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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0823.PDF
DECEMBER 17, 1925 ALL-METAL FLYING-BOAT HULLS •CONCERNING the illustrated article dealing with the EnglishElectric Company's " Kingston " flying-boat, published in our issue of December 3, 1925, we have received fromMr. Oswald Short, Managing Director of Short Brothers, Ltd., the following letter :— " We have read with interest the article in your issue ofDecember 3, describing the metal flying-boat produced by jMessrs. The English Electric Co., and we join with you in Brothers designed and built the first all-metal flying-boatfor the British naval air service, and that this boat had a fluted under-surface of the kind in question. " The enclosed photographs show the boat we refer to,and it is interesting to note that it was launched twelve months ago, and has now been on active service for that period, withentirely satisfactory results. " It was not our fault that this first example of a large A SHORT F.5 WITH ALL-METAL HULL: Note the fluted planing bottom. This photograph of the machine was taken on December 22, 1924. congratulating this company on what is apparently a very creditable example of British engineering skill. " There is one statement in your article, however, which we feel is open to objection on our part. It is to the effect that the designer of the machine has worked on entirely •original lines in constructing a metal hull with a fluted under- surface. " It is well known in this country that Messrs. Short all-metal boat of British design and manufacture was fitted with the obsolete F.5 upper structure shown in the photo- graphs. " It went very much against the grain with us that we were not allowed to re-design the upper structure in accordance with modern ideas. " The policy of the Air Ministry, however, was to try oneexperiment at a time, and to tost a metal-built hull on a The Short F.5 with all-metal hull: Photo- graphed on the water after a flight on January 5, 1925. A .•• •> I
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