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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1059.PDF
516 FLIGHT AIR COMMERCE ... SUPERSONIC RECOMMENDATIONS THE gist of the supersonic committee's report (see page 510)has been known for some weeks, and it has not been enthu- siastically received either by the majority of the newspapers orby the technical journals (see, for example, Flight for March 13, 20 and 27). The reason for the lack of enthusiasm might be summed up asfollows: What is the point of going for less-than-Mach-2 when the leading American firms are saying that they can do a Mach2.5 to 3.5 airliner in the same timescale? It would be impertinent to suggest that the best aircraft-engineering brains in the land have not taken the U.S. challenge into account. But while it may, for Britain's industry, be tech-nically correct for the B.O.A.C. airliner to be a "Mach 2 VC. 10," will it be commercially correct? For the smaller airliner, European air transport economicswould not stand a "Mach 1.2 D.H.121" much before 1975-80. Perhaps this is the timescale proposed by the report: but this isnot to be published because (to quote a Ministry spokesman last week) "it contains an immense amount of technical informationof great commercial value to anyone taking part in the design and development of a large supersonic aircraft. It is not, therefore,considered to be in the best interests of the country or the British aircraft industry for this information to be published." B.O.A.C.'S BIG DEFICIT PROVISIONAL figures given last week by Sir Gerardd'Erlanger, chairman of B.O.A.C., show that the Corporation experienced—as expected—a substantial loss on its 1958 revenueaccount. After £3.6m interest on capital has been paid, the deficit is expected to be about £4.75m. There will also be a netcapital loss on the disposal of Argonauts, Constellations and Stratocruisers. Sir Gerard said that although on its own operations B.O.A.C.have approximately broken even, the associated companies have had a bad year financially, duplication during change-over of fleetshas been costly, the interest charges on capital employed have 1A^ VANGUARD Expected to fly before the end of the month is the Vickers Vanguard G-APEA, the second aircraft and the first for B.E.A. It was completed before the new colour scheme was introduced. At the time of going to press the first aircraft had completed 105 hr, including flights at the recommended cruising speed of 425 m.p.h. considerably increased, and trading conditions generally havebeen very difficult. Another factor contributing to the loss was th<£ great cost of the autumn strike at London Airport.During the year ended March 31 the Corporation offered 14 per cent additional capacity against an 8.7 per cent increase in traffic,with a resultant drop in load factor from 60.5 to 56.9 per cent. Of the current year, Sir Gerard said that he was "much moreoptimistic than before." Output was being stepped up to 24 per cent—"It is," he said, "a simple challenge." CARAVELLE PRODUCTION UNDER WAY THE Sud Caravelle last week received its American certificate ofairworthiness. The first Air France machine was named by Mme. de Gaulle on March 24 in preparation for its entry intoservice on the Paris - Istanbul route on May 12. The first of 12 Caravelles for S.A.S. was to be named by Mrs. Rusck, wife of thepresident of S.A.S., at Toulouse last Monday, prior to the start of services on May 15. S.A.S. have for some time been using thefirst prototype aircraft for crew training. A 172,000 sq ft, 820ft long, assembly hall at Toulouse, com-pleted in four months, is now filled with Caravelles on final assembly. A total of 1,485,400 sq ft of floor area and 2,000 machinetools are distributed between the four Sud factories, which are working on a 24 hr seyen-days-a-week basis to produce 25 Cara-velles by the end of this year. Production in 1960 will reach five per month. Working on this programme are 318 sub-contractors.The manufacturers have established an after-sales department of 250 people, a stock of 8,000 airframe spares and 1,000 systemsspares. Five-week training courses in English, French and other languages are also given as required. BREVITIES Last week D.H. confirmed reports of the existence of theD.H.123 project, though a spokesman was unable to give any information. The project is believed to be a high-wing 40-seat,twin-Gnome, DC-3 replacement. The D.H. design office at Christchurch is thought to be closely concerned. * * * "The biggest deal of its kind in history" is how Mr. C. R. Smith of A.A. describes F. B. Ayer's purchase for $30m of 45 DC-6s, DC-6As and DC-6Bs from his airline, with "first refusal" on the remaining 36. Ayer has also bought 30 A.A. Convair 240s. * * * With the exception of the DC-3 and the Lodestar, the 44/46-seatViscount 745 has been operated on U.S. domestic routes for three successive years at the lowest aircraft-mile direct costs of any type.In 1958 this was 85.65 cents against 89.2 for the CV-240 and 61.18 for the DC-3. * * * Mr. R. L. Weir and Sir Giles Guthrie have been appointedBoard members of B.E.A. Mr. Weir is financial controller and chairman of the Airways Corporations' joint pension scheme. SirGiles, who is to be a part-time member, is managing director of Brown Shipley & Co. * * * After more than twelve months' consideration of tenders sub-mitted by independent airlines, it is reported that the Air Ministry Britannia trooping contract to Singapore is to be awarded toHunting-Clan. The airline is unable to confirm or deny that its tender has been accepted. Other contracts are still pending. * * * Capt. J. Thain, commander of the B.E.A. Elizabethan whichcrashed at Munich last year—primarily owing (according to the German report) to ice on the wings—has received a letter fromthe Minister of Transport asking him to show cause why his licence should not be revoked. Last week a B.A.L.P.A. spokesmansaid that withdrawal of Capt. Thain's licence would be "a grave injustice." * * * A B.O.A.C. Comet 4 made an emergency landing after taking offfrom Beirut on April 10 after damage to the wing structure near the wheel-well had been caused by a tyre bursting in flight. Thisis considered by B.O.A.C. to have been due to overheating of the brakes during a previous take-off which Capt. Beauchamp (the'commander) had abandoned owing to suspected over-speeding of No. 2 engine. Because the landing was overweight, four more tyres burst and others were torn. The 63 passengers continuedtheir journey to London by a relief Comet. * * * Britannias are to be used on C.P.A.L.'s new routes betweenMontreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver from May 4. First- class and tourist passengers will be carried.* * * The first Convair 880 is back on test following repairs to the fin, approximately one half of which was lost, with a part of the rudder, during flutter tests. * * * Despite the loss of landing rights in Djakarta and a strike by its pilots, K.L.M. made a profit of nearly £l^m in 1958. This was £915,000 less than the previous year. * * * Mr. John Morgan, previously acting chairman of CambrianAirways, has been appointed full-time chairman following the resignation of Mr. John Watts. Mr. Morgan is 70.* * * Britannia 102s are being introduced this month and in May onto services between London and West Africa. B.O.A.C. and Ghana Airways will operate to Accra and Nigerian Airwaysbetween Lagos and London. * * * The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr. HaroldWatkinson, has refused Manchester Corporation an increased grant for the new £1.3m terminal at Ringway. He reaffirmed hisprevious offer to meet 75 per cent of the first £lm of any scheme. * * *A profit for the eighth consecutive year is reported by Trans- Canada Air Lines for 1958—a surplus of £195,510, exceeding the 1957 figure bv £51,071. Revenues rose by 15 per cent to a record of £43,055,275. Operating expenses rose 14 per cent to £42,157,423. * * * •• . • Sir Leonard Isitt, chairman of New Zealand Airways, saidrecently that a decision on a DC-3 replacement would be delayed until later this year. The Corporation are reportedly studying theHerald, Avro 748 and Friendship. Of the chances of an order for the last named, Mr. Diepen, commercial manager of Fokker, saidthat the political pressure which was being exerted in New Zealand to protect the British aircraft industry was "even stronger than itwas in Australia."
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