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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 0054.PDF
FLIGHT International, 14 January 1971 LETTERS . . . troversy surrounding the use of power and elevators during the exercise. He tells us that on a Jet Provost they teach throttle for speed control and elevator for height adjustment. Then, on his own admission, they do a volte face, reversing the process on the approach. With respect to Fit Lt Statham, this is contradictory and confusing. Why change the use of the control when going from straight and level to the descent? The remainder of his letter is irrelevant to ab initio instruction and merely clouds the issue. Mr Johnson on the other hand produces some interesting thinking in his letter and I am inclined to agree with most of what he has to say. He may be assured that instructors are not failed for differences of opinion on straight and level, and I believe most of my colleagues on the Panel of Examiners recog nise the existence of the two teaching methods. My article was a private view expressing a preference for the concept of "power controls height in a light aeroplane." Since my old friend Ted Hines of CFS has accused me of holding distorted views, I will likewise be frank. He tells the readers of Flight that most instructors teach straight and level by the other method to that championed by me. To say the least he is being presumptuous. His claim is not borne out by my contact with the many civil flying instructors I meet through the year both informally and during their tests for the issue or renewal of their ratings. In any case, I am not saying the RAF method is wrong for the RAF, but I do think it is incorrect for light aircraft. The answer to the remainder of his letter is I think this. Set up a light aircraft to fly level at 70kt, then open the throttle to climbing power while holding the attitude as constant as possible. Will it go up or will it not? Will there be much of an increase in speed or will there not? Fit a more powerful engine in a light aeroplane, and what happens? There is a small increase in maximum speed but the rate of climb improves dramatically. Bromley, Kent ALAN BRAMSON SIR,—In his letter in Flight for December 17, Sqn Ldr Hines draws the attention of your readers to a "fundamental error" in Flight Briefing for Pilots, Vol I. A few lines later this fundamental error becomes a half-truth. It is relevant to mention that some years ago Central Flying School read and commented upon Vol I and this helpful arrangement produced a number of suggestions which are incorporated. No mention was made of the fundamental error to which Sqn Ldr Hines refers. We (Mr Bramson and I) are certain that Central Flying School would not overlook inaccuracies. Tamworth, Staffs NEVILLE BIRCH Navigational services SIR,—It would leave a serious gap to start 1971 without recalling and saluting the pioneering work of Harvey Schwarz, whose retirement from the direction of the Decca Navigator Company was announced last month. In aviation we may not always have realised the great advantages that the Decca Navigator system brought to marine navigation, ranging from amphi bious operations at the end of World War Two to general shipping, fishing and survey work in the seas and oceans of the world today. But in aviation we have certainly witnessed his pioneering work, his creativity and his pertinacity in advocating objectives 49 that were previously unrecognised or positively opposed, but which time will show to be right. In the face of international apathy or discourage ment, he has kept alive the idea that aircraft should have an area-navigation capability. He has fought it through to a stage of recognition where it only remains for someone else to claim the credit for inventing it. Future pilots and operators will find it hard to understand why it was not accepted as the obvious advantage it is, irrespective of the equipment used to provide it. He produced a pictorial display—the Decca Flight Log—to show a pilot where he was, where to go to reach his objective, and how well he was making good his track. He went on to produce an airborne position indicator and navigational computing equip ment—Omnitrac—which gave the sort of navigational facility which H. G. Wells might have written about and which could be used with more than one ground system. A development of it was eventually chosen in the face of great competition as standard for the Lockheed TriStar. There were of course equipment difficulties and development problems, but throughout the years Harvey Schwarz held to the main objectives and, carrying many people along with him, secured that they were not overlooked. Aviation as well as shipping is richer for what he has contributed. London WC2 TARGET DIARY Jan 14 RAeS Rotorcraft Section: annual general meeting at 12 noon; half-day symposium on rotary-wing aircraft in the Services; 2.15 p.m. Lecture Theatre, 4 Hamilton Place, London W1. Jan 14-21 SDSA: 2nd International Audio Visual and Communi cation Show; Pare des Expositions, Porte de Versailles, Paris. Jan 18 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: discussion, "The Examination and Teaching of the Engineer in Society"; 6 p.m., 1 Birdcage Walk, London SW1. Jan 18 RAeS Main Society: "Advanced Passenger Train" by A. H. Wickens; Loughborough University of Technology. Jan 18 RAeS Bedford Branch: "Aerial Surveying—Techniques and Application" by R. H. Morris; 8 p.m., Mander College, Bedford. Jan 19 RAeS Historical Group: "From Sopwith Aviation to Hawker Siddeley Aviation at Kingston-upon-Thames" by J. Crampton; 7 p.m., Lecture Theatre, 4 Hamilton Place, London W1. Jan 19 RAeS Dublin Branch: "Radio Position Fixing Systems," by C. Powell; 8 p.m. Jan 19 Institute of Transport Scottish Section: "Air Transport in Scotland" by A. V. Linklater; 6 p.m., 46 Bath Street, Glasgow. Jan 20 Institute of Navigation: discussion, "Area Navigation"; Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London W1. Jan 20 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: "A Review of Liquid Cooling of High-temperature Gas-turbine Rotor Blades" by F. J. Bayley and Prof. B. W Martin; 6 p.m., 1 Birdcage Walk, London SW1. Jan 20 Forum of aviation in the seventies: Dr S. G. Hooker (Rolls-Royce); C. Abell (BOAC); D. Wood ("Interavia" and "Sunday Telegraph"); M. Eddleman (MP, Coventry N.); Coventry, Warwicks. Jan 20 RAeS Luton &. Stevenage Branch: "Britannias and Boeings" by a senior pilot of Britannia Airways;5.30 p.m. for 6 p.m., Senior Staff Mess, Rotax Aircraft Equipment Ltd, The Airport, Luton. Jan 20 RAeS Southampton Branch: "The Role of Helicopters" by T. A. Gawade; 8 p.m., College of Air Training, Hamble Hants. Jan 21 RAeS Cambridge Branch: "Test Flying Concorde" by E. B. Trubshaw, joint lecture with the Eng.A.S.; 7.30 p.m., Bassingbourn Village College. Jan 26 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: discussion, "The Application of Fracture Mechanics to Fatigue Crack Propagation"; 6 p.m., 1 Birdcage Walk, London SW1, Jan 2S RAeS Boscombe Down Branch: "Organic Materials for Aerospace Applications" by Dr D. K. Thomas; 5.30 p.m., A & AEE Boscombe Down, Wilts.
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