Looking through a pile of wartime Meccano Magazines I came across the attached article in the September 1943 edition. It was aimed at a fairly young audience and so was relatively basic, but it gives an interesting insight into what was expected of jet power at that time. The author makes the following assumptions, probably quite reasonable then:
1. Jet-powered aircraft would be quieter than propeller-driven ones.
2. Aircraft would generally be supersonic.
3. Propellers would be a thing of the past (he certainly didn’t foresee turboprops, which is fair enough).
4. Supersonic airliners would be silent inside the cabin.
5. Aircraft would typically be observed by Cornish labourers sitting under hedges (not sure where that one came from, really)
I find it fascinating to see what past generations predicted for the future, so I thought I’d share this.
By: old shape - 6th February 2009 at 22:58
And flying would be the preserve of the “upper class”.
Judging by what I saw the last time I flew commercial, it’s a pity it’s not.
Too much riffraff. They let anybody fly nowdays.:D
….even fat lardy types!
I’ll get me coat.
By: J Boyle - 6th February 2009 at 17:43
Looking through a pile of wartime Meccano Magazines I came across the attached article in the September 1943 edition. It was aimed at a fairly young audience and so was relatively basic, but it gives an interesting insight into what was expected of jet power at that time. The author makes the following assumptions, probably quite reasonable then:
5.–Aircraft would typically be observed by Cornish labourers sitting under hedges (not sure where that one came from, really).
And flying would be the preserve of the “upper class”.
Judging by what I saw the last time I flew commercial, it’s a pity it’s not.
Too much riffraff. They let anybody fly nowdays.:D
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February 6, 2009 at 5:37 pm