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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0668.PDF
678 FLIGHT, 18 May 1961 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 Names and addresses of writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. North Atlantic Sea v Air IT is nice to be put in the hero class by Roger Bacon (page 597,May 4). He knows how to brag and clearly can write with a veryperky pen. 1 wish 1 could play the ukulele, because if I could I would strum infinitely more soothing melodies than the shrill, shrieking,screaming noises he makes with his jets. I never go out of my way to deflate anybody unless they have definitely asked for it. Mr Baconhas. Let him read an article in the Liverpool Journal of Commerce (May 5) written by their very experienced air correspondent andentitled "Passenger Traffic Problems—Low Profits and Vast Aircraft Procurement—Need to Improve Service and Safety." Itshould take the smile off his face. It is revealing and, above all, it is realistic—a quality still lacking (though understandably lacking bythe very nature of their upbringing) among air operators. If and when the waves wash over me as I go down in my sinkingship, I hope Mr Bacon will hover overhead so I can shout up to him, "Yes, you have won." But let me positively assure him that therewill never arise provocation for him to risk his life doing that. London Wl C. M. SQUAREYGeneral Manager, Ocean Travel Development [Roger Bacon writes: "I have read the article in the Journal of Com-merce. It didn't wipe the smile off my face, because there wasn't one on it. I am concerned, not crowing, about the beating that British seatransport is taking from air transport, and I can find nothing in the recommended article (by Mr John Stroud) which 'deflates' the pointsI made. Air transport has its difficulties, but at least it faces up to them." -Ed.] Desert Hazards YOUR article about the merger that eventually resulted in theformation of BOAC ("Speedbird Anniversary," page 406)made interesting reading. 1 was in Iraq from early 1928 to late 1931, and it was through the efforts of Imperial Airways that we were ableto receive letters from England in seven days, an amazing achieve- ment in those far-off days. Flying over the desert had its hazards, as the enclosed photograph[reproduced above—Ed] shows. These Hercules of Imperial Airways had forced-landed in the Syrian Desert and had beenlocated by Victorias of 70 (B) Squadron. Darlington, Co Durham J. T. BENNETT Powered Wind-tunnel Models IN keeping with the historical note that is generally prevalent in theCorrespondence column, I feel obliged to comment on theAWA section of your modelmaking article in the April 27 issue. It seems to have taken AWA almost as long to catch up with poweredtesting techniques as it did for "one of the first company-owned wind tunnels" to follow the first company-owned wind tunnel, which wasin operation at Weybridge before 1920 and was testing aircraft such as the Vixen, Virginia, Vanguard, Vespa, Venture, Vendace, Wibault, Viscount wind-tunnel model, with propellers powered individually by electric motors (see letter from Mr C. St Q. Crockett) Desert forced-landing (see letter from Mr J. T. Bennett) Scout, Vireo, Valiant, Vellore, Vildebeest, Jockey, Southamptonetc, during the twenties. Internal motors to drive propellers were in use at the RAE before1946, and at Weybridge externally driven propellers went oui with the Windsor. A rig similar to that used on the Argosy was employedon a .^th-scale Viscount (36in span) in 1948, with a 5 h.p. motor in the fuselage driving four propellers through shaft-drives and bevelgears. Later models had locally built 1 h.p. motors in each nacelle and the art is still progressing (12 h.p. and more). Weybridge, Surrey G. ST Q. CROCKETT Australia's First Airliner HAVING read both your article on the de Havilland AustraliaDHA-3 Drover in "Sport and Business" (November 25) and the letter from Mr Ward (March 16), 1 wonder about the brightecho which is always to be received from your readers when an airliner has been represented as "the first" or "the only" one. Mr Ward is quite correct when stating that W. S. Shack leton'sLascoter of 1928 actually was Australia's first airliner. The sole prototype of that type, VH-UKT, covered 100,000 miles duringscheduled and charter flights. But it is not true that the Drover was Australia's "only" multi-engined airliner, nor that it was the second one. W. S. Shackleton designed a three-engined airliner also, built by Larkin as theLascondor in 1930. The prototype, VH-UMY, was a seven-seater powered by three 150 h.p. Mongoose engines. A twin-engined airliner (VH-URP) designed by Wg Cdr L. J.Wackett and named the Codock was tested in 1934. It was a five- seat high-wing light transport powered by two 150 h.p. Napier E.97Javelins. Similar in layout was the Tugan Gannet (VH-UUZ), which was used in scheduled airline service by Motor DevelopmentLtd, of Sydney, and Ansett Airways in 1943. This aircraft was powered by 200 h.p. DH Gipsy Six engines. Frankfurt-am-Main P. GERHARDT(German Register Specialist. Air-Britain) FORTHCOMING EVENTS May 20-22 Frejus-St Raphael Aero Club: Rally, Frejus. May 22 RAFA Air Displays, Hucknall, Notts, and North Weald, Essex. May 22 SSAFA Air Display, Yeadon, Yorks.May 22-24 IAS: National Telemetering Conference, Chicago. May 26- June 4 Paris Show May 27-28 Royal Belgian Aero Club/ANCUPA: Touring Aircraft Rally, Liege/Bierset. May 27-28 Como Aero Club: European Air Touring Congress, Como. May 28 East Anglian Flying Club: At Home, Ipswich Airport, June I French Aero Club: Helicopter International Grand Prix, Le Bourget. June 1-2 Verona Aero Club: Rally. June 2 RAeS Rotorcraft Section: "Development of Stabilizing Equip- ment for Helicopters," by P. D. MacMahon. June 2-3 RAeC: London - Cardiff Air Races, Panshanger - Rhoose. June 3-4 Coulommiers Aviation Circle: I st Brie Rally. June 3-4 Daphine Aero Club: Rally, Grenoble. June 3-5 Luxembourg Aero Club: 2nd Moselle Wine Rally. June 4 Milan and Varece Aero Clubs: 20th Internationa! Tour of Lombardy, Venegono. June 6-15 Aviation Union of the Escaut: Aerial Tour of France. June 9-11 "Pilgrimage of Wings" to Lourdes, Tarbes. June 10-11 Dieppe Aero Club: International Rally. June 10-12 Quiberon Aero Club: 7th Rally. June I 5 RN Air Station Lee-on-Sotent At Home. June 17 RN Air Station Yeovilton At Home. June 17 Tenth Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, USAF, Open Day, RAF Alconbury. June 17 RAeS Rotorcraft Section: Helicopter Rally and Garden Party, Dunsborough Park, Ripley, Surrey. June 17 Opening of Bedfordshire Air Centre, Cranfleld. June 17-18 West Aero Club of France: Wines, Flowers and Chateaux of Anjou Rally, Angers. June 18 Aosta Rally. June 24 RN Air Station Arbroath at Home. June 24 Bristol Air Day. June 24-25 RAeC: invitation Rally for Members and Associate Memt?rs. La Baule. June 24-25 Vichy Aero Club Rally. June 24-25 "Wings of Joigny" Rally. June 24-25 Coutances and Channel Central Aero Club: International Rally, Lessay. June 25 Leicestershire Aero Club: At Home, Leicester/East Oadb^ June 25 Wolverhamoton Aero Club: Competitions Day. June 30- July 3 Palermo Aero Club: 13th Aerial Tour of Sicily.
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