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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0039.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 January 1961 37 Correspondence The Editor of "Flight" is not necessarily in agreement with the viewsexpressed by correspondents in these columns. Names and addresses of writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Executive Comfort NOT so many years ago flying by the seat of the pants wasa general, if mildly uncouth, way of aviating. But as "Execu- tive Pilot" remarks in your December 23 issue, there is no needfor that sort of thing in the air today. We are being as couth as we can in planning the BEAGLErange of executive and light aircraft. People's basic feelings are being carefully considered in the design of seating: at bottomthere can be no excuse for numbness in this matter. We are also making sure that pilots and passengers will be able t0 see—as well as be—out and about more than before. We hopethat they will at the same time be able to keep their feet as warm, or their heads as cool, as they may desire. Ladies are, of course, always in the forefront of design-thinking.We believe that Beagling is now becoming a popular feminine, as well as male, pursuit. Irrespective of the way she may bedressed, we trust that no lady will be in the least embarrassed by a BEAGLE. London Wl PETER G. MASEFIELD,Managing Director, British Executive & General Aviation Ltd Fuel Duel BY regretting that fuel technologists have not "answered" LordBrabazon's claims [about the superior safety of kerosine in certain types of accident] made during a recent BBC Panoramaprogramme, Mr Colbourne [December 9] seems to imply that these claims are invalid. Will it make your correspondent feel anybetter if I point out that there was a fuel technologist present at the demonstration? I shall be glad to effect an introduction if sodesired. Mr Colbourne should also know that other fuel technologists,and very eminent ones such as A. R. Ogston of Esso Export and E. L. Bass of Shell, have over the years made claims identical tothose of Lord Brabazon. I, too, am unhappy that we should have used television toremind the public of the fire hazard associated with air travel. But a desperate situation requires a drastic remedy: can Mr Colbournesuggest a more effective means of trying to stop airlines using JP-4 fuel? Harpenden, Hens J. W. RICKARD Montreal's New Airport ON December 2, Sabena opened its Brussels - Mexico Cityservice with Boeing 707 OO-SJE. The flight calls at Montreal, a Great Circle route with traffic rights which is only 14 milesfarther (in 6,200 miles) than the direct crow's flight distance. Montreal's new airport at Dorval was opened on December 1,and OO-SJE was the first Sabena flight—and the first Boeing —to transit the place. The kindest and warmest comments onecan make about the new Dorval is that it is unfriendly in atmo- sphere and inefficient in action. Transit is scarcely understood, involving the traversal of fullyone mile of garish, brick-lined corridors which no prisoner could tolerate for long in his gaol, to reach a woman medical officerwho checks vaccination certificates. The actual main concourse has its brighter features, but thegrim corridors and garish lighting make the whole aspect of Dorval an unattractive one. A passenger coming from even themost closely parked plane in transit must cover two miles on foot in the 45 minutes allowed (be it the small hours of themorning), and with the queue to file past inspecting authorities there is no time to reach the coffee shop before recall. When the Sabena Boeing left for Mexico, its two coveredgangways, fore and aft, carried different destination boards. The so-called "electric destination indicators," a vaunted efficiencymeasure, pointed out that 1st class passengers in the front of the plane were joining TCA flight 667 to London, while touristclass at the rear were entering Sabena flight 555 to Mexico! Montreal Dorval, close to the famous city of I ATA and spiritualhome of so many airlines, has only succeeded in being a larger, brasher copy of American major airports, and so far it lacks theefficiency of operation which makes them work so well. London SE25 K. WESTCOTT JONES Living History TN your Correspondence column of May 2. 1952, a letterappeared headed "Living History," in which it was pointed out that the Imperial War Museum Spitfire R6915 was (and forthat matter still is) wrongly camouflaged Spitfire R6915 in its true camouflage scheme (see "Living History") This letter led to quite an intensive search on behalf of themuseum, but it was not until a few weeks ago that the final facts were resolved. It was then that contact was made with Fit LtHanson, who was responsible for the maintenance of this aircraft during the Battle of Britain. He was able to supply the unknown code letter, and, togetherwith records already known, his records made it possible to identify the camouflage pattern, the style and disposition of thelettering, and other important details. Armed with these facts, I have made a drawing, a photo ofwhich is enclosed [reproduced herewith.—Ed.] showing R6915 as it is now known to have been at that period. As no known photograph of this aircraft when it was with609 Sqn exists, I hope you will find the drawing sufficiently interesting to publish, thus making a permanent record of thesefacts. Radlett, Herts C. RUPERT MOORE, ARCA T. E. Lawrence and His Friends From Air Marshal Sir Gerald E. Gibbs, KBE, CIE, MC VI7TTH reference to the photograph on page 955 of your issue"of December 16, I wonder if your caption is right in describ- ing the bearded figure as King Feisal? To me it looks likeAbdullah. London Wl G. E. GIBBS 'T'HE picture of Lawrence of Arabia and group sent by Mr Leslie-*- Hunt [Correspondence, December 16] was most interesting, but I think your caption is incorrect. King Feisal appears to be thetall gentleman in European garb, with helmet. The bearded figure is Abdullah, later Emir Abdullah of Jordan. As a regular reader I would like to take this opportunity toexpress my appreciation of your paper, which is always full of interest for aviation enthusiasts. London SW12 J. C. YOUNG Renfrew Replacement 'THE letter from Mr J. F. Foss in Flight for December 16, 1960,-^- is based on the assumption that domestic (short-haul, European —call it what you will) and transatlantic (long-haul) traffic can beoperated from the same airstrip. This is asking for trouble—not necessarily accidents, but it is evident that long-haul traffic willcompletely block short-haul traffic during take-offs and landings, thus causing holdups in the domestic flow vide BEA, etc, moveto Gatwick). Moreover, who wants to set out from London/Paris/ Munich for Glasgow and be faced with a 38-mile train journeyfrom Prestwick to Glasgow (30+ miles by road, but it will take one hour)? The railways discovered a hundred years ago that long-distancehigh-speed traffic will not mix with shorter-distance "stopping" traffic, so they built two lines side-bv-side in each direction. The present trend in aviation is for long-haul take-off andlanding lengths (and times) to increase due to the cry for super- sonic speeds, and for short-haul TOL lengths (and times) todecrease as a result of the plea for a smaller-mesh network with touchdowns at smaller aerodromes. (Note the efforts on VTOL,STOL and helicoption.) Anyhow, after travelling alone this railway from Prestwick for29 miles the line passes within l,800vd of Abbotsinch, and Abbotsinch is within 900vd of the Greenock/Glasgow line.Abbotsinch is nine miles from the centre of Glasgow by rail and nine miles by either of two roads—one of which, the Renfrewroad, takes 16 minutes, the other 20 minutes (duly observing speed limits, traffic lights, etc). Judging it solely from the domestic traffic utilization aspect,Prestwick's potential, considering a radius of ten miles, is 140,000 people. This area includes two small shipyards. There is hardlyany other manufacturing industry of note. The area is mainly agricultural. Abbotsinch's potential, considering a radius of five miles andexcluding Glasgow, is 400,000 people. This area includes ten
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