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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 2255.PDF
554 FLIGHT International, 4 October 1962 AIR COMMERCE ... passenger-miles (43,290 compared to BKS's 37,000 in 1961-62). However, if the proposed Cambrian Airways take-over of BEA's Irish Sea routes transpires, then on the same basis Cambrian will become the leading independent. VC10 FREIGHT DOOR CONSIDERABLE design work has been carried out during the development of the VC10 to investigate its suitability for freighting, and this has particularly included the design of handling systems. The work has now reached the stage where a mock-up fuselage se- tion incorporating the freight door specified by British United has been built at Weybridge. This door, which contains passenger windows, services and interior trim to first-class standards, will open to a near vertical position, and will allow crane loading of freight. Other than the large freight door, the BUA aircraft is a standard VC10 which can be converted from a passenger aircraft to a freighter within three hours. The main cabin floor of this aircraft may be loaded to a maximum of 571b/sq ft overall. The freight door provides a clear aperture 140in by 84in in the port side of the forward fuselage. The door is positioned between stations 387.5 and 527.5 longitudinally and the top edge of the sill is at the level of the main cabin floor. The door is hinged along the top edge and is actuated hydraulically. For normal operation the hydraulic power is produced within the aircraft, the only ground attachment being the a.c. supply. The door hydraulic circuit con sists of a main actuating jack and selector valves, a door-lock operating jack, an electro-hydraulic pump, and an emergency hand pump. In the closed position, the bottom edge of the door is locked to the sill of the surround by seven toggle latches linked by a torsion bar which is rotated by a hydraulic jack controlled from either inside or outside the aircraft. When the latches are fully home, two bolt- type locks at each end of the door are engaged in the vertical door surround. Bolts, latches and door-actuating mechanism are all interlocked to ensure the correct sequence of operations at all times. The two main longitudinal and the two main vertical members forming the door-surround are machined light alloy forgings. The hydraulic actuating jack which is situated at the forward end A note on the VCIO freight door specified by british United, design of which is now nearly complete, appears above of the door has the resulting asymmetric torsion loads reacted by closing in the topmost 30in of the structure to form a torsion box. In the fuselage itself a similar box, 20in deep and extending beyond the ends of the door opening, is provided above the hinge. The doubler on the inside face of the box is extended all round the opening and serves to tie in all the frames and stringers terminating at the surround. AIRLINE ECONOMICS IN "THE TIMES" IN recent correspondence in The Times, Sir Basil Smallpeice of BOAC took to task the assumption that older and slower aircraft are ipso facto more economic. Not necessarily as an attempt to prove the reverse, he mentioned that "the best of the propeller-driven aircraft produced a ton-mile of capacity for Is 6d whereas the intercontinental subsonic jet can produce the same output in a large vehicle for about a shilling." In further corres pondence, Mr Frank Beswick asked whether Sir Basil knew what answer passengers would give if offered cheaper travel in slower but new aircraft. In his reply Sir Basil said that if the difference was significant, he imagined the majority would choose the cheaper. But, he went on to say, the choice was not available. This situation, he claimed, is not for the want of asking. BOAC had consistently sought to reduce the costs of air travel and had often said that it would be very interested to see any technical ad vance which would reduce seat-mile costs, even if necessary at the sacrifice of speed. In a letter commenting on Sir Basil's remarks, Dr G. V. Lach- mann, Director of Research, Handley Page Ltd, said that he was most heartened to read that BOAC supported the cause of cheaper flying. Referring to British and American attempts to get the principle of laminar-flow accepted for airliners, Dr Lachmann said: "It would seem—in view of Sir Basil's letter—that we have erred on the side of modesty rather than otherwise." On another aspect of airline economics, Mr J. M. Mann, an airline sales executive, wrote severely criticising the business sense of world airlines as a major cause of their present need to raise fares. He listed four unnecessary expenseswith which airlines burden the passenger: (a) prestige routes operated at very low load factors, just to show the flag; (b) lavish cabin service which costs more than the mere value of items concerned, but includes the loss of revenue from the reduction in payload in order to carry bulky catering units and extra cabin staff; (c) antiquated business methods further confused by complicated tariff-systems as well as constantly changing rules and regulations issued by IATA; (d) top-heavy and inefficient management caused by the fast industry growth-rate, obliging airlines to appoint staff to responsible positions with insufficient background experience. More Iberia Caravelles A further two Sud-Aviation Caravelle 6Rs have been ordered by Iberia, bringing the Spanish airline's Caravelle fleet up to six. Ghana VC10 Doubts Ghana Airway's order for three VClOs is still firm despite reports from Ghana that the company is re considering plans, which could lead to the cancellation of the VC10 order, for long-haul international services. BOAC 707s to Sydney Last Monday, October 1, BOAC added Boeing 707s to the existing Comet 4 schedule to Sydney. Two 707s and three Comets will now fly between London and Sydney each week; Melbourne will be served only by Comets. Ansett-ANA Viscount Accident Cause The Australian Commis sion of Inquiry investigating the crash of an Ansett-ANA Viscount into Botany Bay on November 30,1961, has attributed the accident to structural failure of the starboard wing following loss of control in a thunderstorm at about 6,500ft. S-61Ns for New York Airways? According to a report in Aviation Week New York Airways have a tentative requirement for three more Vertol 107s and a new requirement for five Sikorsky S-61Ns. At the moment NY A have in service three of the five Vertol 107s on order. Plans to operate from the top of the new PanAm building in Manhattan in time for the 1964 New York World's Fair are being considered.
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