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Aviation History
1968
1968-1 - 0213.PDF
1050 WORLD NEWS ... post in the Air Ministry. During the Second World War he was an MAP overseer with Hawker Aircraft. After the war he joined the Graviner Manufac turing Co as sales manager, in which capacity he specialised in aircraft fire protection equipment. Eight years ago he was made a director of the firm. Civil Consultant for BoT Prof Alan Day has been appointed part-time consultant to the Board of Trade on civil aviation matters. He has consequently resigned his present appointment, due to run until August 1, 1970, as part-time member of the board of the British Airports Authority. Pro fessor of Economics at London Uni versity, he has been a council member of the Consumers' Association since 1963 and was economics adviser to HM Treasury from 1954 to 1956. BUA Breaks Even An announcement of a break-even or better for 1968 was made last week by British United Airways, who forecast a profit for 1969 (see also Sensor, page 1049). A year ago the airline forecast a loss of more than £1 million this year and an even bigger loss for 1969. The "You have hit the nub of the prob lem, of what is the correct strategy for commercial exploitation of this inven tion." This was the answer given by Dr W. Marshall, Director of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, in his evidence to the Commons' Select Committee on Science and Technology sub-committee which is investigating car bon fibre development and production. He had been asked by Mr Eric Lubbock: "Do you not see a danger . . . that the Whittaker Corporation [the US concern which has a sales agreement with Mor gan Crucible Co, one of the three UK licensees] and others may be able to complete with our own producers, and we might be buying this material back from the United States sooner or later?" This was the third session the sub committee had had on the subject; it had previously met representatives of Mintech, the Morgan Crucible Co and Rolls-Royce, and on Wednesday of last week, December 18, took evidence from the National Research and Development Corporation, represented by its managing director, Mr J. C. Duckworth (who had previously appeared with the Mintech airline explains this reversal of fortune as the result of the combination of "a new management structure, improved cost efficiency, a more aggressive sales attitude and the implementation of a fresh policy." Last month BUA said that their South American operations were now profitable (see Flight for November 14, page 765). The profit forecast for 1969 stems partly from a big increase in inclusive-tour contracts. AERO ENGINES 1969 .. . . . . will be the featured subject in Flight next week, January 2. A detailed review of military and civil turbine engines will lay particular emphasis on important types now under development for the 1970s. Handley Page Hybridvertisement Next week, the first issue of 1969, Flight changes to an editorial front cover. The advertisment cover of the current issue is the last of many taken by Handley Page. "HP" was already well established when we first appeared on January 2, 1909. The cover makes a change from hard sell advertising which can perhaps be relaxed for a few days over Christmas. The aircraft illustrated is not quite as witnesses). This means that the sub committee, which is making a brief study of carbon fibre technology as one of the SCST activities (Flight, December 5), has now talked with practically all the main people in this field. What seemed to be worrying the sub committee members (Messrs Brian Parkyn, chairman, Arnold Gregory. Eric Lubbock and Airey Neave) at their last two sessions was the point made by Mr Lubbock in his penetrating way, his ability to seize on the core of a Droblem: that while there is a potentially great market for carbon fibre material, and commensurate rewards, everything de pended on how things were handled between the Government departments, NRDC and its licensee companies. When the sub-committee met Mintech reoresentatives on December 11, Mr Lubbock asked the Director of Materials (Aviation), Mr E. W. Russell, whether it did not worry him that as a result of the Americans being given this tech nology, they were going to be able to produce aircraft and engines in very large quantities, which would prevent Britain f>om selling anvthine in the future apart from the RB.211. Mr Russell admitted that this did cause them a considerable amount of anxiety, and they were think- ine about it extremely carefully; but the agreement between the licensees and the Americans covered know-how and tech- noloey on fibre production; we were not in any way committed to transmitting to them the remaining part of the pro gramme through the licensees. Mr Airey Neave followed this up by asking: "When you say you are studying FLIGHT international, 26 December 1966 beautiful as the Jetstream, but it is a montage of nearly sixty years of Handley Page designs. Those who have read every week's issue since 1909 will be able to discern, instantly, and without difficulty, com ponents of:— "Yellow Peril" (1911); H.P.6 (1912); H.P.7 (1913); O/400 (1917); V/1500 (1918); O/700 (1919); W.8 (1920); Hanley (1922); H.P.21 (1923); Hyderabad (1923); Hendon (1924); Handcross (1924); Hampstead (1925); Hamlet (1926); Hinaidi (1927); Hare (1928); Clive (1928): Gugnunc (1929); Heyford (1930); Hannibal (1930); Heracles (1931); H.P.43 (1932); H.P.47 (1933): H.P.51 (1935); Harrow (1936); Hampden (1936); Halifax (1939); Manx (1944); Halton (1946): Hastings (1946); Marathon (1946); Hermes IV (1948); Sapphire Hastings (1950); H.P.R.2 (1950); Victor (1952): Herald (1958); HP.115 (1961); Jet stream (1967). Galland's Memories General Galland, the German fighter ace, is to give an illustrated lecture on his flying career to the Manchester Aviation Society at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, January 25. The venue is the new lecture hall of Manchester College of Art and Design, and non-members may attend: tickets 5s, from Mr E. A. Harlin, 28 Musberry Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire. this carefully as a result of your appre hensions . . . , is any action being taken on this through the AERE?" and Mr Lubbock added the comment: "You are not in a position to control this because it is the NRDC who is finally responsible." When the sub-committee had the NRDC in front of them on December 18, in the person of Mr Duckworth, Mr Lubbock tackled him on this point of information going across the Atlantic, asking: "You don't feel any anxiety j about the situation?" ? "We were anxious a few months ago," Mr Duckworth admitted, commenting: "We're not in an enormously dominant position. The initial discovery was only " part of a vast mosaic." When the chair man, Mr Brian Parkyn, referred back to Mr Lubbock's question on December 11, described as "the nub of the problem" (the danger that Britain might one day be buying carbon fibre back from the US), Mr Duckworth said that the patent law implied a transfer of know-how, and commented that there wasn't the slightest doubt that the Americans would be using carbon fibre in their aero-engines. One other matter which concerned the sub-committee was the actual terminology used in the general agreements made between the NRDC, which is responsible for commercial application of carbon fibres, and the companies; and Mr Duckworth promised to make available a typical one, provided the company were not identifiable. He agreed with Mr Parkyn that the corporation's role was more that of a catalyst than a marriage broker. "In carbon fibres," he said, "the marriage has already been arranged."
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