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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0481.PDF
Flight, August 14th, 1909. ; First Aero Weekly in the World. A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. 33. Vol. I.] AUGUST 14TH, 1909. TRegistered at the G.P.O.1 ["Weekly, Price Id.L as a Newspaper. J |_ Poet Free, ljd. THE issuing of the Aero Club's Year-Book brings to light the interesting fact that a greater number of members own aeroplanes than the total of those who possess balloons, the figures being 39 against 34 respec- tively. This, in itself, is interesting, but the reflection to which it gives rise is one of far wider scope than is comprehended within the work which can possibly be carried out by any individual association. It recalls to mind the large number of machines which have been entered for the Rheims Flight Meeting, which, if suc- cessful, will go down to posterity as the first competitive arena in the world's history of aviation ; it turns the thoughts towards the really large number of flyers which have been built or are still in the making. How many machines there are which have not yet seen the light of day as full-fledged flyers it is impossible to say, but happily in this country there are not a few which we hope will take the air anon, and abroad there are, of course, even more which will presently come forth to lift man into the skies. It is an encouraging reflection, is this idea which has led enthusiastic pioneers to the making of many machines, and out of it comes the thought of what they will all be like, and what manner of men will use them. To be topical we can wish no would-be pilot greater success than has attended the efforts of M. Roger Sommer. Here was a man, a cloth manufacturer of the French Ardennes, who chanced only a few days more than a month ago to see a Farman biplane for sale at Chalons. Into the back of his mind came the idea to fly, and buying the machine, he successfully disproved an unwelcome theory, that it takes long and entails awful risks, to learn the art of flight. Doubtless his old cycling and motoring experiences stood him in good stead, but surely everyone who is likely to find himself in the pilot's seat of an aeroplane must possess the instinct that will have led him to acquire some sporting experiences at least in other fields. On the very day when Sommer bought his machine he flew about four miles. That was only on July 4th last, and now on Saturday, August 7 th, he rose to become what the French call " recordman du monde," for although not officially timed he then flew for 2h. 27m. 15s., which was a duration exceeding Mr. Wilbur Wright's performance at the end of last year, when the American remained aloft for 2h. 20m. 22s. So much for the modern method, as we said before, we hope many will up and do likewise. Nothing could be a greater encouragement to the sport and the industry than such achievements. On the other hand, we should regret exceedingly to see any undue foolhardiness in this individual conquest of the upper element. The pilot of the flyer takes chances just as every living thing takes chances, and they are greater the less his experience. Confidence is the signpost to success, we admit, but confidence without some judgment is a sure way to disaster. It is different for a man who has seen what can be done and emulates the performance of his master as compared with one who is urged on alone by his own faith in the future. Whoever may come and whoever may go, all honour must ever be given to that historical work which the Wright brothers carried on in the seclusion of their American home. They only believed in what was possible, and by their faith they made it reality. No man must ever forget that they led the way. If they did not up and fly the first day, it was because they realised their duty too well to court the hindrance of failure, and if they still make haste slowly, it is no longer others' concern. While much had been done in France before Wilbur Wright got there, it must have struck everyone what an electrical effect his presence had on the achievement of rivals in the field. Almost without exception did they at once proceed to achieve flights which were much superior to anything they had previously attained. And so the influence has spread, until we have as an intermediate climax, the remarkable case of M. Roger Sommer. From the men we may pass to the machines, and there we also hope to see an encouraging rivalry of types which shall produce knowledge of the greatest value appertaining to the science. Already we have monoplanes, biplanes and triplanes. Helicopters are not yet, if there are some believers. Orthopters or flapping-wing machines are in the dark. But, as we have said so often, conscientious work along any line must at least contribute something to the common stock, even though it fails to give individual success. In the aeroplane class of flying machine alone, there is immense scope for development, and there is no more satisfactory feature about the immediate history of the flight movement than that which alternatively brings the monoplane and the biplane to a position of pre-
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