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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0915.PDF
FLIGHT International, 7 June 1962 913 Straight and Level AS I was the first to protest about the whisky advertisements at London Heathrow Central, I must be the first to compliment the Minister of Aviation upon his decision to have them removed. Noting that the cost per passenger handled at London's airports has gone down, he told the Commons on May 28: "I have been considering how best to celebrate this and I have come to the conclusion that we had better remove the whisky bottles." Cheers for (1) good taste and (2) power- drunk aviation columnists. 9 Last week I tried to find out why Scruggs Aircraft Ltd still allows nothing to be revealed about the SA.421 Profitliner, even though the aircraft has actually been flying for some time. I spoke to handlebar-moustached Julian W'ashbrain, public relations officer to Scruggs' chief public relations officer. "Quite frankly, old boy," confided Washers, "this one is being handled by Hedge and Glossover—you know, our new Chorley Wood p.r. people." Eager with anticipation, I rang Hedge and Glossover, who put me on to Freelunch and Handout, their p.r. advisers. "Ah yes," said a spokesman, '"wasn't it you who wrote an article the other day without even mentioning the Profitliner? Scruggs were very upset about that. I mean, after all, we're trying to sell this aeroplane." "Yes, but. . ." "People reading your stuff would think the Profitliner wasn't even in the running. Do you think that's fair?" "No, but.. ." "We need orders, my dear chap, and we expect the co-operation of the press." "Yes,but. . " "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got another call waiting—chap who wants to know the Do you recall my picture a year ago of the hotel in Belgium with a "crashed" Fairchild 71 outside it? The idea was to attract custom, and it worked. Now a car dealer in Stuttgart is arousing a fair amount of interest with this old 1949 Piper Vagabond perched on the roof of his premises wing span of the Profitliner, nosey blighter. Why the devil people are always intruding on our privacy when we're trying to sell aeroplanes I just can't imagine. Can't you leave us alone?" "Certainly," I replied, "if that's the way you want it." • Just a small postscript to the JP.4- kerosine controversy, which was settled once and for all by the recent Ministry of Aviation report. The finding was that kerosine is safer. The implication of the report is that airlines that continue to use JP.4 aren't being as safe as they could be. But are kerosine airlines being as safe as they could be? I am suggesting that JP.5, or Avcat, is safer than kerosine. JP.5 is used by both Royal Navy and US Navy aircraft because it has a higher flash point than kerosine, making it safer for storage on board carriers. JP.5 must there fore be safer when "stored" in aircraft tanks, and when released in a crash. The minimum flashpoint permitted by kerosine spec. D. Eng. R.D.2494 (as used by most UK airlines) is 100°F. The mini mum flashpoint of JP.5 is 140°F. In other words, JP.5 is less easy to ignite. The heating value per pound of JP.5 is about half a per cent less than that of kerosine, but this possible economic deter rent to its use is offset by its greater weight per gallon. The only other major difference is that kerosine has a slightly lower freeze point (—50°C compared with —48°C) but I don't think that this is really signifi cant, especially when US domestic airlines use a kerosine with a — 40°C freeze point. If thou usest kerosine when thou couldst use JP.5, art thou all that much holier than they that use JP.4? I say, do you MIND • The Ministry of Aviation, high priest of the Secrecy Cult, declines to reveal the cost of the multi-storey car park that is being built, not a moment too soon, at London Heathrow. It is apparently not Ministry practice to disclose such informa tion. As an example of arrogant contempt for the hapless taxpayer this, you might say, takes some beating. But it isn't like that really. Those who worship at the temple of Pointless Secrecy —the real connoisseurs I mean—will understand. I can't explain to you why they will understand, because that's a secret too. Seriously, I believe that there are a lot of people in the Ministry who are trying to have the temple demolished. ROGER BACON
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