Viewing page 52 of 105

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

    c)  The character of the goods - their 
        perishability, value, comparative cost of 
        insurance and the urgency with which they 
        are required.

    d)  The likelihood of theft, injury or 
        accident to the goods owing to unsettled 
        political and social conditions, bad 
        roads or unreliable means of 
        transportation.

    e)  The impediments imposed by an archaic 
        economic structure - provincial and 
        national authorities with unpredictable 
        customs, police and quarantine 
        requirements.

5.  Air cargo has rendered an important service 
    to underdeveloped countries in opening up the 
    exploitation of natural resources located 
    within the interior of these countries. 
    Supplies and materials can be landed at 
    remote points to support survey teams, 
    construction gangs, mining or oil digging and 
    similar operations. This type of service 
    diminishes in value once an infrastructure 
    has been erected, but the volume of air cargo 
    which continues to be hauled need not 
    necessarily diminish since the character of 
    the goods carried by air and by surface 
    differs in value and density.

    Similarly, underdeveloped countries often 
    produce goods with a sufficiently high value- 
    to-weight ratio which can be flown out from 
    the interior to the coast for shipment or can 
    be flown directly to centres of population 
    for consumption or further fabrication. The 
    shipment by air of chicle and gold in 
    Honduras to the coast, of karakul skins from 
    Afghanistan to Beirut, of Persian rugs from 
    Teheran to Beirut, of diamonds from the Congo 
    and beef from the northern Cameroons and Chad 
    to the urban centers in the south which lack 
    proteins in their food supply, are all 
    examples.

    The final stage of air cargo growth in 
    underdeveloped countries will take place when 
    the economies of those countries produce 
    products of high value which will justify 
    their transportation by air over long 
    distances. To some extent such cargo is now 
    moved on main trunk routes as part of the 
    cargo of passenger airlines, but the volume 
    may eventually reach a point where aircraft 
    especially designed for cargo carriage will 
    find sufficient business to justify their 
    use. Return cargoes carrying instruments, 
    watches, spare parts and other products of 
    the technically developed countries are 
    common but will increase with the rise in 
    standard of living of the underdeveloped 
    countries.

6.  In the use of air cargo in underdeveloped 
    countries speed is of secondary importance. 
    The requirement is rather for aircraft of 
    rugged and simple design and construction 
    permitting easy maintenance; high lift and 
    low speed aircraft are economic for this 
    purpose and, best of all, they require short 
    and inexpensive runways for landing and 
    takeoff. It is also important that the 
    aircraft be designed to permit quick loading 
    and unloading. Low operating costs in air 
    cargo planes are essential for the growth of 
    this type of transport. Heretofore, the 
    underdeveloped countries have utilized the 
    discarded aircraft of the more advanced 
    countries and the jalopies of the air are to 
    be found engaged in the humble task of moving 
    goods and supplies throughout the countries 
    of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and 
    Asia. Many of them have finally been put out



Z2461.2