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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0446.PDF
pML JUNE II, 1910. event has been made at the exact pre-arranged spot and without damage. Incidentally another record also attaches to the flight, viz., the occasion of the most elaborated journalistic account, " a la Munchausen," as supplied by an enterprising reporter to the general Press. Practically all the "details" which have appeared in morning papers have been pure fabrications. Mr. Rolls never disclosed the contents of the congratulatory tele gram received from the King, this being of a purely private character. Yet what purports to be the exact text has duly appeared. All the wonderful tales of the doings at Dover, of Mr. Rolls' parents. Lord and Lady Llangattock, and his sister after the event, although quite picturesque, are hardly accurate, inasmuch as none of them were there! It is true they had visited the scene of preparation some days previously, but this hardly justifies romancing upon such a very elaborate scale. However, as present-day journalistic methods in certain quarters demand this sort of sensationalism, we pre sume there will always be those who will be ready to supply it. Now, as to facts, first and foremost the exact times of the flight as recorded by Capt. Moore, R.E., are perhaps the most important. Mr. Rolls on his Wright machine left the starting rail by his shed at Broadlees, Dover, at 6.30^ p.m. by the clock ; he crossed the British coast line at 6.34^ p.m., the French coast line about \\ miles east of Sangatte upon his return journey at 7.15 p.m. (English time) re-crossed the British coast line at 8.2 p.m., and, after circling Dover Castle, finally landed at his starting place by the rail at his shed at Broadlees at 8.6 p.m. Before turning for his homeward journey flew for a third of a mile inland over French soil, and " posted," by dropping a letter of greeting to the Aero Club of France. Probably no man's name was more prominent in the Press of the World, especially the British, following this record flight than Mr. Rolls'. Yet the man himself had little to say in praise of his own remarkable achievement. FOR the second time in history a military airship has sailed from Aldershot to London, but the little dirigible ** Beta," unlike her predecessor, was successful in returning to her base. It was a dark night, but very calm, on Friday of last week, when the squad of Royal Engineers received orders to assist in preparing the " Beta" for a night flight. She was taken out of the shed, and at 11.39 p.m., everything being in order, Col. Capper gave the order to let go. In the car with Col. Capper were Lieut. E. M. Waterlow and Mr. J. Ridge, each one carrying a little electric light to enable them to view the various instruments, &c, under their charge. Rising to a height of 800 feet the little craft was manoeuvred over the balloon factory, with the Green engine running at half speed, to see that everything was working satisfactorily, and then a course was shaped for Farnborough Station on the South western Railway. On reaching that point the course was altered to north-east, and the main line followed to London over Pirbright, Woking, Byfleet, Weybridge, Hampton Court, Wimbledon, Clapham Junction to Southwark Bridge, which was reached about 2 a.m. So far the only incident had been an engine stop of a few LONDON was not the only British city which was traversed by airship on Saturday morning, as Cardiff was honoured in a similar way, although in the latter case the trip was quite a short one compared to that of the military airship " Beta." Starting from the East Moors at ten minutes to seven, Mr. Willows headed his miniature airship for the City Hall, which was reached in seven minutes. The Clock Tower was encircled once, and then the vessel was brought to land in the open space just by. the Tredegar Statue. It was the machine, not the man. Credit should go to the designers, the Wright Brothers. He was merely the user of their work All he had to do was to sit quietly and let the machine take him across and back again, or words to that effect. Whilst acknowledging the justice of this apportioning of credit up to a point, it is only with such men as Mr. Rolls to back up their creations that continued progress can be hoped for by the originators of the machines themselves. Asked what his feelings and sensations were, Mr. Rolls, as ever modest, could not say there was anything unusual to talk about. He had just flown over the water and back, and that was all. There was no trouble, no worry or sensations to speak about. That had ceased from the moment the machine left the starting rail. Any anxiety that there might be was rather in the preliminaries— waiting for suitable weather, tuning up the engine, seeing to wires and spars, and all such other matters. These constituted the only worries of the undertaking. * The public, however, know how to value such services in a great cause as those performed by Mr. Rolls, and in spite of his belittlement of his own work, we think the receptions which are likely to be accorded to this pioneer upon every occasion when he shall appear in public, whether as aviator or otherwise, will give very audible voice to the appreciation in which he is held. It might be a fitting and graceful act if a memorial stone were to be erected upon the spot of departure and return, in like manner to that marking the point of alighting by M. Bleriot. That there is a strong feeling abroad in this connection there may be instanced a donation towards this object received by the Mayor of Dover from a working man, who takes for granted that such a movement will be the natural corollary to Mr. Rolls' flight. It will be seen from the official notices that the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club has been conferred upon Mr. Rolls for his Channel flight. i ® ® minutes, while over the Brooklands track, to adjust a minor part. At Southwark Bridge the airship turned to pass over St. Paul's Cathedral, and then, keeping on a westward course, Holborn was followed to Marble Arch, where the course was again altered, taking the ship over Hyde Park, Kensington, Hammersmith, Brentford, Hounslow, Staines. There the river was once more crossed to pick up the main road to Southampton, which was followed through Egham, Sunningdale, and Bagshot. At 3.30 Farnborough was sighted, and at 3 43 a.m. the airship landed just by its shed, at the conclusion of the best flight which has yet been accomplished in the annals of the British balloon factory. A photograph of the "Beta" appeared in our last issue, and this clearly showed the alterations which have been recently made in the vessel. The envelope has been lengthened by the insertion of a panel about 20 feet wide at the greatest diameter. The cushion like ballonets at the after-end of the envelope have been replaced by balancing planes, and the position of the vertical plane and rudder modified. The engine-room has also undergone re-arrangement, and the propellers are now driven by 35-h.p. Green engines. After a stay of about half an hour in the Cathays Park, a restart was made for home, and within an hour from the time of starting the airship was safely docked again. This airship is quite a small one, the gasbag being only 82 feet in length, while its greatest diameter is 22 feet. A feature of the mechanism is the arrangement by which the two propellers can be so adjusted that their force is utilised in raising or lowering the dirigible. These propellers are made of wood, are 6 ft. in diameter, and are driven by a 30-h.p. J.A.P. motor. BRITISH ARMY AIRSHIP SAILS TO LONDON. ® ® ® ® THE WILLOWS DIRIGIBLE AT CARDIFF. 444
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