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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0460.PDF
458 Letters The Editor of "Flight International" is not necessarily in agreement with the views expressed by correspondents in these columns. Names and addresses of writers, not for publication in detail, must in all cases accompany letters. Viscounts for China SIR,—I find it difficult to agree with the views expressed by your contributor R. P. Duce on February 22. To assert that we should not trade with Communist countries, unless and until we have a superior ideology ourselves, is surely to support the British sale of Viscounts to China! Because I am sure that most of us are convinced that we have a superior ideology to the Communists, because I am sure that it may be a point of strategy to create or exacerbate any friction between the Communist countries, and because I am sure that the Russian theoreticians are not infallible, this development of trade would appear to be both logical and desirable! Finally, if Mr Duce were to recall but some of the incidents of recent years—such as the Decca versus VORTAC fracas, I think that he would perhaps go some way towards under standing Roger Bacon's attitude towards the Americans. Bournemouth, Hants R. J. SWINNERTON SIR,—Mr Duce (February 22) would frighten us with Lenin's prophecy of our doom the moment we start trading with the Communist bloc. Then behold! here is an amulet to ward off the evil: ideology. Our morals need mending, we are told. Of course! Of whom has this ever been untrue? Some of us had got used to the idea that religions and moral philosophies were there for that very purpose. Religions, however, turn their back on politics ("render unto Caesar . . ."), and here ideology comes into its own. The recipe is simple: you start off with some unimpeachable moral propositions; from these you deduce some facile generalizations and slogans on essentially political issues, and an ideology is born. Its parentage is such that nothing you do can be wrong. You have interpreted the will of God. As had, for instance, the Inquisition. If we in the West have no ideology, it is because we have enough sanity—yes, and even moral sense—left to refuse to believe that slogans are a cure for the ills of this world. One of the surest ways to lose those very values which we claim to be defending is to start on a competitive campaign to sell our own brand of ideology against the Marxist one— convinced, of course, like all good salesmen, that ours is the better merchandise. In comparison, selling Viscounts to China is harmless indeed. London SW7 R. HADEKEL In Whose Bonnet? SIR,—Your readers may like to know the upshot of the two lines from me which you kindly published on February 22, under the title "In Whose Bonnet?" A short while afterwards, I received a phone call to say that the caller was not sure, but thought it had something to do with C. F. Kettering, formerly of General Motors. I wrote to General Motors and their librarian sent me a copy of the poster they used during the war, headed "THE BUMBLEBEE CANNOT FLY" and reading: "According to the theory of aerodynamics and as may be readily demonstrated through laboratory tests and wind tunnel experiments, the Bumblebee is unable to fly. This is because the 6ize, weight and shape of his body, in relation to the total wing spread, makes flying impossible. "BUT . . . the Bumblebee, being ignorant of these profound scientific truths, goes ahead and flies anyway—and manages to make a little honey every day!" FLIGHT International, 22 March 1%2 On the reverse of this small poster there is the following: "The story of the Bumblebee originated in the Canadian North country—or at least that's where G.M.'s Johnnie Johnson heard it and brought it back to the States, where it has been widely quoted and presented in various versions. "Because of the unusual interest that it has aroused and because it so well depicts the wartime philosophy of the automotive industry, we felt it worthwhile to embellish the idea in co operation with the G.M. Photographic Section—for use on plant bulletin boards, etc." I hope this letter may reassure those who, reading my original question, may have thought me certifiable. London Wl F. H. SMITH Librarian, Royal Aeronautical Society What are "Sibleys"? SIR,—I wonder if any of your readers is able to help me with a query I have had from a friend in the USA. She is pre paring notes for a school edition of James Hilton's Lost Horizon, in which there occurs (in the Macmillan "Modern Fiction Library" edition, 1949), on page 2, the following passage: "Wyland made some apologetic remark about the difficulty of identifying people when they were all dressed up in Sibleys and flying-helmets ..." The question is: what are "Sibleys"? Obviously some kind of flying suit. From internal evidence in the novel, they are supposed to have been worn by RAF pilots in the NW frontier region of India in May 1931. I have asked one or two older ex-RAF men about this, but they cannot recall the expression. Clitheroe, Lanes a. B. EDON [Our guess is "Sidcots" (i.e., Sidcot suits); "Sibleys" might have been coined by the printer from not too clearly written copy—Ed.] Swifts at Manston SIR,—If Mr Fuller (Letters, February 15) will go to Northolt he will find a Swift parked near the petrol tanks against Western Avenue. It has been there well over 12 months to my knowledge. London SW1 JAMES CARR [Andstill is. An FR.5 formerly belonging to 79 Sqn in Germany, it was brought to Uxbridge by road and now—existing only in basic form—is used for instructional purposes by 14F (Ux bridge) Sqn of the Air Training Corps.—Ed.] FORTHCOMING EVENTS Mar 22 RAeS (Main lecture at Glasgow Branch): Pllcher Memorial Lecture, "Facilities at the National Physical Laboratory for Research on Hypersonics and Low Density," by Prof D. W. Holder. Mar 27 Institute of Transport (West Middlesex Group): "The Car Ferry," by M. Barron. Mar 28 RAeS Graduates' and Students" Section: a.g.m. Mar 30 RAeS Man-powered Aircraft Group: Film Evening. Apr 2 Institution of Electrical Engineers (Electronics and Communications Section): "Progress in Aircraft Aerials," by R. A. Burberry. Apr 6 RAeS Rotorcraft Section: "Rotor Flow Visualization," by Prof J. Valensi. RAeS Branch Fixtures (to Mar 29): Mar 22, Glasgow, see above. Mar 26, Cambridge, "Structural Design and Weight of Novel Configurations," by M. E. Burt. Mar 27, Belfast, (joint lecture with Institution of Mechanical Engineers), "Aircraft Carriers" by E. Mill; Luton, a.g.m. and Presidential Address. Mar 28, Bristol, a.g.m. and Film Show; Brough, "Blind Landing," by W. J. Charnley; Christchurch, "Aircraft Services," by W. Blanchard; Glasgow (Graduates' and Students' Section), "Pro tected Operations"; Preston, "Modern Foundry and Forging Practices," by F. Buckley; Southampton, a.g.m.; Weybridge, "Development of the Lightning," by F. W. Page.
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