JET AIRCRAFT AND GAS TURBINES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 135, 19 March 1948, Page 2

JET AIRCRAFT AND GAS TURBINES

COMMENTS BY SIR BEN LOCKSPEISER (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 18. ! By co-operating the British Commonwealth of Nations could tackle research problems much more effectively; each country’s: conditions and resource* and to be fitted into a general plan, said Sir Ben Lockspeiser, chief scientist for air to the British Ministry of Supply, who arrived by air from Sydney yesterday. He was I invited by the New Zealand Govern- j ment to discus aeronautical matters and a policy which could he adapted to Commonwealth plans. i ‘Met propulsion has come to stay.’' ■ Sir Ben Lockspeiser said. Ultimately all fighters or the Royal Air force < would have jet engines, and bombers would, too, when fuel consumption was improved. It was impossible to i predict when jet propelled civil aircraft would lie generally used. i Sir Ben Lockspeiser forecast that . gas turbines would replace steam in marine propulsion, in locomotives and : in power stations, especially where there was little or no coal. Asked about the use of atomic energy. Sir Ben Lockspeiser said: "It’s still a long way off. Forget it. Before it takes over the fuel problem there is a. lot of work to be done.” _ 1 Questioned on guided missiles and rockets he said: “All I can say is that we are working like niggers on ill pm, but. you had better keep off the 1 subject ; it is all top secret.”