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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0802.PDF
#' 796 FLIGHT, 19 June 1953 INQUEST on PRODUCTION Select Committee on Estimates Reports on Gaps in the Aircraft Programme THE provision of aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm ranks high among the subjects which come in for criticism in the report of the Select Committee on Estimates,* published last week. Members of the committee paid a visit to H.M.S. Eagle, and on other occasions interrogated a number of highly-placed officials, including Air Marshal Sir John Boothman, K.B.E., C.B., D.F.C., A.F.C., Controller of Supplies (Air); Vice-Admiral E. W. Anstice, C.B., the Fifth Sea Lord; Rear Admiral C. John, C.B., Vice- Controller (Air); Rear Admiral D. H. Hall-Thompson, deputy chief of supplies and transport; Mr. S. Scott-Hall, Director- General of Technical Development (Air), M.o.S.; Capt. A. S. Bolt, D.S.O., D.S.C., Director of Naval Air Warfare; and Capt. D. R. F. Campbell, D.S.C., Director of Naval Aircraft Develop ment and Production. As a result of these interrogations, the committee were made au fait with the large number of obsolescent types in service with the Navy today, and were given further information about five types now on order as replacements. Of these, says the Report, three—the Sea Hawk F.I, the Wyvern T.F.4, and the Sea Venom N.F. 20—had not been given super-priority because they had already reached that stage in their development, beyond which no advantage would be gained by so doing. They were due off the lines in satisfactory numbers in the near future. Delay in pro duction of the Wyvern had been very considerable, it was admitted: there had been "surging" troubles with the Python engine, and difficulties with its contra-rotating airscrews, but all these had now been cured. The final production order was given in January 1951, and some machines were expected to be in service this year. It was denied that serious delays had been caused by the Admiralty requesting modifications, and the machine was claimed to be immensely superior to its predecessor, the Firebrand. The Naval aircraft to which super-priority had been given were the Gannet, and a new twin-jet swept-wing fighter to which reference was made in the Navy Estimates of March 16th [this is thought to be a development of the Supermarine 508, with swept wings and conventional tailplane—ED.]. Progress with the Gannet since the allocation of super-priority had been up to schedule. *"Seventk Report from the Select Committee on Estimates (together with the minutes of evidence taken before sub-committee B, and appendices), Session 1952-1953—Rearmament." H. M. Stationary Office, price js 6d. The delay between the starting of a requirement for a new aircraft and its introduction into operational service was stated to vary between 7§ and 10 years. For this reason the Admiralty had now decided to follow the example of the Air Ministry, and order "off the drawing board" rather than wait for a prototype to prove itself. This change in policy was welcomed by the committee. It was agreed that the Fleet Air Arm would not be satisfactorily equipped with up-to-date aircraft until 1956, but by then equip ment should be superior to that of the U.S. Navy. "It was," says the Report, quoting Sir John Boothman, "the usual leap-frogging business all over again." Turning to the supply of aircraft to the Royal Air Force, the Report says that the committee had paid a visit to the Handley Page works at Cricklewood and Radlett, and had also interrogated Sir John Boothman, Sir Folliott Sandford, K.B.E., C.M.G. (Deputy Under-Secretary of State for Air), and others. The cuts in Canberra production were discussed, and the opinion given that overseas sales to offset these cuts would not come from the M.S.A., but only by "going out and getting them." Curtailment of Canberra—and Meteor—production had not facilitated provision of the all-important and expensive electronics for the V-bombers, as the requirements were different for the later aircraft. Steps had been taken, however, to obtain pre-production sets for the first Valiants, and ordinary production was going quite well. A point about the Vulcan and Victor was that the change-over from production of Canberras to these V-bombers may very likely result in a production gap at the Avro and Handley Page factories. The point had been made by Sir Frederick Handley Page that the tremendous cost of modern aircraft could be greatly reduced if a manufacturer were given sufficient orders in the first instance to justify his incurring the outlay required for fitting a production line with jigs and tools in appropriate numbers for economical production. But, commented the committee, the present economic situation seemed to prevent the Ministry of Supply from giving initial orders in such quantities as would fulfil these requirements. The committee also recommended that the Ministries of Defence and Supply, and the Service Departments, should examine the possibility of greater co-operation between the Western Allies so that each country could produce at a reduced cost per aircraft a more limited range but greater numbers of specialized machines for the benefit of all the Allies—provided that the proper balance of aircraft manufactured in this country was fully maintained. RIGHT-HAND MAN F ROM Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., comes the news that Mr. E. B. Trubshaw has been appointed deputy chief test pilot at Weybridge. Brian Trubshaw joined Vickers-Armstrongs in May 1950 and has since been concerned with the test flying of the Valiant and Viscount. In 1949 he was on the staff of the Empire Flying School, Hullav- ington, and later was engaged on staff duties at the R.A.F. Flying School at Manby, Lines. From 1946 to 1948 he was a pilot of the King's Flight, and he flew one of the Vikings used by the Royal Family on their tour of South Africa in 1947. Born in 1924, he was educated at Winchester, where, in 1942, he was captain of cricket. He maintained his enthusiasm for the game after leaving school, and played for the Royal Air Mr. Brian Trubshaw. Force from 1946 to 1949. SWEDISH DESIGNER HONOURED AREPORT from Sweden records that Mr. Curt Nicolin, vice-president of Svenska Turbinfabriks ab Ljungstrom (STAL), was recently presented with the Thulin medal for his achieve ments in the design and production of jet engines. The presenta tion was made by the C-in-C. of the Royal Swedish Air Force, Lt. Gen. Bengt Nordenskiold, at the 20th annual meeting of the Swedish Society of Aeronautics. Mr. Nicolin has been respon sible for the Dovern and Glan engines, two recent designs produced by the STAL organization. H.D.A. APPOINTMENTS T WO new appointments have recently been made to the Board of High Duty Allovs, Ltd., of Slough. The new directors are Mr. W. Scott Warner and Mr. Gerald W. Richards. Mr. W. S. Warner. Mr. G. W. Richards. Mr. Warner joined the staff as assistant chief accountant in 1940 and in 1946 was appointed secretary, a position which he will retain in his new appointment. Mr. Warner serves on three committees, the F.B.I. Southern Regional Council, the F.B.I. Overseas Trade Policy Committee and the Wrought Aluminium Products Executive Committee. Mr. Richards, since he joined the company in 1929 as a laboratory assistant, has been concerned mainly with the produc tion side of the forging plant and is a well-known personality in the National Association of Drop Forgers and Stampers, When the company's Redditch works started production in 1939 he was posted there, made assistant works manager in 1941, works manager in 1943 and manager of the forgings division in 1948.
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