Ladies and Gentlemen I am sorry there are not seats for everybody but the size of the audience is an obvious compliment to our lecturer I really don't think Mr KNUTE FLINT needs any introduction At the age of 33 he has probably as much, or more, helicopter experience as any living man He was in command of probably the first fully operational helicopter squadron in the world m China in 1945, and personally has some 2,500 hours flying experience mainly on helicopters For the last 7½ years he has been operating his own helicopters m partnership with Mr H B Armstrong, their joint organisation is now operating 10 helicopters with a total annual utilization of about 10,000 hours which in this stage of development is a fairly formidable total

The CHAIRMAN, in introducing the lecturer, said that they were fortunate in having an extremely topical lecture The subject of gas turbines and their application to helicopters was currently taking a great deal of attention from designers and industry, and the Association were happy to have it in the programme so early in the session

Mr BROWN had been educated at the City Boys Secondary Grammar School, Leicester, and was a State Scholar and a College Exhibitioner at Jesus College, Cambridge He had taken an Honours degree in the Mechamcal Sciences Tripos, and in 1944 joined Power Jets (Research and Development) Ltd, remaining when it became the National Gas Turbine Estabhshment He had been engaged as a research and development engineer on combustion processes and was now employed as a Senior Scientific Officer at the N G T E, being engaged on the examination of gas turbine projects and their thermodynamic performance

The Chairman, in introducing the Lecturer, said they were to have the pleasure of listening to Mr NORTON, of the Engine Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, who would talk about the design of helicopter transmission

Mr NORTON received his technical training at the Central Technical College, Birmingham, and his practical engineering training at Alfred Wiseman, Ltd, and various branches of what is now Birmid Industries, Ltd After periods in different departments of Norton Motors, Ltd (founded by his father), he joined the design and experimental staff of that firm In 1931 he set up in business on his own account as an electrical engineer In 1936 he joined the Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd (Engine Division), and later became Chief of the Engine Design Office In 1941 he was appointed Special Projects Engineer, being responsible for the design and development of power plants and special transmissions for the less conventional types of installation

The CHAIRMAN, in introducing the first of the two lecturers, said that Redifon, Ltd, to whom Mr HILL was Sales Manager, were very active in connection with the use of the flight simulator as a training aid to pilots Mr Hill was very well known to members, being a Founder Member and a Vice-President of the Association For many years he had been Chairman of the Council He was Sales Manager to the Flight Simulator Division of Redifon, Ltd, and he had held a pilot's licence for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft since 1936 He was commissioned in the General Duties branch of the Royal Air Force in 1941, and served with 1448 Flight and 529 Squadron (Meteorological Flight) After the war he was Air Adviser to British Electric Traction, Ltd, from 1947 to 1950, and he had the distinction of holding the Royal Aero Club's certificate No 8 He was well qualified to speak on this important topic

The Chairman, in introducing the Lecturer, said Mr DAVIES was a member of the Association and had been interesting himself for many years in operational, navigational and other problems associated with the helicopter He took first class honours in the Mechanical Sciences Tripos at Cambridge in 1942, and for four years afterwards was with the Ministry of Aircraft Production, mainly on project and performance analysis of high-speed Aircraft

He left to join Mr N E Rowe in his research and special development department at British European Airways in 1946 Later he was in charge of a great deal of experimental work on the Clear Air Gust Project, and during this investigation he flew some 40 hours as navigator-observer on high-altitude flights in Mosquito and other aircraft

Introducing the lecturer, the Chairman said that like other learned societies they naturally had many papers on learned subjects, on the theory of this or that and the future of this or that It was a good thing from time to time for them all to realise that they were all engaged in building or using an actual vehicle which brought many problems with it It was only right and proper therefore, that from time to time they should come down to earth and face those problems

Mr BOULGER, of the Westland Aircraft Company, would speak on the problems associated with helicopter production He had been apprenticed at the R A E, had gone to the drawing office at Westlands, and had thence graduated to the design office For a time he had been with Messrs Normalair, an associated company, and then had returned to the Westland side of the family, where he had become Chief Planning Engineer It was from his work as Chief Planning Engineer that his intimate knowledge of the production problems arose He was now Contracts Manager of the Company

The CHAIRMAN said that it was hardly necessary for him to introduce RAOUL HAFNER who was well known in the helicopter world as Igor Sikorsky or Frank Piasecki He had been engaged in this field for many years and had very many successful designs to his credit His work as Chief Helicopter Designer to the Bristol Aeroplane Company had realised its present climax in the successful flights of the Bristol 173, about which he was going to speak tonight

The Chairman announced that Mr HAFNER had prepared his paper as a joint paper between the Association and the American Helicopter Society Mr HAFNER had been invited to present it to the latter Society on the occasion of their Annual Forum m April The lecture would therefore not be published until it had been delivered in America

Three hundred and eighty Members and their Guests were present at the Eighth Annual Dinner of the Association held at the Dorchester Hotel, London, W 1, on Thursday, September 9th, 1954

Prior to the reception by the President and Mrs MENSFORTH, some 250 attended the lecture given by our distinguished American guest, Mr KNUTE FLINT, of Bahamas Helicopters Limited A full report of the lecture is recorded in this issue of the Journal

Senior representatives from the three Services and many leaders in aviation attended the dinner as private guests The Official Guests of the Association were, The Right Honourable Lord Brabazon of Tara, P C, G B E, M C, Chairman of the Air Registration Board, and President of the Royal Aero Club, Sir Miles Thomas, D F C, M I Mech E, M S A E, Chairman of the British Overseas Airways Corporation, Lady Thomas, Mr J J Parkes, A F R Ae S, President of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, and Managing Director of Alvis Limited, Mrs Parkes, and Mr E Bowyer, C B E, Director of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors Mr and Mrs Knute Flint were also, of course, honoured guests of the Association, and it was a great pleasure to welcome with them a large party of our American and Continental friends