base at three anchoring points, all the jacks and anchors incorporating load-measuring units. By this arrange-ment the Vulcan was supported in a zero-g (weightless) condition. To apply test loads each jack had a partner capable of exertinga force up to a combined total of approximately 700 tons. Under the centralized control of a single remote console forces wereapplied and deflections up to lOOin measured at 28 stations to an accuracy of a few thousandths of an inch. In addition nine setsof strain recorders received signals from 450 points on the test airframe, which actually had 1,200 strain gauges applied to itssurface. The arrangement was such that any unduly high strains were immediately visible. The results have so far been excellent. Towards the end of theprogramme (which included simulated take-off, landing and a low-speed, high-g pull-out) a major failure was predicted near awing root. Early in January loads well in excess of those specified in the design (multiplied by the appropriate factor) were applied,but the major failure did not occur. So far the only failures have been in secondary structures, and they have been cleared withinsignificant effect on the weight. In the landing and take-off programmes the Vulcan wasmounted at a nose-up angle of five degrees, with the undercarriage A model of the Avro test rig described above. Head of structural testing is Mr. R. Brocklehurst, a 33-year-old former Avro apprentice. down. Not only did this imply a considerably higher landingspeed than would be likely in practice, but sideways loads were imposed to simulate a large amount of drift. As the primary structure is still obstinately remaining intact itwill be fitted with wings of new design for more advanced testing. These tests will be the first to prove the characteristics of Avro'scomposite wings fabricated from light-alloy honeycombs. Not only will the later test programme be invaluable to the develop-ment of future multi-engined supersonic aircraft but, say Avro, it "may lead to impressive developments of the Vulcan itself."
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