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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0804.PDF
806 I FLIGHT SMOOTHLY TURBULENT . . . ceptional and the ability to potter along at 45 m.p.h. was verysatisfying. In all, some 23 airfields were visited during the Turbulent'sU.K. tour, and the aircraft was sampled by more than 25 pilots, including Pat Fillingham, Hugh Kendall, Ian Forbes, GeorgeMiles, two A.R.B. pilots and Ranald Porteous. All who flew the aircraft commented most favourably on its controls andperformance. Three pilots would have preferred slightly more fin while others felt that the geometry of the brake pedalscould be improved. All who stalled it remarked on its excellent stalling characteristics and none seemed to find the lack ofaerodynamic warning anything to bother about, the loss of height being so small. Several were experienced test pilots, andtheir comments were especially valuable in that the initial tests carried out by the P.F.A. were more than justified. Pottering around the clubs and groups certainly gave an in-sight into the present state of club aviation as it is at present. The variety of standards and angles of view is limitless, but oneunanimous point which stands out is the amount of interest in a new type. It would not have mattered whether the air-craft was the Turbulent or anything else, for the interest is there. It seems amazing that nobody will get in and produce asensible little British light aeroplane on modern lines. In comparison with Continental air touring it is easy to noteat British airfields the number of people without whom aviation would surely die—at least, that is their own personal opinion.It is amazing how so many people can be so important in such a small aviation sphere as we have in the United Kingdom.This is not peculiar to any class of airfield. Elmdon, for ex- ample, was an excellent example of co-operation and friendli-ness, so one cannot always blame State aerodromes. One air- field insisted on charging five shillings for the arrival plus fiveshillings for each of two local flights by club instructors, a charge which handsomely exceeded the cost of fuel for that trip.Another well-known club field has an individual who stuffs an indemnity form under one's nose immediately on landingand insists on such a form being signed for each local night. To a point these things can be laughed off; but when oneremembers the freedom of pre-war private flying, it is easy to see why otherwise successful and normal people find trying tofly about the country for business or pleasure a pain in the neck from the moment the engine is stopped. The "prior permission only" game is one of the worst inpoint. Presumably this restriction gives the aerodrome owner some legal protection, but how much better if the Air Pilotlisted such aerodromes as "own risk only". To fly from Den- ham to White Waltham on a Sunday, for example, needed 15 minutes' flying—compared with over an hour on the telephonetrying to raise someone interested enough to give permission to land. During the Turbulent's tour the occasional necessity toassume the epidermis of a rhino in order to deal with such things was far outweighed by the many healthy signs andfriendliness of certain clubs and groups who make flying their No. 1 activity. • The Armstrong Siddeley Club at Baginton, theLancashire Aero Club at Barton and the Northamptonshire Aero Club at Sywell were particularly well worth visiting. Although the aircraft was flown around on a spare-time basisthe advertised schedule was more or less maintained. Such was the demand for visits, however, that some groups, regret-fully, had to be left out. Owing to a slight mishap which damaged the airscrew at Filton, it was not possible to havethe aircraft at Croydon for as long as had been hoped. In fact, the Croydon visit had to be restricted to Customs clearancebefore leaving for Toussus le Noble, which was reached in one hop in 3i hours—using just over seven gallons of fuel at duty-free rates. London to Paris for fifteen shillings could not be equalled with a bike! In passing it might be mentioned that in spite of the drovesof people who descended on the Turbulent not a scratch was found, although the ability of small boys and not-so-small boysto leave neat rows of finger-marks was very apparent. Great interest was shown in the engine installation, while thechromium-plated undercarriage with its scooter wheels and brakes aroused wide comment. Several lessons in the operation of ultra-light aircraft werelearned. Taking off from small fields was greatly simplified by the handiness of the type, which enabled miniature circuitsto be flown inside the airfield boundary if one so wished. This feature gave a secure feeling at airfields with heavily built upperimeters. Forced landings are possible in the smallest fields and with the Turbulent's good sideslip characteristics onewould have to be very unlucky to suffer damage in such circum- stances. The point to guard against—as with all aircraft, ofcourse—would be the danger of an unskilled pilot taking off again from a small field. Approach and landing at busy airfieldsinvolves a slight variation from normal and it was found better to fly the circuit at normal cruising speed, reducing speed onlyon the final glide. In this way loitering on a busy circuit is reduced. As a lesson of the visit of this little aircraft it is obvious thatlight-aviation interest has not died in this country. The young are intensely interested in getting something going and it wouldbe unfair not to mention the behind-the-scenes help and sup- port from some of the older enthusiasts who, without thoughtof credit, helped the tour in so many practical ways. H. B-D. THOSE AMERICAN MERGERS 'X'HE Detroit correspondent of The Autocar, Roger Hunting- •"- ton, has made some interesting observations on big business in the American car and aviation world. Asking whether the day of the 100,000-unit-a-year manufacturer is a thing of the past in the car industry, and observing that the Government sees the small automobile-manufacturers as invaluable heavy defence facilities which could be readily converted to the production of guns, tanks and jet engines, he outlines the current Curtiss-Wright-Stude- baker-Packard negotiations as follows: — "In an unprecedented move, top officials of the Eisenhoweradministration have "recently sent out work to all executive departments to co-operate in every way possible to preserve the Studebakcr-Packardmanufacturing resources for defense needs. (Their situation is much more critical right now than that of American Motors.) The Govern-ment action is largely a result of the personal efforts of Defense Secretary C. E. Wilson, who was formerly G.M. president (!) and whois well aware of the production potentialities of an automobile factory. The Government's 'artillery' in this case, of course, is the lucrativedefense production contract—everything from jet engines and guided missiles to Army trucks could be involved. With a little manipulationhere and there the Government could really soak up 100 per cent of the S-P facilities, and put them back in the black in no time. "The big stumbling block right now is cash. S-P president JamesNance says he needs $50 million before he can make a move in any direction. His credit isn't good enough to borrow it—and, far as thatgoes, he owes $25 million now, and the creditors are starting to get a little impatient. A merger with another large corporation looks like theonly answer. "That corporation will very likely be Curtiss-Wright. They're aprofitable, fast-growing outfit, one of our largest builders of aircraft engines (both piston and jet), and they are anxious to diversify theiroperations as well as expand production facilities. It looks like a per- fect marriage . „. but only when you consider the tax gimmick thatmakes it all possible. "That is, it would seem sheer folly for a going concern to pay millionsfor a company that's losing money right along, and with a large debt hanging over it. But here's the deal: S-P has lost some $69 millionin the last 2| years. This loss can be 'carried forward' and deducted from future taxable profit. Since our current annual tax rate on largecorporations is 52 per cent of the net profit, this tax loss carry-forward would actually be worth $36 million in cash to any outfit that boughtcontrol of S-P, deductible over a period of four years! That's enough money to buy control of S-P these days. "So here's how the situation stands as this is written: Nance needs$50 million additional capital to keep going. A group of bankers have offered to loan $15 million—and present creditors have offered to post-pone payments—if he can get $35 million out of Curtiss-Wright on a merger deal. (Nance can sell control of his corporation, since wellunder half of the authorized stock issue is now outstanding.) Curtiss- Wright, in turn, have made the merger deal conditional upon definitedefense contract commitments from Washington totalling at least $200 million. I understand these negotiations have been wrapped upnow—and we're waiting for the announcement of the Curtiss-Wright- Studebaker-Packard merger momentarily." G/C. C. R. J. RANDALL regret to record the death of G/C. C. R. J. Randall, one ofthe pioneers of the Naval airship, as the result of an accident in Guernsey, where he had lived since his retirement. Born in1870, he was appointed, as a Naval officer, to No. 1 Naval airship in 1911 and received his pilot's certificate in 1912. For theensuing twelve months he instructed at the Central Flying School, Upavon, and in 1914 was appointed to the airship sub-committeeof the Committee of Imperial Defence. With these duties he combined those of Admiralty overseer in charge of the buildingof No. 9 rigid airship. G/C. Randall served in France and Malta during the First World War. He was commissioned in the R.A.F.in 1918 and retired in 1923.
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