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Aviation History
1972
1972 - 0079.PDF
[FtLDiCuT INTERNATIONAL Incorporating "The Aeroplane" Thursday 13 January 1972 Number 3279 Volume 101 Founded in 1909 First aeronautical weekly in the world Official organ of the United Service and Royal Aero Club © IPC Business Press Ltd 1972 Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 Telephone: 01-928 3333. Telegrams/Telex: Bisnespres Ldn, 25137 Publishing Director Maurice A. Smith, DFC Advertisement Manager David Holmes International Business Press Associates ibpa European co-operation "The industry reaffirms its faith in collaboration in Europe", says the report published last week by the SBAC (pages 50,56, 57 of this issue). No European industry or government has more often pro claimed European co-operation than the British. But the emphasis has now changed. The following "foreign policy" extracts from the British aero space industry's report deserve to be widely heeded, for there is reason to believe that they now reflect the views of influential opinion in the British Govern ment. • An outstanding feature of the modern industrial scene has been the eagerness with which other nations have sought to enter the aerospace industry. France, Germany and other countries in Western Europe . . . have made the strongest endeavours. Now Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa, India, Israel, Egypt and certain South American countries all seek to develop .... • In part they are motivated by the desire to protect their own defence capabilities and to release themselves from political domina tion by others. They see the market potentialities . . . they foresee the dominant role of high technology in the future; they recognise the influence of the aerospace industry on the economy .... • The aerospace industries lead the advance of technology itself in the use of high tech nology products such as compu ters, and this is one of the great attractions of the industry to the Japanese .... Japan and France in particular are seeking to tap the huge market which exists in all parts of the world for rela tively unsophisticated military aircraft and guided weapons .... Germany is seeking to build up its technology through collabora tion with others .... • The main disadvantages of co-operation are some increase in normal production costs and, from Britain's point of view, the surrender of expertise by the technologically more advanced participant. • Joint research and pro duction on individual projects does not always offer the most economical solution to the prob lem of developing a range of weapons systems. Technical effi ciency, and therefore economy, demands concentration of de velopment and production, and there are many individual pro jects which could in their entirety be developed within the economic resources of the UK. • . There is a variety of paths to collaboration, and a system of sharing projects on the basis that each nation handles one or more in its entirety should be borne in mind. • There must be a clearer definition of the principle of work sharing, and if this involves granting of licences or loss of technological leadership compen sation should be provided on a commercial basis. It is unaccept able for British firms to accept the cost and risk of R&D and leave their European counter parts to enjoy the bulk of pro duction. • Wherever possible, projects should be initiated by Britain and partners drawn in subsequently. • Project leaders for airframes and equipment have in the Editor J. M. Ramsden Assistant Editor Hugh Field Technical Editor Michael Wilson, BSc, CEng, FBIS, AFRAeS Air Transport Editor David Wooliey Assistant Editor (Technical) Peter Middleton Editorial Staff Paul Ellis Charles M. Gilson Richard T. Riding Ted Wilding-White Air Photography Tom Hamill Photographic Librarian Ann C. Tilbury Subscription Manager G. Dawson 40 Bowling Green Lane, London, EC1R ONE majority of cases been French or German, and these countries have in practice secured important advantages for their industries. Minor partners in collaborative projects have bargained success fully for small parts of the main contract which their technological expertise could not possibly justify. • In negotiations over design leadership the equipment sector of the industry should receive consideration equal to that given to the airframe and engine sectors. • Preliminary R&D work will enable the UK to negotiate co operative agreements from a posi tion of reasonable strength. The negotiating position will be fur ther strengthened if the UK is clearly prepared to launch some projects entirely on its own account. IN THIS ISSUE World News British aerospace tomorrow Air Transport Letters Avionics Private Flying Light Commercial Bright star from Burbank Industry International Sikorsky in the seventies RAF Training Spaceflight Defence Straight and Level 48 50 51 58 59 60 60a 61 65 66 68 71 73 76 Front cover: Jet Provost 5s of the RAF's Red Pelican aerobatic team. The JP.5 is the latest version of this familiar basic trainer which in the strike version has already made a name for itself. The training of combat pilots is a remark ably controversial topic, and an article describ ing RAF techniques begins on page 68
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