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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 2242.PDF
"*&• III •*? dtl M 5iup;PffTJ .*^*.Kf Seventh Armstrong Whitworth Argosy: final assembly at Bitteswell People and Projects FROM DESIGN TO PRODUCTION: GLIMPSES 0 F A N IN D U STRY AT WORK By KENNETH OWEN and w. T. GUNSTON Sketches by GORDON HORNER THE complex world of the aircraft industry involvesmany teams, and this has been so for many years. Team-work in action is the theme of this article, which attempts to give in words and pictures some impressions of the varied activities of typical groups. We have not essayed a complete catalogue of the industry. We have instead chosen a number of the more interesting current aircraft, engine and missile projects, and at each company visited we have concentrated on one particular facet of operations. Design at Weybridge; wind-tunnel testing at Bedford; flight-testing at White Waltham and Belfast; final production at Coventry. The story is a synthesis of brainpower and crafts- manship, science and know-how. Gordon Homer's vigorous sketches serve to spotlight particular aspects of this, the industry's complex world. Design at Weybridge Current effort at the Weybridge, Surrey, headquarters of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd. is directed towards following-up the outstanding success of the Viscount series with two further civil transports—the turboprop Vanguard and the turbojet VC.10. With over 400 Viscounts sold the Weybridge production lines of this type are tailing off; the Vanguard is absorbing most of the production effort at the present time and is the subject of an intensive flight test programme using the first three machines; while design work on the VC.10 is occupying some 400 draughtsmen in the main drawing office here and in another at Hum. Over 1,000 technicians altogether are currently working on the VC.10 (otherwise known by the company designation of Type 1100). After beginning life in the project office, where it was worked on for some 12-18 months by a team including stressmen, aero- dynamicists, mathematicians and wind-tunnel engineers, who established the overall configuration, the VC.10 design was pro- gressively released to the main drawing office, beginning in February 1958. At present the major scheming is complete, with structure and electrical system already resolved and other systems now being resolved, and drawings are being issued for production from both Weybridge and Hum. The main d.o. at Weybridge is a vast place, with its spaciousness masked by the close repeated pattern of drawing boards, hanging light-switch cords and up-jutting tee-squares. This regular pat- tern is interrupted by piles of reports and other documents and the random figures of the draughtsmen. While some talk shop in groups of two or three, others are working at the board, and others are simply sitting and thinking. The background noise is a very gende buzz of conversation, most of which concerns the VC.10. Design progress on the type is reviewed at weekly design meetings under E. E. Marshall, assistant chief engineer (VC.10), who is one of five assistant chief engineers responsible to C. F. H. Hemsley, chief engineer (aircraft). Specialist meetings, such as those called by the chief aerodynamicist and chief stressman, are also regularly held. E. J. Clark, design manager, is responsible for all technical design administration. Drawing office personnel are subdivided into specialist groups and sections covering aspects of structures, systems, electrical and radio installations, furnishings, and mechanical items. A typical group, for example, is the forward fuselage group, headed by one group leader having overall design responsibility for this unit of the aircraft. Three section leaders in that group in turn look after the detail design of canopy and windscreens; structure above floor level; and structure below floor level. Another group is concerned with the wing structure—here, after receiving the original wing geometry from the project office, it was a particularly tricky job to accommodate the conflicting requirements of production, opera- tion, maintenance and aerodynamics (and hence performance). Of particular use to certain of the d.o. groups is the full-scale wooden mock-up of the aircraft. With the current practice of designing into production; using the first aircraft (or first few aircraft) for test, development and demonstration flying; and dis- pensing with the old concept of a prototype as such, the mock-up in many ways has taken the prototype's place. It is especially suitable for developing the interior furnishing scheme and for checking the layout of the various piping and control runs and other services. The division of design work between Weybridge and Hurn is that the latter is handling design of the rear fuselage, including the engine installation (excluding nacelles); the tail unit; and the appropriate systems. The timetable on the project as a whole was worked out backwards from the planned delivery dates and first-flight date; in the case of the VC.10 the first aircraft is due to fly in the summer of 1961. On the graph showing the build-up of design effort in its con- stituent specializations, one sees that the curve of VC.10 work, which has been rising steadily, is now levelling off at a peak value which will clearly be maintained for some time to come. Mean- while, on the other side of the airfield, VC.10 jigs are being installed and the first fuselage frames are in place. The transition
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