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Aviation History
1977
1977 - 0055.PDF
fljff] International Business Press Associates [ABCI Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations @ IPC Business Press Ltd 1977 The stars appear to be in con junction for a renaissance of light-aircraft manufacturing in the United Kingdom. Some of the favourable signs which, over a decade ago, dared the sponsors of Beagle are still apparent. First, there is no sign of any long-term let-up in the importing of American and French light air craft. Secondly, the lessons of Beagle should have been learnt. These were over-design and the choice of too ambitious a type to start with. There were other lessons, but out of Beagle sur vived—battered but intact—the zeal and optimism essential to all aeronautical endeavour. And to show for it in hardware are Scottish Aviation's military Bull dog and civil Bullfinch. Scottish Aviation could be a nucleus—and here is a third star —of a British Aerospace light- aircraft division. The idea of a State aircraft company building people's aeroplanes might send shudders through anyone who knows what overheads can do even to heavy aircraft. Any ideas that light-aircraft manufacturing will employ tens of thousands can be killed from the start. Avions Robin in France produces 170 light aircraft a year with 150 people. Reims in France manu factures Cessnas under licence— admittedly with heavy subsidy— and employs hundreds rather than thousands. Over-manning can be as lethal as over-design. But some great aircraft companies have light- plane divisions — Aerospatiale, Grumman, Rockwell—and it is Week ending 8 January 1977 Number 3539 Volume 111 Founded in 1909 First aeronautical weekly in the world Official organ of the Royal Aero Club Published by IPC Transport Press Ltd, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LU Editor J. M. Ramsden Assistant Editor Hugh Field International Editor Mark Lambert Technical Editor Michael Wilson BSc, CEng, FBIS, MRAeS Air Transport Editor John Belson Defence Editor Charles Gilson Chief Sub-editor Brendan Gallagher Editorial Staff Cliff Barnett Ian Goold Mike Hirst BTech Nigel Moll Stephen Piercey Bill Sweetman John Wilkinson Air Photography Tom Hamill Chief US Correspondent Warren H. Goodman, Spring Valley Road, Ossining, New York 10562, USA Telephone (914) 941-0805 n- proper as well as profitable for f heavy aerospace to have its roots in in light aviation. ie A fourth favourable star is that a Britain is now the lowest-cost )f aircraft design and manufactur ing country. This does not mean ly she can afford steep new learning ig curves, and there may be some- r- thing to be said for a partnership f with one of the American mass- t. producers—of the kind which te Reims has successfully built up ;o with Cessna. The licensed manu- ;r facture of proven American r- products like the Piper Cherokee ie and Seneca might be one way to 11 start—as UK Ford started before ;o going on to design and develop - e its own cars. 1- Also in stellar conjunction is a booming UK light-aircraft operat- a ing industry, supported by a ir sympathetic and professional (if t sometimes bureaucratic and a exorbitantly expensive) CAA. g Everywhere Flight pilots go, the d light-aircraft fields are full and io busy. The importers of foreign o aircraft, despite the economic is adversities, are doing much g better than just surviving. The Is market exists, as anyone near a t. light-aircraft field can see and :s hear, and so does the human 0 material. No western country in i- 1976 did better than the UK in — aerobatics, gliding or ballooning — —testimony to the airmindedness :r of the new young generation. A sixth star is the Flight Busi- al ness and Light Aviation Show to it be held at Cranfield in September t —the fifth running. At the last s, show in 1975—though a poor is year for business in general— Group Advertisement Manager David Holmes Advertisement Representatives Jack Bush Ciive Rigden Publishing Director Dennis Holman Editorial Director IPC Transport Press Maurice A. Smith, DFC Telephone: 01-261 8070 (Editorial) 8397 (Photographic Library) 8081 (Advertisement Sales) 8392 (Advertisement Production) Telegrams/Telex: 25137 BISPRS G Subscriptions Manager: B. F. J. Nason Telephone 0444 59188. UK and overseas subscription rates at back of issue. 2nd-class postage paid at New York; USA news-stand distribution by Eastern News Distributors, 14th Floor, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York 10011. US Direct Air Mail, $9000 p.a. Air-speeded to US$52 00 p.a. more than £2 million of sales were made and many ideas exchanged. In the convention hall the Royal Aeronautical Society took its first positive step into general-aviation, and formed an active specialist group. Also prospering is the growing market for aircraft in British farming, which is said to be the world's most efficient. And up market is the HS. 125-700, which looks like taking the 125 score close to 400 this year. Another favourable star is Rolls-Royce Motors, now well established as a producer, sup plier and supporter of piston engines—the only major such company in Europe. And even the Leonides piston engine looks like making a comeback, especially for farming. Stars don't make tides, but there is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, could lead on to fortune. IN THIS ISSUE World News Air Transport Light Commercial: Air support for Norway's oil Private Flight Light aviation: the US costs myth Letters Defence The automatic navigator The 727 keeps selling Component improvement at Smiths Avionics Spaceflight Straight and Level 50 52 54 57 58 61 63 67 71 77 79 80 81 Front cover: Alitalia is one of the latest cus tomers for Boeing's best-selling 727. An analysis of the continued success of the Boeing trijet begins on page 71 British light aircraft
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