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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0508.PDF
, RCAF Sabre end its replacement in I Air Division in Europe, the CF-104 Super Starfighter (this page, January 10 and February 28) SERVICE AVIATION >n in Europe, the CF-104 Super Starfighter (this page, ATIO Flying News Air Force, Naval and Army Conferring With the CAS MAJOR CHANGES—operational and admini strative—which have occurred since the Chief of the Air Staff held his last meeting with RAF Commanders-in-Chief, and the effect these changes will have on the way the RAF carries out its future tasks, were discussed at the Air Ministry on Thurs day and Friday, March 21 and 22, by Marshal of the RAF Sir Thomas Pike, CAS, with home and overseas commanders. Key to Reliability SOME SOBERING STATISTICS on equipment un reliability in the RAF were given by the CO of the Central Servicing Development Establishment at Swanton Morley, Gp Capt P. C. Cleaver, when he spoke in London last week at a symposium organized by the Society of Environmental Engineers. He said that more than half the manpower in the RAF was used to maintain unreliable equipment in a state of readiness, and estimated the financial saving if reliability could be improved—so that the RAF could afford to buy fewer reserve aircraft, spares, etc—as "a figure running into tens of millions." Speaking to an audience of industrial and Services representatives whose particular concern is environmental engineering— title of the symposium was Environmental Testing: The Key to Reliability in Industry— he emphasized the extreme conditions of temperature, humidity, vibration and shock-loading to which equipment was likely to be subjected in Service aircraft and missiles; and suggested certain desirable stages in the development of reliability— specification, designer-training, environ mental testing, defect recording, data analysis, corrective action, quality control and designer re-training. Quality control was "a field in which a lot could be done"; and it was important to predict the environ ment in which components were to operate. On the Service's side, there should be a feed-back of information to the industry. Gp Capt Cleaver's summing-up was that the need to improve reliability was para mount if the air arms—some RAF prob lems, he suggested, were simple compared with those of the Royal Navy, particularly in the field of corrosion—were to remain an effective fighting force. Queen's Flight Deputy Captain GP CAPT P. E. VAUGHAN-FOWLER, DSO, DFC, AFC, has been appointed Deputy Captain of the Queen's Flight at RAF Benson. He was formerly Staff Officer to the Inspec tor-General of the Royal Air Force and before that commanded the flying wing at RAF Wildenrath. Born in Lahore in 1923, Gp Capt Vaughan-Fowler flew during the war with Nos 161, 21 and 624 (Special Duties) Sqns, later commanding a Mustang squadron, 213, in Italy and Yugoslavia. Shortish On a Thursday NOT OFTEN DOES AN AC2 WRITE TO THE CAS about kit inspections, uniforms, church parades, leave, postings, living conditions; but not generally have AC2 and CAS met previously at a peace conference, nor are there often two men in the RAF such as Trenchard and Lawrence, at opposite poles in rank but temperamentally sympathetic. They had met at the Cairo Conference of 1921, and when Lawrence later served in the RAF as an airman he had Trenchard's ear. Lawrence's influence upon the Service, through his friendship with Trenchard, is discussed in an article by Arabella Riving- ton in the March issue of the RAF A journal Air Mail, appearing for the first time in a magazine format. Mrs Rivington says that "it is more than likely that the universally higher reputation Air Force food had in the last war, together with its generally more humane and understanding rules and regulations, can be traced to the always open lines of communication be tween A/C 352087 John Hume Ross, later known as 338171 T. E. Shaw, and the Father of the Royal Air Force." Lawrence enjoyed Service life, especially when working on high-speed motor- launches at Calshot. "I am cheerful," he wrote, "but generally shortish on a Thurs day. One cannot expect good pay for 486 FLIGHT International, 4 April 1963 happiness." Mrs Rivington suggests that being in the ranks was not an act of self- abnegation for Lawrence but a positive opportunity for doing good. "What he wanted to bring to his fellow airmen . . was a sense of the goodness of such simpie things as craftsmanship, comradeship, and the ability to enjoy leisure." THE C-IN-C RAF GERMANY, Air Marshal Sir John Grandy, flew in a Gnome Whirlwind of 230 Sqn at RAF Gutersloh recently. His pilot was Fg Off J. McEachern, squadron QHI. NO 60 SQN OFFICERS DINNER CLUB are holding their tenth annual reunion at the RAF Club. Piccadilly, London Wl, on Friday, April 26, at 7 for 7.30 p.m. Dress, lounge suits. Tickets (13s 6d) from Air Cdre W. Wynter- Morgan, Wentworth, Mount Hermon Road. Woking, Surrey (Woking 995). THE PORT SAID & ALEXANDRIA—NO 269 Sqn Old Comrades' Association are hold ing their 41st annual reunion on Saturday, April 27, at the Chicken Inn, Wilton Road. Victoria, London SW1. Hon sec is W. C. Shilling, Selgrove, Kewferry Drive, North- wood, Middx. A MK xvi SPITFIRE, TE288, bsilt at the Vickers-Armstrongs factory at Castle Brom- wich in May 1945 and until recently dis played at the entrance to RAF Dishforth. is being dispatched from Liverpool by sea on April 9 to the Brevet Memorial Club of Canterbury, New Zealand, as a gift from the RAF. TWO RAAF OFFICERS, Wg Cdr W. R. Fitter. AFC, and Wg Cdr W. Addison, AFC, were made Members of the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen at a private audience aboard Britannia in Darwin Harbour recently. Wg Cdr Fitter, CO of No 34 (Special Transport) Sqn, was the Queen's personal pilot during her Australian tour and Wg Cdr Addison was air liaison officer, Fifteen RAF stations, as shown on this sketch- map, are to be "at home" to the public on the Saturday in battle of Britain week, which this year is being observed from September 9 to 15
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