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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0391.PDF
FLIGHT, 22 March 1957 393 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in agreement with the views expressed by correspondents in these columns; the names and addresses of the writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Expanding the Mass-travel MarketI RE AD with great interest the comments on page 257 of yourissue of February 22 regarding Viscounts, colonial-coach-class services and so on—and appreciate the sympathetic and practicalattitude you adopt towards this problem. There is, however, one point over which I would like to takeissue with you—and that is the implication that even before we ordered the Viscounts we knew they would not be allowed onthe colonial-coach services. This is far from being the case. We knew that there would beobjection from certain quarters to their use, but in our view the mere fact that we were developing a new class of traffic (eventhough the Corporations at that time did not recognize that a potential new class of traffic existed) and had to operate at lowerfares meant that we would be encouraged, not banned, from using appropriate, more economic types of aircraft as the justificationfor colonial-coach services was progressively proved. It was also obvious that, as time went on, more stringentoperational restrictions would be applied to obsolcscing types, and we assumed this would make it even more logical and essential formore modern types to be used. We were also certain that the third-class conception would spread throughout the world, andthat when it did so the established operators would be pressing for the use of modern types, not the oldest types, on this category ofservice—i.e., the most economic modern type available at the time. Our attitude on this was, as we saw it, confirmed by theGovernment's declared intention of opening up long-term oppor- tunities to the Independents of which the colonial-coach serviceswere one of the major opportunities; and we took it for granted that no government would on the one hand try to emphasize theworth of such new opportunities and on the other hand stop then- development. The coach-class conditions which you quote in your article areonly exemplary and not specific. This is quite clearly shown by the use of the abbreviations "e.g." at the beginning of the appro-priate paragraph and "i.e." at the end of it. In other words, these were merely examples of some of the various conditions whichcould help to qualify a service as colonial-coach class. There is no statement at all that the type of aircraft has to be in itselfinferior, or of some particular shape, size or motive power. Obviously, such a specific statement could not be made, becausesome routes, to be economically possible and commercially saleable, would need a different type of aircraft from other routes. In ourview the Viscount has always been the ideal aircraft for developing this new category of traffic at lower standards on the Africanroutes, by offering a night stopping service with considerably less comfort, speed, catering facilities and so on. It is the type ofservice which probably would not interest more than 10, 15, or perhaps 20 per cent of the travelling public; but if that percentagewants that type of service and it helps generate new traffic, why not let the public have it? I think the tremendous expansion of the African routes sincewe started our colonial-coach service shows exactly how new experiments and new facilities help to develop traffic to everyone'sadvantage. London Airport. M. H. CURTIS, Managing Director, Hunting-Clan Air Transport, Ltd. A.W. Ensign History AS a former member of Imperial Airways/B.O.A.C.'s staff for**• a number of years, may I express my appreciation of your publishing Peter W. Moss's fine history of the A.W.27 Ensign-class transports. Obviously the author has spared no effort in the vast amount of careful and painstaking research. He has indeedrecorded so much little-known information on this aeroplane, particularly its career in World War II. I feel sure Mr. Moss will have no objection if I add a fewadditional points. For example, although D,H. three-bladed two- speed controllable-pitch propellers were fitted on the prototypeG-ADSR when she made her first flight on 24.1.38, the original Imperial Airways specification dated 22.9.34 did not include C.P.propellers. Instead, four-bladed fixed-pitch metal propellers were considered to be "good enough" by Imperial Airways! I havea cutting taken from a 1938 issue of Popular Aviation magazine which shows a three-view detail drawing of the Ensign prototypefitted with these four-bladed props. Presumably both Armstrong- Whitworth and Imperial Airways were later convinced of thesuitability of the highly successful Hamilton c.p. props (which had thoroughly proven themselves on the Boeing 247 and theDC-2/DC-3 series from 1934 onwards) and—with the Hamilton licence shortly afterwards purchased by de Havillands—it wouldhave been sheer "pig-headedness" not to have chosen them. Regarding the decision to fit Wright Cyclones in place ofA.S. Tiger 9Cs, I feel fairly certain this decision was originally made by the Board of Imperial Airways during Sir John Reith'sshort chairmanship (1938-9). Did not Imperial Airways send a technical mission to the U.S.A. early in 1939, headed (I believe)by Mr. A. C. Campbell-Orde, when the decision was made to purchase a large quantity of Wright Cyclones with the view tofitting them to all the Ensign fleet? The outbreak of war com- pletely upset this plan, and, as Mr. Moss reports, it was not untillate 1940 that the first Ensign Mk II G-AFZU (ex-G-ADTD) had modifications started, and was not test-flown until 24.6.41(with the Wright Cyclones). In conclusion, like the famous old Whitley bomber, the Ensignhad the same "nose-down in level flight" characteristic—which perhaps stems from the fact that both types originated from thesame design team, headed by A.W.A.'s chief designer, Mr. J. Lloyd. Nairobi, Kenya. DENNIS M. POWELL. Prophets Unstuck T"\EBUNKING aviation's Isaiahs is an entertaining game which-'-' Mr. A. V. Cleaver plays with zest and skill, whetting one's appetite for the concluding instalment of his Prophecy in Aero-nautics article. Meanwhile, it may not be inappropriate to quote from a Frenchbook called Wonderful Balloon Ascents; or, The Conquest of the Skies, by F. Marion, published about 1870. The author boldlycalls his first chapter "The conquest of the skies," though con- fessing this "may appear ambitious ... to those who know thatthe infinite space we call the heavens is for ever inaccessible to travellers from the earth"; and later, reviewing attempts to fly, heavers that these were "conducted on a wrong principle, the machinery employed being heavier than the air itself." Mr. Cleaver, no doubt, wholeheartedly endorses that verse fromHymns A. and M.: — "Prophecy will fade away,Melting in the light of day." London, S.W.I. A. SMITH. "Below Squadron Status"W E were pleased tp be mentioned in your issue of March 1—"Below Squadron Status (Part 2)," by R. C. Sturtivant—but I should like to point out a mistake which, though not of nationalimportance, is important to the flight. After leaving Korea in 1955, 1903 Flight returned to Englandand joined 657 Squadron (later to become 651 Sqn.). We became independent again for the Suez operation and, having spent a bare five weeks around the Middle East, returned again to England. R.A.F. Feltwell, Norfolk. R. E. PINK, Capt. Mar. 26. Mar. 27. FORTHCOMING EVENTS R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture at Reading: "Present and Future Developments in Civil Aviation," by P. G. Masefield, M.A. (Eng.), F.R.Ae.S. Royal Society of Arts: "London Airport," by Sir Alfred Le Maitre, K.B.E., C.B., M.C. Air-Britain: Annual General Meeting. Southampton University: Course on Aircraft Acoustics. R.Ae.S.. Main Lecture: "Engine-Airframe Integration," by L. F. Nicholson, F.R.Ae.S. Helicopter Association: "Problems Associated with the Strength Assessment of Rotor Blades," by V. A. B. Rogers, D.C.Ae., A.F.R.Ae.S. A.B.A.C: Annual Dinner. British Interplanetary Society: "History of Rocket Development in the Walterwerke," by H. Walder. Aviation Forum: Annual General Meeting. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "Fail-Safe Structural Design," by N. F. Harpur, Grad.R.Ae.S. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "Simulation Techniques in Aero- nautics," by J. J. Foody, Grad.R.Ae.S., and R. A. Paul. Paris Aero Show, Le Bourget. S.B.A.C. Show, Farnborough. R.Ae.S. Branch Fixtures (to April 23): Mar. 27, Leicester, "Helicopters," by R. Hafner; Luton, Annual General Meeting; Preston, "Aerial Survey," by B. J. Atwell. Apr. 2, Boscombe Down, "High-speed Experimental Test-flying," by Col C. Yeager. Mar. 28, Bristol, Annual General Meeting and Film Show; Isle of Wight, "Rocket Motors," by S. Allen. Apr. 3, Luton, "Measure- ment of Aircraft Vibration in Flight," by D. A. Drew; Weybridge, "Atomic Energy for Aircraft Propulsion," by J. E. B. Perkins. Mar. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. 30. 1-6. 4. 5. 5. 6. 9. 9. 16. May 24- June 2 Sept. 2-8.
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