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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 2062.PDF
860 Letters Letters for these columns are welcomed, though "Flight Inter national" does not necessarily endorse the views expressed. Name and address should be given, not necessarily for publication in full. Brief letters will have a better chance of early publication. "National Image" of British Airspace SIR,—We have just spent a week at the Factory Equipment Exhibition, at Earls Court, promoting the sale of "inter- factory communication systems," i.e., helicopters! A "live" aircraft was available on the stand. This exhibition provided a unique opportunity of preach ing to the unconverted and at the same time of gaining first hand experience of the public "image" of both UK airspace and the Ministry of Aviation. Almost without exception it is believed that a private citizen can do nothing in the air— a concept which is entirely without foundation. In fact, of course, the Ministry's Information Division should have been with us "selling airspace," with a slick set of slogans such as "You too can fly our airways" (if you are qualified to do so), or "There is room for you, the private fliers, below the airways." A list of useful frequencies could be inserted in the Ministry's airspace sales propaganda, such as "Ring 119.4 for Manchester," where a helpful radar service will be provided, Of course, there is a vast educational problem to be solved before we begin to use helicopters in this way, and at the same time modest changes in facilities will become essential. There is no sense in diverting to airfields to refuel heli copters, and even less sense in having to pay landing fees for the privilege of buying petrol. The motorway filling stations are "natural" helicopter refueling stations and it only remains to be seen which of the oil companies or catering contractors is the first to "get with it," for surely "it" is going to be worth "getting with," both in the interests of prestige, productivity, and in demonstrating low adminis trative inertia. So far as air traffic control is concerned, these most helpful people need only to increase their awareness that helicopters can enter their areas by the "back door" and need never be stacked or held whilst the big boys cavort about! Finally, is it too optimistic to hope that the MoA's Information Division will go into open competition with Dr Beeching, to sell "airspace for the aeroplane" with such propaganda as "its quicker by air—if you own an aeroplane" ? BRITISH EXECUTIVE AIR SERVICES LTD Oxford Airport, Kidlington R. B. Stratton It's Madison Time SIR,—With regard to your article in Flight International of November 17, giving details of the American Polaris programme—in particular page 755 and the table showing the FBM submarines of the US Navy. So the Madison was launched three months before the keel was laid. Maybe the American Navy are all at sea— but this is ridiculous. London SW17 LANDLUBBER [Sorry: "Madison" was launched on March 15, 1963.—Ed] Inverted VTOL SIR,—Anyone with some knowledge of aviation and space might well profit by a stroll down Bond Street to the offices of Iberia Airlines, at which the window display gimmick is a quite large aviary of small, mainly tropical, birds. One little fellah held me spellbound: nobody knew its name but it was of deep saffron breast; green and grey wings; black head and throat; powerful bill; fuselage-body about 4in, overall with tail out about 7in; wing-span 5in; height, u/c up, about 2in. This gay exponent of the flying art used a wire net of the "ceiling" of the cage as a VTOL point (the V being inverted against normal meaning). It would approach on a steep powered climb; then make a half-loop for landing, FLIGHT International, 28 November 1%] u/c down (or, in fact, up). Fall-away VTO, inverted of course, was followed by a half flick-roll to resume orthodox flight. All this might be no more than a plover could do and does in the spring; but this fellah flew to the ceiling for the purpose of eating upside down. He would seize a large bird seed; mount to the ceiling; land and remain suspended upside down whilst devouring, swallowing and apparently enjoying his meal. How did the meal go down his gullet to his stomach, he being upside down? I wondered, fascinated, whether Nature had somehow solved a problem that has caused so many headaches to the astronauts? Can anyone please explain this phenomenon ? London SW7 B. J. HURREN BEA Engineering Costs Sm,—Surely there must be a mistake in the Air Transport Editor's article of October 31, 1963. BEA's Vanguard engineering costs cannot surely be rising in the year 1963-64. Aircraft utilization and engine life are increasing; this year the number of unscheduled engine removals has fallen dramatically; and a cost of over 7d per c.t.m. produced is still far too high for BEA engineers to relax for one single moment. In 1962-63 the Vanguard average stage was 365 miles; on a 265 mile average stage the Viscount 800 returned an engineering cost of 6.77d per c.t.m. How in these favourable circumstances can BEA Vanguard engineering costs be rising? Canterbury, Kent A. JAMES [The graph showed the budgeted costs for the year; the achieved results to date, say BEA, are showing a reduction in Vanguard engineering costs—particularly owing to improve ments in engine overhaul life—of about 10 per cent.—Ed] Short-range Jet Airliner SIR,—As has already been pointed out, a start must be made soon by the industry on a short-range jet airliner, if a great opportunity is not to be missed. Developments of the Avro 748 and Handley Page Herald would, however, involve considerable stretching and re design. I suggest that a ready-made fuselage of the correct dimensions already exists in the Japanese YS-11. As only a limited market awaits the NAMC design in its present turboprop form, a jet version for production in both countries is a possibility surely worth considering. Dundee DOUGLAS R. WOOD FORTHCOMING EVENTS Nov 28 RAeS, Halton Branch: "The Wallis Autogyro" by Wg Cdr K. H. Wallis. Nov 28 RAeS, Belfast Branch: Three lecturettes. Nov 29 RAeS Rotorcraft Section: Half-day symposium, "The Development of the P.531," by T. L. Ciastula; "Some Aspects of Gas Turbine Installations in Multi-engined Helicopters," by J. D. Sibley. Dec 2 RAeS, Derby Branch: a.g.m. and "History of the Schneider Trophy Contest" by W. G. Cox. Dec 4 RAeS, Brough Branch: "Mirage III," by H. Deplante. Dec 4 RAeS, Swindon Branch: "The Wallis Autogyro," by Wg Cdr K. H. Wallis. Dec 4 British Institution of Radio Engineers, South Western Section: "The Ionosphere—International Geophysical Year Results," by G. M. Brown. Dec 5 RAeS, Cambridge Branch: "Passenger Services of Airline Operation," by E. P. Whitfield. Dec 5 RAeS, Halton Branch: "Space Projects and their Military Applications," by M. N. Golovine. Dec 5 RAeS, Yeovil Branch: "Industrial Photography," by S. W. Kenyon. Dec 5 British Institution of Radio Engineers, North Western Section: "Satellites for Television Communications," by L. F. Mathews. Dec 5 Women's Engineering Society: "Stress Analysis," by D. S. Houghton. Dec 5 Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators: Presentation on the National Air Traffic Control Services, by A VM Sir Laurence Sinclair.
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