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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0375.PDF
FLIGHT, 23 Marc/i 1961 383 Correspondence 77/e £d/tor of "Flight" is not necessarily in agreement with the viewsexpressed by correspondents in these columns. Names and addresses of writers, not for publication indetail, must in all cases accompany letters. SAMUCl 'FRANKLIN CODY ftVlATOR.AND 1H¥£MTOR WAS Kilter WWiLC OVER LAFFAM'S FLAiiS •mi TK£JIH AUGUST 1SI3. Commonwealth V-bomber Squadron? A USTRAL1AN press reports have it that Mr Amery has told.TV the House of Commons that the RAF is worried about the lack of aircrew for the V-bombers.Well, hasn't anybody thought of forming a composite Common- wealth V-bomber squadron? 1 am sure the Royal Australian AirForce would only be too happy, particularly if the unit were based in the Far East. If it were not, what matter? The idea is there. ACommonwealth transport squadron has existed for years. Why not a V-bomber squadron? The RAAF would be foolish to losethe opportunity. So would the Indian Air Force, the RNZAF, and other forces with Canberras that must eventually be replaced. Balwyn, Victoria, STANLEY BROGDENAustralia " Malaya to Middle Wallop " T WAS surprised to read the niggling criticisms by Mr Haimes (inyour issue of March 3) of the good show put up by Capt and Mrs Somerton-Rayner. The difficulties met with on this flight can hardlybe less than those encountered on the equally gallant pioneer efforts of Hinkler, Chichester, Amy Johnson and company, largely becauseso many countries would rather hinder than help the private flyer. Among these our own country must be included, despite the"energetic manner" in which the MoA is attacking the "immensely difficult problem" of letting the PPO off the hook. I was very tempted to join this happy band until the latest clamp-down on March 1 was announced, as a result of which I must assume that a Taylorcraft and I would be as welcome over Surreyas a U-2 is over Sverdlovsk. The value of having radio fitted can be seen from Capt Somerton-Rayner's and Ron Flockhart's experi-ences. It enables the local ATC to enquire whether you have enough fuel to go on somewhere else. If so, you can be ordered toland; if not, you are told to go away. Farnham, Surrey R. E. RENSHAW Why Explore Space? DIANA SINGLETON has "asked a good question" in yourcorrespondence, March 3. I am strongly in favour of space exploration and hate to hear the lame excuse "Because it is there."This is out of all proportion to the expense and labour involved. The plain fact is that Man is basically a wild animal and needsliving space. At long last, instead of preying on one another, we have the prospect of getting our needs on other planets. But unlesswe are prepared to carry out vast engineering works on selected planets, to make them habitable, astronautics should indeed belimited to a mere branch of research. I hold that we must be prepared for this vast engineering, andmoreover, we can develop many techniques in the deserts of this planet, particularly Antarctica. If some take the tame course andrestrict populations, others will not. Man's problem has only the one solution 1 have stated above. Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey R. C. ABEL JUST a word in answer to Diana Singleton's query (Flight,March 3) which raises many problems, although rather out ofFlight's field. It may seem callous—and even downright wicked— to help others only, almost, "in passing," while forging aheadoneself: but would not the devotion of all available resources to the elimination of poverty merely result in stagnation? Cody's grove (see letter from Mr j. Demon Robinson) Taking the broad view; will not current expenditure on nuclearand thermonuclear weapons lead us to the source of power for the human race in a few centuries" time, when "natural" fuels areexpended? The aeroplane, developed largely in war, is bringing immense benefits to the undeveloped countries. After all, asBenjamin Franklin asked, of what use is a new-born babe? Why explore space? I don't know: perhaps it will turn out tobe the ultimate in all limbos: but perhaps it will not—the question really is, can we afford not to find out ?Llangefni, Anglesey FREDERIC K. JONES Cody and "Colonel" THE letter from Mr Basil Clarke under the above heading[page 320, March 10] is most interesting and prompts me to send these photographs [one of which is reproduced above—Ed] ofhis grave at Aldershot—close to where he was killed. The inscrip- tion states that he was an "aviator and inventor."Darlington, Co Durham J. DENTON ROBINSON Do-it-yourself Escape WITH reference to Mr R. A. Miles' letter in the December 16,1960, issue of Flight, I have dug up the following informa- tion. The television story to which he refers was originally writtenby Oreste Pinto and was included in his book Friend or Foe? (G. P. Putnam, 1953). It would seem, however, that the scriptwriter took some liberties with Col Pinto's story. Your corres- pondent's letter makes reference to the fact that the nobleman'smanservant later proved to be a Nazi agent. There is no mention of this in the book. Nor is there any mention of a Spitfire escortfor the ramshackle airplane. In fact, the book points out that they crash-landed in a field. As to the construction of the aircraft, I can be of little help.Col Pinto states that the wings were wooden planks, that piano wire was used for the struts and that the wheels came from thearistocrat's Rolls-Royce, as did the engine. Although I cannot be certain, it is reasonable to assume that thestory is pure fiction and has no basis in fact. Brooklyn, NY EDWARD M. FENNELL [A reasonable assumption.—Ed.] Theory of Relativity STRAWS, they say, show the direction of the wind, be it a windof change or any other. Miss Patricia Hammond (aged 15) shows that the coming generation is building up a resistance tonoise which may, or may not, get less with advancing years. But what I really am writing about is the fact that Newbury, where Iwas born and which was my home until I was married, was not near Greenham Common. Greenham Common was (and is)near Newbury, which is quite different. So much for the influence of a USAF station. London Wl FRANK SMITH [Agreed; but we quoted our correspondent's home town in thismanner in order to indicate that she lives near a jet-noise source.—Ed.] FORTHCOMING EVENTS Mar 23 Mar Mar 25 Mar Apr Apr Apr 10- Apr Apr Apr .0 I I 12 RAeS: Fourteenth Louis Blenot Memorial Lecture, "Problems ofShort Take-off and Landing," by H. Ziegler. Society of Environmental Engineers: Annual General Meeting.McAully Flying Group and The Tiger Club: Rally, Little Snoring. RAeS Agricultural Aviation Group: "Atomization," by R. P.Fraser. Kronfeld Club: "Air Touring, Including the Sahara Rally," byJohn Dykes. RAeS Historical Group: Discussion Evening.Loughborough College of Technology: Symposium on "Applica- tions of Analogue Computers."RAeS: "Direct Electrical Power Generation by Thermal and Chemical Means," by Prof M. W. Thring.Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators: Annual Banquet. RAeS Graduates' and Students' Section: "Man-powered Flight—Progress to Date," by H. B. Irving. Kronfeld Club: "Pitcher, the Pioneer of British Aviation," byLord Braye. Society of Environmental Engineers; Discussion on "Climatic andHigh-vacuum Environmental Test Chambers," RAeS Agricultural Aviation Group: "A Review of CurrentDevelopments in Agricultural Aviation," by Dr W. E. Ripper. RAeS Astronautics and Guided Flight Section: Symposium onAir Traffic Control. RAeS: "On the Origin, Structure and Growth of Vortex Separa-tions," by E. C. Maskeli. Royal Air Force Anniversary Concert, Royal Festival Hall,London. RAeS Branch Fixtures (to Mar 30): Mar 28, Luton, a.g.m. and PresidentialAddress; Mar 29, Brough, "The New 'Bluebird'," by K. W. and L. F. Morris; Christchurch, lecture by G. Wakefield; Reading, a.g.m. and Film Show;Southampton, a.g.m. Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr 12 12 !9 20 25 26
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