British Imperial Policy and the Indian Air Route, 1918-1932

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

British Imperial Policy and the Indian Air Route, 1918-1932 British Imperial Policy and the Indian Air Route, 1918-1932 CROMPTON, Teresa Available from Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/24737/ This document is the author deposited version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. Published version CROMPTON, Teresa (2014). British Imperial Policy and the Indian Air Route, 1918- 1932. Doctoral, Sheffield Hallam Universiy. Copyright and re-use policy See http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive http://shura.shu.ac.uk British Imperial Policy and the Indian Air Route, 1918-1932 Teresa Crompton A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2014 Abstract The thesis examines the development of the civil air route between Britain and India from 1918 to 1932. Although an Indian route had been pioneered before the First World War, after it ended, fourteen years would pass before the route was established on a permanent basis. The research provides an explanation for the late start and subsequent slow development of the India route. The overall finding is that progress was held back by a combination of interconnected factors operating in both Britain and the Persian Gulf region. These included economic, political, administrative, diplomatic, technological, and cultural factors. The arguments are developed through a methodology that focuses upon two key theoretical concepts which relate, firstly, to interwar civil aviation as part of a dimension of empire, and secondly, to the history of aviation as a new technology. With regards to empire, the thesis investigates the imperial and economic value of imperial aviation, perceptions of Britain’s imperial potency, and the nature of Britain’s long-term policy and administrative arrangements in London, Delhi, Persia, and on the Trucial Coast. In relation to technology, the thesis examines the choices made by the British. In connection with both empire and technology, the thesis considers the character and effects of the ‘official mind’ responsible for civil aviation policy. The research shows that, in relation to aviation, British imperial policy-making was in general neither confident nor proactive. In terms of the India route, British imperial administrators displayed weakness, in that they were unable to impose their will sufficiently strongly to drive through the route either rapidly or effectively. The impetus for imperial aviation came from the empire’s core, and the causes of the route’s delay were therefore located within the core. The primary cause was Britain’s resistance to providing financial support for air transportation. As the First World War ended, the development of imperial aviation depended upon that of civil aviation. With private capital investment not forthcoming, the Government reluctantly took on responsibility but not until 1924, when, provoked by Germany’s air progress and lured by the promise of imperial prestige, was the Government forced to provide financial support to civil aviation. It subsidised Imperial Airways, but in pursuing the policy of wholly funding the R101 airship project it made the wrong technological choice. The Imperial Airship Scheme only diverted public money away from the aeroplane development on which future civil aviation would depend. In the second half of the 1920s, as the British attempted to develop the India route via Persia and then the Trucial Coast, their long-term policy in the region seemed to promise diplomatic advantage in negotiations. However, as aviation represented an unwelcome incursion into local sovereignty, it caused local opposition. Unable to resort to their traditional ‘gunboat diplomacy,’ the British found their influence greatly below what they had presumed. When they were forced to develop a collaborative relationship with local elites, it became apparent that a balance of power had emerged. While undoubtedly showing the limitations of British imperial policy-making, the protracted history of the establishment of the Indian air route demonstrates that to some extent the British ‘official mind’ was flexible, and capable of adapting to changed conditions. Acknowledgements First and foremost I thank my supervisor, Merv Lewis, for both encouraging me and for challenging me academically. His advice – always incisive and pertinent - was crucial to the success of the thesis. I also thank Sheffield Hallam University for funding my research in the India Office archives. Thanks are due, too, to Gordon Pirie for giving me pointers along the way. Finally, I am grateful to my husband, Peter Crompton, for his willingness to discuss many fine points and obscure aspects of British imperial interwar aviation during my years of research. The thesis is dedicated to my father, Alan Crawford, from whom I must have got history. Contents List of Figures Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1 Chapter Two: Imperial Aviation: Context and Policy to 1921 11 Chapter Three: ‘A Dangerous Gamble’: Formulating Imperial Aviation Policy, 1921- 1930 64 Chapter Four: ‘His Majesty’s Government have No Levers’: the Air Route through Persia, 1924-1932 116 Chapter Five: The Struggle for the Arabian Route, 1926-1932 172 Chapter Six: Force Majeure: the Sharjah Solution, 1932 212 Chapter Seven: Retrospect and Conclusion 251 Bibliography 258 List of Figures (Sources are given in footnotes in the text) Chapter Two Fig. 2.1. Frederick Sykes, 1919. A portrait by William Orpen. Fig. 2.2. The Vickers Vimy biplane in which Alcock and Brown crossed the Atlantic, 1919. Fig. 2.3. Winston Churchill, 1921. Fig. 2.4. Touting for ‘Peace enquiries’ – a Westland Aircraft Works company advertisement, 1919. Fig. 2.5. Instone airline publicity material, c. 1924. Fig. 2.6. March 1919. Britain’s R34 airship was 196 metres in length, with a diameter of 24 metres and a volume of 5,5218m3. With a maximum speed of 99.7 kph., the R34 was powered by five 275 hp. (205 kw.) engines and had a ‘useful lift’ capability of 26,417 kg. Map 1. Air routes between Cairo and Karachi under consideration by the Government in 1919. Map 2. The British Empire in 1921 (marked in red). Chapter Three Fig. 3.1. Frederick Guest (c. 1910-1915). Fig. 3.2. The wreck of the R38 airship in the Humber Estuary. Fig. 3.3. Samuel Hoare demonstrates commitment to aviation. Fig. 3.4. Lord Thomson boards the R101: a trial flight, October 29. Fig. 3.5. Brancker, Cobham, and Elliot (mechanic) with the de Havilland 50 aircraft in which they flew to India. Fig. 3.6. An advertisement for Imperial Airways’ services to ten Continental destinations, 1925. Fig. 3.7. The R101 under construction at Cardington. A gas bag has been inflated inside the metal framework (undated, 1920s). Fig. 3.8. The R100 tethered to its mooring mast at St. Hubert airport, Montreal, Canada, August 1930. Fig. 3.9. The LZ127 Graf Zeppelin operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. Publicity pictures for the R101 made the British ship seem Spartan and flimsy in comparison with the German one, which was comfortably upholstered and attractively decorated. Chapter Four Fig. 4.1. Sefton Brancker, March 1921. Fig. 4.2. Sir Percy Loraine, about 1933. Fig. 4.3. Reza Shah (undated). Fig. 4.4. A cartoon showing Samuel Hoare, 1929. The cartoonist reflects Hoare’s role as Secretary of State for Air both in the representation of an aeroplane and in the blue shadow. The latter suggests not only Imperial Airways’ ‘Speedbird’ logo, but also the grainy blue print of an airmail label. Fig. 4.5. Teymourtash and his wife, Tatyana. Fig. 4.6. The topography of the Persian Gulf, showing the mountainous interior of Persia on the Gulf’s north side and the flatter Arabian side. The Hajar Mountains form a rocky projection into the Gulf, creating the narrow neck of the Strait of Hormuz. Fig. 4.7. Teymourtash arriving at Moscow Railway Station, 1926. Fig. 4.8. Reza Shah checks that his train runs on time (undated). Fig. 4.9. A Persian Air Force pilot, 1930s. Fig. 4.10. Junkers F13 aeroplanes in Persia (undated). Map 3. Modern map of the Middle East. The Persian Gulf route, firstly via Persia (Iran) and the Trucial Coast (United Arab Emirates) linked Europe and Britain’s air terminus at Karachi British India (now in Pakistan). Map 4. Junkers air routes in Persia. From a Junkers brochure (date unknown). Chapter Five Fig. 5.1. The Hajar Mountains, United Arab Emirates, 2004. Fig. 5.2. The Bushire Residency (undated). Fig. 5.3. HMS Bideford, one of the British sloops that patrolled the Persian Gulf (c. 1931). Fig. 5.4. Old watchtower at Rams, United Arab Emirates, 2004. Fig. 5.5. Supermarine Napier Southampton flying boat, 1930 Fig. 5.6. One of the Handley-Page HP-42 craft that operated the Persian Gulf air sector from 1931 (shown at Gaza - undated). Map 5. Imperial Airways routes radiating from Cairo. Three routes through the Persian Gulf were considered: the ‘Proposed’ Central Persian route, the Persian coast route, and the Arabian shore route. While the Persian shore route was operated from 1929, the Arabian route would be adopted in 1932. Map 6. Showing the Trucial Coast area, 1866-1935. Chapter Six Fig. 6.1. Francis Shelmerdine (undated). Fig. 6.2. Boy with toy boat, Sharjah Creek, 1926. Fig. 6.3. Sheikh Saqar (left) in Sharjah Rest House, early 1940s. The Residency Agent is on the right. Fig. 6.4. RAF Westland Wapiti aircraft in formation over Iraq, 1930s. Fig. 6.5. Harold Dickson after a game of polo (undated). Fig. 6.6. Charles Dalrymple-Belgrave (undated). Fig. 6.7. African slave workers on a Persian Gulf pearling boat (undated). Fig. 6.8. The Sheikh of Abu Dhabi goes out to a British ship, 1937.
Recommended publications
  • British Dilemmas: Arms Sales and Human Rights in Anglo-Iranian Relations (1968-1979)
    British Dilemmas: Arms Sales and Human Rights in Anglo-Iranian Relations (1968-1979) Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy At the University of Leicester By Okhan Erciyas Department of Politics and International Relations University of Leicester December 2019 British Dilemmas: Arms Sales and Human Rights in Anglo- Iranian Relations (1968-1979) Okhan Erciyas Abstract This thesis examines the impact of the arms trade and human rights on British perceptions of and foreign policy towards Iran (1968-1979). This thesis aims to further understanding of Britain’s commercial interests in Iran and how this affected the UK’s response to developments leading to the fall of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in 1979. By critically analysing archival documents, the thesis explains how inter-departmental perceptions of Iran varied. After presenting the historical background and methodological considerations in the Introduction, Chapter One discusses the UK’s dilemma with regard to promoting British defence sales and contributing to Iran’s foreign indebtedness by analysing the views of both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The chapter also highlights British views on the Shah’s personality and the lack of planning in Iranian arms procurement. Chapter Two explores Britain’s efforts to keep its share in the Iranian arms market. It also discusses the UK’s dilemma in terms of balancing arms sales with public criticism of Iran’s poor human rights record. Chapter Three looks at Iranian discontent with the Shah’s regime. The chapter shows how Iran’s response to demands for political freedom caused a dilemma for the FCO authorities.
    [Show full text]
  • Aviation/ Aerospace Roundup
    Aviation/ Aerospace Roundup APRIL 2016 NEW DELHI • MUMBAI • CHENNAI • BENGALURU • HYDERABAD • AHMEDABAD • PUNE • KOLKATA • CHANDIGARH • GURGAON • GENEVA • LONDON I. REGULATIONS CHECK Leasing the “big bird” – Regulatory guidelines INTRODUCTION Aircrafts have the nationality of the State in which they are registered and this puts onus on the State of Registry to ensure that the aircraft on its civil register follow its laws and regulations even if it is operated outside its territory. With increasing instances of aircraft leasing and aircrafts frequently transcending national boundaries, it became pertinent to regulate this aspect and, therefore, the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation (“Chicago Convention”) was amended to incorporate Article 83 bis. Article 83 bis to the Chicago Convention provides for the transfer of certain safety oversight responsibilities (under air, radio licensing, certificates of airworthiness, and personnel licences) from the State of Registry to the State of the Operator, which are recognised by all States which have ratified Article 83bis . India has ratified Article 83bis and amended the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. TYPES OF OPERATIONAL LEASING ARRANGEMENTS As defined in CAP 3200 dated August 2013, “Dry Lease” is a lease arrangement whereby a lessor provides an aircraft without crew to the lessee and “Wet Lease” is a lease arrangement whereby a lessor provides an aircraft with entire crew to the lessee for a specified period or a defined number of flights. A wet lease does not include a code sharing arrangement. A “Damp Lease” is a lease arrangement whereby a lessor provides an aircraft with partial crew to the lessee. The following tables provide details regarding these leases – A.
    [Show full text]
  • A 21St Century Powerhouse Dick Forsberg Head of Strategy, Avolon
    An in-depth analysis of the Indian air travel market Dick Forsberg | July 2018India A 21st Century Powerhouse Dick Forsberg Head of Strategy, Avolon ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to acknowledge FlightGlobal Ascend as the source of the fleet data and OAG, through their Traffic Analyser and Schedules Analyser products, as the source of the airline traffic and capacity data used in this paper. DISCLAIMER This document and any other materials contained in or accompanying this document (collectively, the ‘Materials’) are provided for general information purposes only. The Materials are provided without any guarantee, condition, representation or warranty (express or implied) as to their adequacy, correctness or completeness. Any opinions, estimates, commentary or conclusions contained in the Materials represent the judgement of Avolon as at the date of the Materials and are subject to change without notice. The Materials are not intended to amount to advice on which any reliance should be placed and Avolon disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the Materials. Dick Forsberg has over 45 years’ aviation industry experience, working in a variety of roles with airlines, operating lessors, arrangers and capital providers in the disciplines of business strategy, industry analysis and forecasting, asset valuation, portfolio risk management and airline credit assessment. As a founding executive and Head of Strategy at Avolon, his responsibilities include defining the trading cycle of the business, primary interface with the aircraft appraisal and valuation community, industry analysis and forecasting, driving thought leadership initiatives, setting portfolio risk management criteria and determining capital allocation targets. Prior to Avolon, Dick was a founding executive at RBS (now SMBC) Aviation Capital and previously worked with IAMG, GECAS and GPA following a 20-year career in the UK airline industry.
    [Show full text]
  • Airline Schedules
    Airline Schedules This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on January 08, 2019. English (eng) Describing Archives: A Content Standard Special Collections and Archives Division, History of Aviation Archives. 3020 Waterview Pkwy SP2 Suite 11.206 Richardson, Texas 75080 [email protected]. URL: https://www.utdallas.edu/library/special-collections-and-archives/ Airline Schedules Table of Contents Summary Information .................................................................................................................................... 3 Scope and Content ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Series Description .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Administrative Information ............................................................................................................................ 4 Related Materials ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Controlled Access Headings .......................................................................................................................... 5 Collection Inventory ....................................................................................................................................... 6 - Page 2 - Airline Schedules Summary Information Repository:
    [Show full text]
  • Aviation Industry Agreed in 2008 to the World’S First Set of Sector-Specific Climate Change Targets
    CONTENTS Introduction 2 Executive summary 3 Key facts and figures from the world of air transport A global industry, driving sustainable development 11 Aviation’s global economic, social and environmental profile in 2016 Regional and group analysis 39 Africa 40 Asia-Pacific 42 Europe 44 Latin America and the Caribbean 46 Middle East 48 North America 50 APEC economies 52 European Union 53 Small island states 54 Developing countries 55 OECD countries 56 Least-developed countries 57 Landlocked developing countries 58 National analysis 59 A country-by-country look at aviation’s benefits A growth industry 75 An assessment of the next 20 years of aviation References 80 Methodology 84 1 AVIATION BENEFITS BEYOND BORDERS INTRODUCTION Open skies, open minds The preamble to the Chicago Convention – in many ways aviation’s constitution – says that the “future development of international civil aviation can greatly help to create and preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and peoples of the world”. Drafted in December 1944, the Convention also illustrates a sentiment that underpins the construction of the post-World War Two multilateral economic system: that by trading with one another, we are far less likely to fight one another. This pursuit of peace helped create the United Nations and other elements of our multilateral system and, although these institutions are never perfect, they have for the most part achieved that most basic aim: peace. Air travel, too, played its own important role. If trading with others helps to break down barriers, then meeting and learning from each other surely goes even further.
    [Show full text]
  • Ge Aviation India Fact Sheet
    GE AVIATION INDIA FACT SHEET GE Aviation is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aviation also supplies engines for marine applications. Meeting the needs of a growing nation India’s passenger traffic today is 160 million passengers, but that number is estimated to grow to 452 million1 by the end of the decade as a burgeoning middle class takes to the air, according to the aviation intelligence service CAPA - Centre for Aviation. Those numbers are another sign of India’s rapid growth, and just like GE’s energy, health, transportation and finance businesses, GE Aviation is proud to be a partner in the country’s development. GE’s industry leading GEnx and GE90 engines are based on proven architecture and superior technology, developed in the United States and refined based on inputs received from research centers across the globe. At GE, we work to innovate and develop technology solutions that improve quality of life in India. GE Aviation: Moving India Aviation in India is growing at a rapid pace as a growing middle class takes to the skies. With thousands of GE engines installed on the global fleet of commercial, business and general aviation aircrafts, GE is helping power aircrafts that are moving India. GE engines set the industry standard for fuel efficiency, reliability and outstanding service. India’s commercial airline fleet is expected to triple in the next two decades and GE Aviation is poised to meet the challenge of that rapid growth.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview of Canadian Registered Aircraft (As of December 31, 2020)
    Catalogue no. 11‑621‑M ISSN 1707‑0503 ISBN : 978‑0‑660‑38413‑9 Analysis in Brief Overview of Canadian Registered Aircraft (as of December 31, 2020) Release date: May 13, 2021 How to obtain more information For information about this product or the wide range of services and data available from Statistics Canada, visit our website, www.statcan.gc.ca. You can also contact us by Email at STATCAN.infostats‑[email protected] Telephone, from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the following numbers: • Statistical Information Service 1‑800‑263‑1136 • National telecommunications device for the hearing impaired 1‑800‑363‑7629 • Fax line 1‑514‑283‑9350 Depository Services Program • Inquiries line 1‑800‑635‑7943 • Fax line 1‑800‑565‑7757 Standards of service to the public Note of appreciation Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a reliable and courteous manner. To this end, Statistics Canada long‑standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the has developed standards of service that its employees observe. citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other To obtain a copy of these service standards, please contact institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information Statistics Canada toll‑free at 1‑800‑263‑1136. The service could not be produced without their continued co‑operation standards are also published on www.statcan.gc.ca under and goodwill. “Contact us” > “Standards of service to the public.” Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2021 All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • East of Suez and the Commonwealth 1964–1971 (In Three Parts, 2004)
    00-Suez-Blurb-pp 21/9/04 11:32 AM Page 1 British Documents on the End of Empire Project Volumes Published and Forthcoming Series A General Volumes Series B Country Volumes Vol 1 Imperial Policy and Vol 1 Ghana (in two parts, 1992) Colonial Practice Vol 2 Sri Lanka (in two parts, 1997) 1925–1945 (in two parts, 1996) Vol 3 Malaya (in three parts, 1995) Vol 2 The Labour Government and Vol 4 Egypt and the Defence of the the End of Empire 1945–1951 Middle East (in three parts, 1998) (in four parts, 1992) Vol 5 Sudan (in two parts, 1998) Vol 3 The Conservative Government Vol 6 The West Indies (in one part, and the End of Empire 1999) 1951–1957 (in three parts, 1994) Vol 7 Nigeria (in two parts, 2001) Vol 4 The Conservative Government Vol 8 Malaysia (in one part, 2004) and the End of Empire 1957–1964 (in two parts, 2000) Vol 5 East of Suez and the Commonwealth 1964–1971 (in three parts, 2004) ● Series A is complete. Further country volumes in series B are in preparation on Kenya, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Pacific (Fiji), and the Mediterranean (Cyprus and Malta). The Volume Editors S R ASHTON is Senior Research Fellow and General Editor of the British Documents on the End of Empire Project, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. With S E Stockwell he edited Imperial Policy and Colonial Practice 1925–1945 (BDEEP, 1996), and with David Killingray The West Indies (BDEEP, 1999). Wm ROGER LOUIS is Kerr Professor of English History and Culture and Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Texas at Austin, USA, and an Honorary Fellow of St Antony’s, Oxford.
    [Show full text]
  • Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: the Origins of Iranian Primacy in the Persian Gulf
    Roham Alvandi Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: the origins of Iranian primacy in the Persian Gulf Article (Accepted version) (Refereed) Original citation: Alvandi, Roham (2012) Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: the origins of Iranian primacy in the Persian Gulf. Diplomatic history, 36 (2). pp. 337-372. ISSN 1467-7709 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7709.2011.01025.x © 2012 The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) This version available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/32743/ Available in LSE Research Online: March 2012 LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (http://eprints.lse.ac.uk) of the LSE Research Online website. This document is the author’s final manuscript accepted version of the journal article, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer review process. Some differences between this version and the published version may remain. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from it. roham alvandi Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: The Origins of Iranian Primacy in the Persian Gulf* On the morning of May 31, 1972, the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, received U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Tales of Daring and Danger
    Tales of Daring and Danger George Alfred Henty Project Gutenberg's Tales of Daring and Danger, by George Alfred Henty This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Tales of Daring and Danger Author: George Alfred Henty Illustrator: George Alfred Henty Release Date: October 26, 2005 [EBook #7870] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF DARING AND DANGER *** Produced by Jason Isbell, Stacy Brown Thellend and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Merged with an earlier text produced by Juliet Sutherland, Thomas Hutchinson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team [Illustration] TALES OF DARING AND DANGER. [Illustration] [Illustration: SIGHTING THE WRECK OF THE STEAMER.] Livros Grátis http://www.livrosgratis.com.br Milhares de livros grátis para download. TALES OF DARING AND DANGER. BY G.A. HENTY, Author of "Yarns on the Beach;" "Sturdy and Strong;" "Facing Death;" "By Sheer Pluck;" "With Clive in India;" &c. _ILLUSTRATED._ [Illustration] LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, 49 & 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C. GLASGOW, EDINBURGH, AND DUBLIN. 1890. CONTENTS. Page BEARS AND DACOITS, 7 THE PATERNOSTERS, 37 A PIPE OF MYSTERY, 71 WHITE-FACED DICK, 99 A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE, 119 [Illustration] BEARS AND DACOITS. A TALE OF THE GHAUTS. CHAPTER I. A merry party were sitting in the verandah of one of the largest and handsomest bungalows of Poonah.
    [Show full text]
  • Overdue, by Harry Collingwood
    Harry Collingwood "Overdue" | Chapter 1 | | Chapter 2 | | Chapter 3 | | Chapter 4 | | Chapter 5 | | Chapter 6 | | Chapter 7 | | Chapter 8 | | Chapter 9 | | Chapter 10 | | Chapter 11 | | Chapter 12 | | Chapter 13 | | Chapter 14 | | Chapter 15 | | Chapter 16 | | Chapter 17 | | Chapter 18 | | Chapter 19 | | Chapter 20 | Chapter One. The “Mercury” appears. This is a yarn of the days when the clipper sailing-ship was at the zenith of her glory and renown; when she was the recognised medium for the transport of passengers—ay, and, very frequently, of mails between Great Britain and the Colonies; and when steamers were, comparatively speaking, rare objects on the high seas. True, a few of the great steamship lines, such as the Cunard and the Peninsular and Oriental, were already in existence; but their fleets were only just beginning to compete, and with but a very limited measure of success, against the superb specimens of marine architecture owned by the Black Ball and other famous lines of sailing clippers. For the Suez Canal had not yet been dug, and—apart from the overland journeys to India—travellers bound to the East were compelled to go south-about round the Cape of Good Hope, whether they journeyed by steamer or by sailing-ship; and it was no very uncommon thing for the latter to beat the former on the passage to India, China, or Australia. Moreover, the marine steam engine was, at that period, a very expensive piece of machinery to operate, developing only a very moderate amount of power upon an exceedingly heavy consumption of coal; hence it was only the nabobs who could afford to indulge in the then costly luxury of ocean travel by steam.
    [Show full text]
  • Technology Transfers in Commercial Aircraft Support Systems Contents
    CHAPTER 7 Technology Transfers in Commercial Aircraft Support Systems Contents Page INTRODUCTION . 247 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. 249 Commercial Aircraft Support Systems . 249 Commercial Aircraft Support Systems in the Middle East: Current Status . 251 Perspectives of Recipient Countries and Firms . 261 Perspectives of Supplier Countries and Firms . 275 Future Prospects . 291 IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. POLICY.. 292 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 293 APPENDIX 7A: COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT SUPPORT SYSTEMS: SELECTED RECENT CONTRACTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST . 296 Tables Table No. Page 62. operating and Performance Statistics of Selected Airlines for 1982 . 253 63. Employee Totals for Representative Airlines, 1982 . 253 64. Airport Traffic Statistics for Representative Airports . 254 65. Commercial Airline Fleets in the Middle East in Servicers of March 1984 . 256 66. U.S. Exports of Commercial Transport Aircraft . 277 67. Typical Configurations and Purchase Prices of Various Competing Aircraft . 278 68. Ten Leading U.S. Exporting Companies. 280 69. Export-Import Bank Total Authorizations of Loans and Guarantees and Authorizations in Support of Aircraft Exports . 282 70. Export-Import Bank Summary of Commercial Jet Aircraft Authorizations for Loans and Guarantees . 283 7A-1. Selected Recent Commercial Aircraft Support Systems Contracts in Saudi Arabia . 296 7A-2. Major Projects and Sources of Investment, 1971-81: Commercial Aircraft Support in Egypt. 297 7A-3. Major Projects: Civil Aviation in Algeria, 1979-82 . 297 7A-4. Selected Recent Commercial Aircraft Support Systems Contracts in Iraq . 298 7A-5. Selected Commercial Aircraft Support Systems Contracts in Iran ....,... 299 Figure Figure No. Page 14. Aerospace Industry Funds for Research and Development .
    [Show full text]