AERONAUTICS RESEARCH

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25449, 22 March 1948, Page 6

AERONAUTICS RESEARCH

POLICY discussions IN N.Z.

VlglT OF SIR BEN LOCKSFEISER

wor%is faffing awonafttigß? P scmntists, who has come to New Zealand to hold discussions with aeronautical authorities in the Dominion before attending the Commonwealth Aeronautical pqnference in Australia in the first week of April, arrived in Christchurch yesterday. He inspect Canterbury University College and Wigram aerodrpme this before returning W^mW^^n4%lr«h § said in ap interview W eveping £hat he W beep invited by tee Goyejppient to come to New Zealand to discuss aeronautical matters before the pppference. The Dominion had set up an aeronautics research council for the first time and hp would l?e very interested tq discuss copirhqp pplicy with a yipw tp fttting to New Zealand’s research work with that of other countries in the Cpmmohwpaltti. He said that the discussions he had bad so far had been very'sstisfpctory. ' yzp wapt tq spread the wk of aeronautics research as much as possible,” Sir Ben Lockspeiser said. “In these days research is a very costly matter and one nation cannot be exBted to do the work alone. By care- , planning we can achieve a lot ough taking advantage of the parucular resources' qf‘ ep'pn epiprtry r ahd Wk jt 1? JMitpd R> dq.’t Dealing wfth aeronautics research geiieriffiy. Sir Bpp . Lpsksppisef gas “at vviih military aircraft, speed yras paired aboyp alj tongs, ppt with, .civil Aircraft the .essentials were reliability and safety. The problems of high spped flight were the most difficult in aeronautical research. Jet propulsion was almost universal in the Royal Air Fprce with fighter aircraft and it Would be used in bombers whbh reSparfch workers cguld improve tep prpblem of fuel cohsumptibp' Tbe jet engipe wqplg pndpubtedly ' takp tee Place of the’ piston engffip. If had already taken its place m small-range aircraft. For a range of up tb‘looo miles thpjpt engine P°W as gppd ?s the pistep engpte Gas Turbines “Years of testing in flight under all Conditions are required before a new engine is put into regular use and I could not say how long it will be bettore multi-engined aircraft are' using jet turbine engines,” he contiriqes. “I thjnk the gas furbine will replace thp steam turbine in marine propulsion and also in electric power plants and Ippqmotives. The change will be of w)U beat them. “You can forget about atomic Sfi. erg Sfl'’ As said in reply to a question. Jf w lJl SPJ“P toffi tot Although it may gt he Wd generally " Answering toother question, Sir Ben Lockspeisto. sgid ttot his work had a Jpf to do with rocket propulsion. «We are working like mggfers on it, but I sSd a * ri?l<i iS ° n ll st,” he ~ Sir Ben Loekspeiser became head of the Department of Ajr Defence before £?„ Sec9 iS d I y° r JOW began and was pgas. before the war he .was apppinted of scientific research at tfie Aw Mmistry apd later became director. He became well knqwn durth scientists were seeking a method of ffymg pccuratejy at 150 feet above to?? r > Without which the project equid tail lie solved file problem simply by having searchlights attaotoSi !° each toflg of the aircraft towed to converge to one spot on the ground below when the aircraft was ymg at 150 feet, ffe ha/also been Connected, with thg development pf 6p;tam's Ultog wing" airevatt and a toJAtor of other revolutionary experiments pi aircraft design. .