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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0455.PDF
JUNE II, 1910. First Airship Treaty. I/OGHT] THE negotiations for what will probably be the first Aviation Treaty are at present in progress between the Mexican and United States Governments, having been opened by the former. Mexico suggests the compulsory registration of airships crossing the border, the adoption of certain regulations governing landing on the territory of the other, and the passengers and merchandise to be carried, so as properly to protect the interests of both countries. A MINIATURE DIRIGIBLE.—View of the car on the latest Zodiac airship, illustrating the arrangement of the steering-planes and of the 30-h.p. Ballot motor which drives the single propeller. It will be noticed, too, that the centrifugal pump for keeping the envelope fully inflated is driven off the~propeller-shaft. CORRESPONDENCE:. *»* The name and address oj the writer (not necessarily for publication) MUST in all cases accompany letters intended for insertion, or containing queries. Correspondents asking questions relating to articles which they have read in FLIGHT, would much facilitate our work of reference by giving the number of the letter. NOTE.—Owing to the great mass of valuable and interesting corre spondence which we receive, immediate publication is impossible, but each letter will appear practically in sequence and at the earliest possible moment. THEORY OF AEROPLANES. [561] I am rather puzzled about the theoretical lift of aeroplanes. I understand that most of the machines which have flown, such as Wright's, support a weight of about 2 lbs. for every square foot of surface. Now I find in published tables of wind pressure that the pressure of 2 lbs per sq. ft. corresponds to a speed of about 27 miles per hour. I gather that the speed of the machines is not very much greater than this. How then is it that the pressure on the under surface of an aeroplane, nearly fiat, is nearly the same as would occur on the same plane if it were driven along perpendicularly to the air ? Could you tell me of any book which discusses in simple language the theory? R. HICKMAN. [Elsewhere in this issue we deal with this subject editorially.— ED.] AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENTS. [562] You have omitted a full stop after the word " aeroplane " from the following portion of my letter (No. 539) re the above subject. " The short-funnel tube in this case would be placed parallel to the earth, and across the aeroplane. I would have a shield placed" &c. This omission seriously interferes with the proper reading of my description. Whilst I am thankful to you for giving publication to my letter, the use of the words " quite im possible " in your note at the end of it to a great extent counteracts the object for which I wished my suggestion inserted in your valuable paper, i.e., that some of your readers might take up this line of thought and work therefrom. The two difficulties you raise to the possibilities of my plan are not at all serious ones ; I had foreseen them, and not until I had proved to my satisfaction that they were possible to overcome did I send you my suggestion. We are every day being taught by science that we ought to use the word " impossible" with great discretion, particularly where mechanism is concerned, and this caution is further brought home by the fact that I can positively overcome both the objections raised, and that without very elaborate mechanism. It was only in the absence of any other workable plan to automatically prevent an aeroplane being driven even miles out of its true horizontal course by a wind that I venture to submit you my suggestion. Hoping I will soon see some other suggestion put forward for the same purpose. Dublin. JAMES J. MCGRATH. OUR INSULAR POSITION. [563] In your issue of May 28th Mr. Miles, writing on " Our Insular Position," criticises those whose perception is evidently keener than his own. Because these "Jeremiahs" of the Press lament that our insularity is gone, it does not necessarily follow, as Mr. Miles seems to assume, that they also believe an aerial invasion 60 be possible. These " Jeremiahs " and other people recognise that which Mr. Miles does not, namely, that aerial attack, like marine attack, is not confined only to invasion. To say that marine locomotion menaces our insularity far more than aerial locomotion betrays a woeful lack of knowledge as to the conditions or possibilities in both cases. The dangers arising from seaward are (1) invasion, (2) coastal attack, (3) cutting off food supply. The sea has definite boundaries, which are the coasts. An army of invasion embarking from its own shores, in transports, renders itself incapable of defence or offence until it has disembarked upon our shores. We know that it must land on our coasts, and the danger is thus localised, and we have only to defend our coasts to avert it. Now, in the case of a coastal attack, this can be minimised or averted by the same means as employed against invasion ; but even if the attack is sucoessful, ife immediate effect is only on the coast, for naval attack cannot penetrate inland. In short, only the edge of the country is exposed to the first two seaward dangers. The third and perhaps most serious form of attack by sea, the cutting of the food supply, can only be prevented by retaining the command of 453
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