The Chairman said that this was a very important occasion for the Association since it was the opening lecture of the Session It had become the custom of the Association to invite eminent persons from abroad to deliver the inaugural lecture, which frequently took the form of a broad survey by operators or manufacturers This year the Council had decided to focus attention on an engineering aspect of the helicopter, and what more important aspect was there than that of the rotor blade?

The Paper to be given was prepared jointly by Mr Price and Mr Stulen, of the Parsons Corporation, Michigan, USA, who had had extensive experience in this work Mr Price was Assistant Manager of the Aircraft Division engaged in the development and the manufacture of rotor blades and Mr Stulen was Director of Research