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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0760.PDF
NOVEMBER 27, 1909. PROGRESS OF FLIGHT ABOUT THE COUNTRY. (NOTE.—Addresses, temporary or pirmanent, follow in each case the names of-the clubs, where communications of our readers can be addressed direct to the Secretary.) S.W.England AeronauticalSoc.(Si, ST. LEONARD'S RD.,E SHEEN)Midland AeroClub(THE BUNGALOW, STECHFORD, BIRMINGHAM) THE awards in connection with the model competition on Saturday week in Sutton Park have now been published. Mr. G. P. Smith was awarded a bronze medal for the flights of his biplane, while the bronze medal for monoplanes was taken by Mr. T. W. K. Clarke. Mr. G. P. Smith was also awarded the bronze medal for the best model made by an amateur. Sheffield and District Aero Club (36, COLVER ROAD). A MEETING of the above club was held on Friday evening, the 19th inst., the chief object of which was to discuss certain matters left over from the previous meeting. The Chairman, Mr. A. V. Kavanagh, opened the meeting, referring to the attitude of the pro- vincial clubs and the Aero Club. The secretary, assisted by Mr. Heeley, explained as simply as possible the present position, and although everyone present recognised the past good work done by the Aero Club, and much sympathy was felt, it was decided to work together with the provincial clubs. Later it was decided to admit ladies free to the membership of the club. The membership continues to grow, and it is hoped that in a week or two a large public meeting will be held. Earl Fitzwilliam has accepted the presidency of the above club, and the acquisition of his lordship's patronage should to a great extent enhance the success of the club. C. B. Stuart Wortley, Esq., M.P., has also expressed his willingness to fill a vice-presidency. ® « THIS club is now forging well ahead, and a library is in course of formation. Any members who have books to lend or present are asked to communicate with the Secretary. A Committee meeting will be held on the 30th inst. to decide the club's attitude towards the National Council question. The Secretary would remind intending members of the offer of the use of small petrol engines by the works manager. Wood cut to required sizes may be had at the club's aero works at a reduced charge to members. Yorkshire Aero Club (63, ALBION STREET, LEEDS). ON the 16th inst. Mr. C. E. Dunn, Chairman of the Club, gave the first of a series of lectures, taking as his subject '' Patent Law in Relation to Aerial Invention." Mr. H. Knowles presided over the meeting, and in the course of a few remarks pointed out that the Yorkshire A.C. was one of the strongest and most influential of its kind in the country. In consequence their delegates had been received with marked respect by the Aero Club, and their words had been given great consideration. At a Committee meeting held on the 23rd inst., it was felt that the action of the two delegates at the Inter-Club Conference in voting for the Aero Club scheme, subject to modification, was a right one. The Club had now a membership of 250, which represented members who had actually booked their names. Lord Garrock has consented to become a Vice-President of the Club. SCOTLAND WELL TO THE FORE SOME very interesting remarks regarding aviation were made by Mr. W. Allen Carter at a meeting of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts held in Edinburgh recently. During the past year, he said, great strides had been made, and what was once regarded as the dream of cranks must now be admitted as a practical means of loco- motion now that a machine could remain in the air for several hours and travel great distances. The dreamers who had dreamt of gliding through the air on extended wings had awakened from their dreams to realise that the dream was vanishing and that reality had come instead. From the first century a tradition was handed down that a certain magician, known as Simon of Samaria, proclaimed at the court of the Emperor Nero that one day he would fly like the birds, but his wing-power was insufficient and he broke his legs in his fall. Then there was Roger Bacon in the thirteenth century, who was interested in aerial flight, and 200 years later an English Benedictine, Oliver de Malmesbury, made wings for himself, but when he fractured some limbs he consoled himself by affirming that if he had secured a tail as well he would undoubtedly have suc- ceeded. AN ANTOINETTE MONOPLANE DETAIL. A CORRESPONDENT has written asking us to explain how the front strut is affixed to the hull-shaped body of the Antoinette machine, and whether any flexibility is provided for. We have therefore prepared the accom- __ panying sketch, which will doubtless be found useful by way of supple- menting the details and scale drawings that we published a few weeks ago (October 13th and 20th). From this it will be observed how the strut is stiffened by a diagonal member that is bolted to it with aluminium side-plates, and how a certain amount of springiness is secured by the use of saw cuts through that portion which comes in contact with the ground and which is protected on the under side by a thin steel armouring. Scotland had never been behindhand where progress was con- cerned, and about the year 1508 we had a professor of aviation of our own in the person of Abbot Damian. He was a gentleman with big views, and he proclaimed to King James IV that he would leave Stirling Castle and fly to France. He fixed to himself artificial wings manufactured out of birds' feathers, and launched himself into the air, but he came sadly to grief, breaking his legs. He accounted for his failure by the fact that he had not solely used eagles' feathers. The present tendency was to neglect the balloon and resort to the flying machine, and with greater knowledge of mechanics and physics of the air the future looked very promising. But the problems in aerial flight were very complicated, for the higher up one got the lower was the temperature. Flying machines, however, did not require to go to any great heights, and probably for some time flights would remain within 1,000 ft. of the earth. Even within that range there remained much to be discovered, for the physical conditions of the air would always have an effect on the buoyancy and behaviour of the machines. In time all difficulties would be overcome, and no more astonishment would be caused by the flying machine than by the motor ear. COCHRANE PROPELLERS. AMONGST the recent propellers that have been turned out by Messrs. Cochrane and Co. during the past week or two is one that was brought for us to examine prior to its dispatch to its present owner. Its weight without the coupling boss (which in this particular instance added some 3 lbs.) was, but 3^ lbs., while the overall diameter was 3 ft. 6 in. Neatly constructed on the " Coch- rane" principle of aluminium-covered " Aalomotor Journal" (Yellow Cover) Copyright Photo. The Cochrane type of propeller has corrugated aluminiumblades carried by sheet-metal-covered wooden arms. wood, it appeared to possess all the strength that could be required, in spite of the flexibility of its blades. When driven at 1,000 revolutions per minute by an engine developing 6-h.p., we understand it was found to give a thrust of about 75 lbs. Some neat little ball- thrust bearings for small model propellers have also been brought out recently by the same firm. 762
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