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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0773.PDF
fLl iHT, 8 June 1961 IN BRIEF lv ij Elmer Murphy, US Air Force, who was killed in the B-58 Hustlereras i near Pans on June 3, had last week been awarded the Louis Bler.ot Trophy, as forecast in our May 18 issue. This award wasinaugurated for the first pilot to average 2,000km/hr (1,242 m.p.h.) for 30rr n. A r Marshal Sir Hugh Constantine, KBE. CB, DSO, who has beenAO'. -ln-C, RAF Flying Training Command, since March 1 1959 is io b come Commandant of the Imperial Defence College. P.oted by Capt Walter C. McMeen, USAF, a Kaman H-43B Huskiereadied a height of 25,814ft on May 25. The figure is to be submitted to the FAI as a world helicopter record. Ti;e English Electric Co aircraft equipment division have beenawa-ded a £500,000 contract for the supply of hydraulic constant-speed generator drives and associated equipment for Vickers VClOsDeliveries are to begin at the end of this year. Maj-Gen E. J. H. Bates, Director, Royal Artillery, stated officiallyon June 4 that Blue Water "is destined to replace the Corporal missile in the British Army." He was speaking at the first Press facility visitto the RA OW range at South Uist, in the Hebrides. During the visit a Corporal was fired 56 miles by 27 GW Regt 783 Braithwaite & Co Structural Ltd are fabricating for Short Brothers& Harland what is described as "the biggest aircraft test tank yet made " Holding over 630,000 gallons, it will be used for Belfast fatigue tests. Latest figure for employment in the British "aircraft manufacturingand repairing industries" is 295,500. This is an increase of 1,200 over the total in January and 11.500 more than in February, 1960 Theincrease has taken place in the last six months. Due to take up his new appointment on June 12 as chief informationofficer in the Ministry of Aviation is Mr Donald D. Grant He suc- ceeds the late Mr Ivor Jehu. Mr Grant, who is 36. began his career injournalism with the London Evening Standard in 1946 after service with the air branch of the Royal Navy. He was later press and informationofficer to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and after- wards joined Reuters News Agency. In 1951 Mr Grant joined Sidney-Barton Ltd, international public relations consultants, of which com- pany he has been a director for the past six years. Motor racing enthusiasts may like to be reminded that tomorrow's(June 9) issue of The Autocar is a special number containing a detailed guide to the Le Mans 24hr race. Similarly, for motor cyclists today's(June 8) issue of The Motor Cvcle is a guide to the TT Races Anglo-French Co-operation: the Prospects FRANK BESWICK Interviews Two Leaders of the French Aircraft Industry WITH the upsurge of talk about Britain joining the European CommonMarket the possibility of greater co-operation in aircraft manufacture becomes increasingly relevant. The interview below indicates Frenchthinking about future prospects in this field. THE two leaders of the French aircraft industry to whomI put questions about the feasibility of Anglo-Frenchco-operation are both members of the Conseil'd"Admin- istration of the Union Syndicale des Industries Aeronautique.M. Georges Hereil is President Directeur-General of Sud Aviation—a French national concern—and M. Henry Ziegler isAdministrateur Directeur-General of Louis Breguet. a private enterprise company. When putting these questions I had in mind replies alreadyrecorded in Flight interviews with leading figures on this side ol the Channel. Some of the questions I put in identical termsto both M. Hereil and M. Ziegler, but on different occasions. and with neither knowing the reply given by the other. It issignificant to note the similarity of thinking. I found great friendliness but. as will be seen, absolute frankness. The firstquestion to each was: — What is your general thinking about the possibility of ex-tended Anglo-French co-operation; is the time now more favourable? M. HEREIL: We have always wanted to co-operate, but in thepost-war years you have always wanted to sell. Europe has brought much aviation business to Britain—engines and com-ponents as well as aircraft—but what have you bought from us? About 20 Alouettes I can think of, but very little else. 1 agree that the feeling is a little warmer now, and maybe themiracle will happen. But we must not think of this simply as Anglo-French co-operation, it must be Anglo-European. Wemust think of Europe as one country. Maybe they can afford competition in the USA, but slugging it out between us inturope means only higher prices. General de Gaulle has pointed out that we want a new plan for Europe to cover thenext four years, and investment plans must be known. Every industry must look at its position in this light.M. ZIEGLER: I learned the advantages of collaboration in 1939^hilst in the States with the French aircraft purchasing mission. Ihe fact that to a great extent we co-ordinated requirementsand standardized specifications with the British proved most ^ahiable. In 1945, in Britain, we again discussed collaboration;ou! although an excellent understanding was reached with Lord Hives there was little response elsewhere. Much money and'Sources have been wasted by duplication of effort. We should eeiiainly like to try again—we are internationally minded. yo far the SB AC have never joined AICMA [the construc- t0l's international association]; would it be reasonable and 'y-'vful to have them come into full membership now, if they»it:ic(ucd any desire? M. HEREIL GEN. ZIEGLER M. ZIEGLER: I would like to see the British in, but I do notthink it is a major issue. Frankly, I feel they just do not like to join these Continental organizations. They always want tokeep a balance—an increasingly difficult role" in the 20th cen- tury. I have a connection with a similar international associa-tion in nuclear energy, and there is just the same British reluc- tance. However, there is no ill-feeling, and certainly, if theywould like to join—that would be good. M. HEREIL: Yes, certainly they would be most welcome if theycame in as normal members. What do I mean by '•normal" membership? Well, this is a friendly association and not onein which one member claims special privileges because he is bigger than another. You have 200,000 employed in your in-dustry and we have only about 150.000, but that is not some- thing which should make a difference in our Association. It isa matter of onj country, one vote. Given that understanding, my opinion is that this would represent a tremendously valu-able aspect of co-operation. Do you think it feasible to have some over-all strategic planunder which France and Europe concentrated on one field of production and Britain on another? Or would an empiricalapproach he more practical with agreements Parting on parti- cular projects? M. ZIEGLLR : It is now up to the British to say what they wantto do—but it must be on a two-way basis. M. HEREIL: A general agreement would mean goodwill every-where, and actual collaboration nowhere. So far we have found it easier to get agreement on particular projects with theUS. but now can try again with Britain. On what particular projects do you think there could beco-operation? M. ZIEGLER : There is. of course, the Atlantic naval aircrafton which our experience has not so far been encouraging in this collaboration context. In 1958 the French. British andUSA talked of a common specification for a naval patrol aircraft and they eventually reached agreement. Many pro-posals were submitted from different countries, and each was seconded by a firm of at least one other country—this beingrequired by the specification. The Breguet Atlantic was seconded by five firms in four countries, and was finallyselected. The British representatives then declared that for the time Concluded on page 816)
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