NORTH AMERICAN DIARY-2 by ALAN HAVARD

14th February 1964, Page 91

14th February 1964

Page 91

Page 91, 14th February 1964 — NORTH AMERICAN DIARY-2 by ALAN HAVARD

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What Future for Turbines?

WHEN I ended last week, I was discussing the delicate profitabilAy balance for V, air cargo carriers, andbriefly remarked that the advent of four-jet, all-cargo planes might tun the tide and make air cargo a profitable venture for everyone. I was talking to Edward J. Feeney, of Emery Air Fivight Corporation, America's largest air freight forwarder.

These big jets (the first of which have only just come into service) are capable of moving 90.000-lb. payloads at nearly 600 m.p.h. and, with 13 pallets, can be loaded and offioaded in 20 minutes for each operation. Alternatively, containers can be used.

Of course, they are expensive. "The plane may be worth $6m. or Pm.", said Mr. Feeney. "The carrier must eliminate ground time and keep the plane in the air." A sentiment no road carrier would disagree with—so long as the return on his part of the job is suitable. Emery, which has a London Airport office, is planning services between all major international centres.

A purely domestic problem within the United States is that of the air carrier and freight forwarder wanting road licences to carry over a greater radius than at present on collection and delivery. Truckers, needless to say, are resisting bitterly.

"We want only the right to do this, but we do not necessarily want to exercise that right ", Mr. Feeney explained to me. He admitted that it was usually cheaper to use local truckers where possible. The professional road carrier could do the job at less cost than Emery's own vehicles and, potentially at any rate, could give a more efficient surface transport facility because of his connections with other truckers.

Where the company cannot use a public carrier, Emery tries to get a contract vehicle. In all, about 500 vehicles are used in collection and delivery throughout the States; some 50 are employed in New York alone. "Using our own vehicles is not usually profitable ", said Edward Feeney. "We only do so in about five centres where no trucker can give us service or contract vehicles."

Mr. Feeney thought some truckers resisted co-operation with air carriers because the volume was too low. It could be, and certainly (as I will explain in a later article) I was to get a vivid confirmation of this from Yale Express, one of the largest carriers in America.

Where does air freight stand at the moment in the U.S.A.? In 1962 it increased by 22 per cent over 1961, a trend which is accelerating. But, as a proportion of total freight move ments, it is only roughly per cent. However, the U.S. Bureau of Census has estimated the potential at 20 billion tonmiles among 235 commodities. Among air .carriers there is a considerable fear of Over-capacity; the pure-freight carriers want the passenger carriers to be debarred from hauling freight as well.

think, on the whole, the truckers have adopted a wisely cautious attitude in asking—in effect—to see the colour of the air carriers' money.

Selling Internationally Life .for the British companies who export commercial vehicles is never one of honey and roses. But I must admit to feeling sympathy for Leyland Motors when American television, radio and newspapers heard about Leyland's £4m. order from Cuba for buses.

I had not appreciated just how touchy the U.S.A. is on the subject of Cuba. But, having been there just one day, I learned fast! The story ran for more than 24 hours and caused quite a storm. One TV commentator introduced the subject this way: "While the U.S. tries to maintain an economic blockade against Cuba, some of its allies are busy digging the ground out from under it ". He was referr:ng to the fact that unsuccessful tenders were also made by German, French, Japanese and Spanish manufacturers.

Frankly, although sympathetic, I felt there was more than a touch of childishness in the official Washington viewpoint. Several Americans I met were quite aggresive about it, although the majority seemed to see the funny side of the situation. However, I met only one American who didn't agree with his Government's angry pressure. "Unless they're amphibious, I can't see how they'll invade us with buses ", he chuckled.

1 am told that Donald Stokes, the Leyland managing director, appeared on an American television interview; but I did not see it. Poor Leyland Motors—it all blew up so fast that I don't think' their public. relations set-up had time to do much to counter the blasts that came in from every direction.

One thing which nobody seemed to appreciate over there was that this was a repeat order, there being some 800 Leylands already running in Cuba. Every American who spoke to. me about this

iniquity assumed that the thieving

British had been making capital out of the U.S.A. blockade and opening up a brand-new market—which, of course, wasn't the case.

Truck Design Will turbines eventually displace big diesels for trunk haulage vehicles? Th's was one of the questions I discussed with W. M. May, vice-president (engineering) of Mack Trucks Inc., and F. R. Nail, the

company's chief engineer (highway trucks). .1 received an answer which I had come across before; but never to strongly put.

"The turbine doesn't compete with diesel engines in road use ", said Mr.

May. "Its weight and size are good, ;n comparison with a piston unit, but the cost of the turbine is too high at the moment to interest on-highway operators." His colleague, Mr. Nail, concurred in this opinion.

Would the cost of turbines come down if volume production could be attained?

They agreed that, generally speaking, this would he so. But they left me with the impression that they were not exactly banking on it in the next five or so years.

Another point from Mr. May. In the 300/500 h.p. -ranges the turbine cannot compete with the four-cycle diesel on fuel economy.

But both he and Mr. Nail thought there was a good chance of turbines develop ing 800/1,000 gross h.p. being installed in vehicles, such as big dumpers, for off-road use: Another strong view from Mr. May: some form of semi-automatic trans mission, with a power shift, has got to come on heavy trucks in the near future. True, he agreed. it is not very popular at the moment. This, remarked Mr. Nail, was probably more true of fully automatic transmissions because, on a long journey, the driver had no gear lever to work. lean see his point, and in fact (as I will explain in another article) later had this view confirmed by a Canadian driver.

In any case, added Mr. May, there was not—to his knowledge—yet available a thoroughly satisfactory automatic trans mission for really big vehicles. He thought there might be a future use for torque converters, particularly if an automatic lock into direct drive were coupled