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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0103.PDF
2707 VOLUME 79 FRIDAY 27 JANUARY 1961 Editor-in-Chief MAURICE A. SMITH DFC Editor H . F . KING MBE Technical Editor W. T. GUNSTON Production Editor ROY CASEY Managing Director H. N. PRIAULX MBE IN THIS ISSUE From All Quarters 104 Missiles and Space-Flight 106 Furnishing: and Finishing: Design Philosophy— the Consultant's Role 109 Co-operation for Comfort 111 BOAC Design Policy 113 BEA's Aircraft Interiors 115 The Industry's Contribution 116 Straight and Level 123 Flight System Survey 124 Air Commerce 125 Service Aviation 130 H2+Oa Engine 131 Operational Control 133 Sport and Business 134 Correspondence 135 Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd, DorsetHouse. Stamford Street. London SE1 ; telephone Waterloo ;i333. Telegramsr'lisilnnres London SE1. Annual sut>- Mriiitiuns: Home £4 ]f>s. Overseas £5.( anuila and USA $15.00. Second Class -Mail privileges authorized at KewYork, NY. Branch Offices Coventry: 8-10 Corpoia-tion Street; telephone Coventry •i.V'lO. Birmingham: King Edward House. NewStreet, 2; telephone Midland 7191. Man- cheater: 2B0 Deansgate :>; telephonelSUickfriars 4412 or Deansgate tt:VJa. Glasgow: 62 Buchanan Street Cl; tele-phone Central 1265-6. >"ew York, NY: Thomas Skinner A Co(Publishers) Ltd. Ill Broadway 0; telephone Dighy 9-1197. ' tlifl'e Transport Publications Ltd,1861. Permission to reproduce illustra- tions and letterpress can he granted onlyunder written agreement. Uriel extracts or comments may be niaik- with dueacknowledgement,' AIRCRAFT, SPACECRAFT, MISSILES Official Organ of the Royal Aero Club First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 First with the FinestA RECENT letter from a Canadian reader, printed under the above title, expressed the view that, although the British aircraft industry is capable of designing outstanding aircraft, it is "quite incapable of producing these at the particular time when their advanced features can best be exploited." The letter made particular reference to the de Havilland Trident and Boeing 727 programmes, and specific comment is called for, having regard to the all-out effort being exerted by de Havilland to build their new short-range jet to a competitive scnedule and to sell it in world markets. As we have previously remarked, the 727 orders were not unexpected. They are viewed at Hatfield not as a sudden setback but as a continuing and sharpening challenge. It was with particular satisfaction that we recently published the time- scales of the British and American contenders, remarking, "D.H. concede nothing to Boeing in the speed with which their programme is being implemented." More recently we have noted the interest shown in the Trident by American Airlines, expressing the view that one reason for this interest must be delivery dates. The first of BEA's Tridents should be handed over in mid-1963, and the first Boeing 727s should go to Eastern Air Lines at the beginning of 1964. Boeing accept this lead and "would not be surprised" to see the Trident certificated before their own aircraft. They are not unaware of de Havilland's exemplary delivery record. Both Sides of the Picture The year has opened with the entire nation contemplating a bleak economic scene. Exports are the clamant need if we are to survive. In terms of competition the aircraft industry has never had it so bad; though that is very far from meaning that the industry has had it for good. The Trident programme thrusts ahead. The BAC range of rear-jet airliners sounds its own unique challenge. There is optimism at Handley Page for Herald sales; at Avro for the 748; at Shorts for the Britannic and Skyvan; at Hawker for P. 1127 developments; at Westland for the new family of turbine helicopters; and at BEAGLE for the brood of pups that is on the way. Saunders-Roe, Vickers South Marston and Folland are literally cushioning the vicissitudes of changing times and changing needs with ground-effect vehicles. The engine builders continue to keep us ahead of the world. The ancillary industry is not only producing but pioneering. And we are certainly not forgetting Armstrong Whitworth, where all hands must be tremendously encouraged to read this extract from a recent press release: "... a sleek, jet-prop Argosy Airfreighter took off from Tinker Field, Oklahoma, on its first flight under Riddle's $25 million MATS 'Logair' contract. . . The Argosy Airfreighter, built by Armstrong Whitworth of England, is powered by four Rolls-Royce jet-prop engines and is America's only commercially operated turbine-powered cargo plane." The release was issued by Riddle Airlines of Miami, Florida, USA. The foregoing are solid commercial facts. The industry is offering what our Canadian correspondent rightly describes as outstanding aircraft. That same industry has re-established itself in recognition of its problems—another fact for which, as events have turned out, we must be profoundly thankful. In a recent Flight interview Sir George Dowty, president of the SBAC, expressed the belief that the industry could look ahead fairly confidently for some two years or so. Nevertheless, we must recognize that a very high proportion of the aircraft that we shall be building during those years are filling domestic orders. In promoting exports we believe that this journal has particular responsibilities: to present the products of the British aircraft industry to a world-wide readership; to apprise that industry of competing products; and, as on the present occasion, to review the scene with candour.
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