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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1381.PDF
21 September 1956 533 CORRESPONDENCE The Editor of "Flight" is not necessarily in agreement with the views expressed by correspondents in these columns; the names and addresses of the writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Bouquet for BlackbusheT HOUGH a regular reader of Flight I have so far, during the Farnborough Show period, seen no mention of the Blackbushe Airport effort. During most of the year the control staff's work is taken very much for granted, along with the other activities of the airport; but the hundreds of arrivals and departures during this week, together with normal flying operations, must throw a considerable strain on the control-tower staff. I do not feel that statistics need be published, knowing what a lengthy business it is to obtain permission from a Ministry to publish anything at all; but I am sure a "thank you" to the staff could raise no objections from any quarter. I think it must be quite a good start for the visiting aircraft, especially the overseas element, to receive an efficient welcome at Blackbushe. Camberley, Surrey. H. JOYCE. Turboprop Economics YX^HEN, in the early 1960s, the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 » * enter service on the non-stop transatlantic route and others of similar stage length, it appears inevitable that the turboprop formula will be eclipsed as a first-class long-range transport proposition in the currently accepted sense which associates first- class air travel with the highest obtainable block speed. The turboprop cannot compete with the pure jet now in the realm of pure speed, and the gap between them is certain to widen in the future. Where the turboprop can score is in economics, but if speed is given too much attention this virtue will be obliterated without corresponding gain. For too many years the accent has been on speed and yet more speed, while load-carrying has been sacrificed —an unwise policy, particularly in the case of this country. Is it not now time to face the fact that the proper sphere of the turbo- prop is economical load-carrying at speeds of not more than 400 knots and to stop chasing will-o'-the-wisps with thin wings and supersonic propellers? This pastime can only lead to bankruptcy. If people are to be persuaded to travel by turboprop, there must be compensating advantages to offset the slower journey. Prob- ably at the top of the list is cheaper fares—not just a few pounds cheaper but something of the order of a one-third to one-half reduction on corresponding pure jet fares. It is appreciated that fare structures are at present determined by international agree- ment, and not by the inherent economics of particular aircraft; but it is absurd that we should allow the turboprop, our particular speciality, to be put out of business by arbitrary rules designed for another age; and we must press for and, if need be, insist upon the necessary alterations. It is no good having aircraft with wonderful economics if the rules force you to charge fares which will keep in business less economic aircraft whose higher speed will then enable them to steal all the traffic. Cheaper fares may not be the whole story, however. Is it not reasonable to suppose that there are many people who would elect to spend a slightly longer journey in the more comfortable and spacious surroundings which the turboprop could provide, rather than be carried a little faster in a kind of human toast-rack sealed in a giant toothpaste tube? This is surely the difference between air travel and mere transportation. The old flying-boats were popular precisely because of their superior accommodation. There is also the safety factor which favours the turboprop. So it is suggested that there is room for "First Class" passengers in long-range turboprop airliners once the idea is grasped that "First Class" means more than just high speed. After all, the Atlantic liners are still very much in business at speeds not much in excess of 30 knots! There is no need to despair of the turboprop, pro- vided we do not try and make it perform tricks outside its reper- toire. It is the natural complement rather than the rival of the pure jet, and it is up to us to see that it achieves its proper destiny. Southsea, Hants. TORQUEMADA. Veteran Sky master TT was interesting to read the brief history of the veteran Sky- *• master, constructor's serial number 3094, furnished by Sgt. D. F. Gilpin, H.Q. 2nd T.A.F., in your correspondence columns (Flight, April 6, page 400). Sgt. Gilpin may be interested to learn that the old work horse is now flying in India and bears the registration letters VT-DIA. It was purchased in October 1955 by Indian Airlines Corporation from Air Vietnam and the registration markings changed from F-UNAN to VT-DIA. It is utilized for operation of the night air-mail services and flies regularly between Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Delhi and Nagpur. Calcutta. P. H. BHANOT. IN BRIEF With the support of the Air Ministry, Mr. J. W. R. Taylor is writing a history of the Central Flying School. He feels that during its 44 years' existence many episodes must have gone unrecorded, and asks if readers who have any good stories or pictures will get in touch with him at 36 Alexandra Drive, Surbiton, Surrey. LEAR AUTOPILOTS FOR J-35s A CONTRACT has been placed with Lear, Inc., of SantaMonica, California, for automatic flight-control systems for the Swedish Saab J-35. The installation will involve complete three-axis control and stability augmentation for the Swedish "double-delta" intercepter, which (powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon with afterburner) is reported to have achieved a high supersonic Mach number in level flight. The Lear company has four manufacturing divisions in the U.S.A. and two in Europe, and was the first company to apply autopilots successfully to jet fighters in America. Lear autopilots are fitted to the French S.E.210 Caravelle and to the prototype of the Boeing KC-135 tanker/transport. BLADE TRACKING IN FLIGHT THE Kaman Aircraft Corporation of Bloomfield, Connecticut,has produced a device whereby a helicopter pilot can adjust the tracking of a two-bladed rotor in flight. Usually this process involves a crewman using flags and the making of manual adjust- ments while the machine is on the ground. With the new device, pilots with no previous experience were able to realign blades which had been deliberately set out of track by as much as six inches. An evaluation programme of 70 hours has been successfully completed, and adjustments can be made at speeds up to 60 kt. The amount of adjustment possible is not sufficient to endanger the helicopter. The pilot's tracking adjustment control is a small crank in the cockpit which, when turned, energizes an electric inching control. This offsets one of the bell cranks in the rotor control circuit, and the pitch of one blade of a two-bladed rotor can thus be altered to bring its track to the correct level. Movement of the inching control does not alter the position of the control levers in the cockpit. In Kaman's HOK-1 helicopter, one tracking adjuster is installed for each of the two rotors. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Sept. 19-21. R.Ae.S. and Institute of Physics: Conference, Cranfield. Sept.22-23. Women Pilots' Association: Flying Meeting, Sandown. Sept. 23. Air Display, Frankfurt. Sept. 25. Society of Instrument Technology: "Accurate Calibration of Ftowmeters," by E. A. Spencer, B.Sc.(Eng.). Ph.D., A.M.I.Mech.E., and A. T. J. Hayward. Sept. 25-29. 2nd European Aeronautical Congress, Scheveningen. Sept.27-28. Aerodrome Owners' Association: Annual Conference, Southampton. Oct. 1. R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture at Derby: First Sir Henry Royce Memorial Lecture, by H. I. F. Evernden, M.B.E. Oct. 4-5. Air Traffic Control Convention, Southend. Oct. 6. British Interplanetary Society: "Study of the High Atmos- phere in the International Geophysical Year," by Prof. H. S. W. Massey, F.R.S. Oct. 9. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "The Pressure Jet Helicopter," by A. Stepan, Dipl.-lng Oct. 11. R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture at Henlow: "Rocket Motors," by S. Allen, F.R.Ae.S. Oct. 16. Institute of Navigation: Annual General Meeting. Oct. 17. R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture: "Importance of Time in Aircraft Manufacture," by Air Commodore F. R. Banks, C.B., O.B.E., F.R.Ae.S. Oct. 23. R.Ae.S.: Section Discussion: "Functional Efficiency of Aircraft," introduced by C. Abell, O.B.E., F.R.Ae.S., and A. V-M. A. F. Hutton, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C. Oct. 25-26. Aircraft Electricaf Society: Annual Display, Los Angeles. Oct. 26. College of Aeronautics: Tenth Anniversary Dinner, London. Nov. 9-10. Agricultural Aviation Show, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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