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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0888.PDF
0HGHT] OCTOBER 29, 191a THE AERONAUTICAL CLASSICS NO. 4, THE fourth of those admirable little volumes published by the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain under the title of the Aeronautical Classics has for its subject Francesco Lana. This early student of aeronautics wrote his treatise in Italian in 1670, and made his famous suggestion of exhausting the air from globes made of thin copper as a means of constructing a balloon for the navigation of the air. Merely from the practical point of view, and regarded in the light of modern experience, Lana's suggestion may sound a little absurd, but he deserves tremendous credit for it all the same, because in those days even such questions as the density of the atmosphere and the general principles of buoyancy were very little understood. Lana brought a remarkably clear and well balanced mathematical mind to bear on the subject, and his reasoning was quite accurate in theory. Even the practical objection that his copper globes might be crushed Lana also appreciated, but he argued, what is perfectly true, that a sphere is extremely strong to withstand external pressure. Although so entirely logical in the science of his subject, Lana allowed his foresight of the future of the art to be coloured by his religious views, since he gave it as his opinion that although the navigation of the air was undoubtedly possible in principle, yet nevertheless God would surely never allow such a machine to be successful "since it would create many disturbances in the civil and political governments of mankind." Well, there is at least this to be said, that man is already being justly chastised, according to Lana's view, for having dared to unveil the secret, for we certainly have had some political disturbances over aviation and are quite likely to have more. These little books that the Aeronautical Society are publishing are really quite among the most interesting works that can possibly find their way into the bookshelves of the student of flight, and we hope that readers of this journal are supporting the very worthy enterprise that has placed such books within the reach of all. It is, after all, no more than their due that the writings of such pioneers as Cayley, Wenham, Walker, and Lana should at least be read by modern students of aviation, and there is scarcely any excuse for omitting to do so now that the Aeronautical Society have published these classics at the popular price of Is. per volume. The present book on Lana must have been quite a troublesome and possibly a very costly production, for it is the first time that Lana's writings have been published in English, and the compilation has consequently involved a first hand translation from the two original editions in Italian and Latin. As usual, the author's treatise is introduced by a well written and appreciative biographical note. Farman Patents. SEVERAL correspondents having written to us for information re the Farman French patents, with respect to which Mr. Farman intends to institute legal proceedings against all infringements, we have obtained the following particulars from our French representa tive. English patents have been applied for in all cases :— Landing chassis, No. 23,134, October 18th, 1909. Double elevator, No. 411,421, January 8th, 1910. Special curvature of wings, No. 21,630, October 1st, 1910. Special construction, No. 21,653, October 3rd, 1910. Dealing with the'Spolls at Burton. AT a meeting of the Aviation Committee last week, held at the Town Hall, Burton, the balance-sheet of the recent aviation meeting was read, showing a profit of a little over £"263. The gross receipts amounted to £2,279 15s. Jd., while the expenditure was £2,016 7-f. n£d. It was decided to utilise the balance in the purchase of a gold chain of office, which will be worn by future Mayoresses of the borough, and in consideration of the services rendered by the Mayor and Mayoress and Mr. O. W. Arnold it was also resolved that some suitable souvenirs should be presented to them. But what we do not quite understand is, where do the promoters of the meeting, "Aviation Courses, Ltd.," come in, and what are these rumours, which come from Paris, to the effect that some of the machines of the aviators who took part in the exhibition are in the keeping of the British railway companies by way of security for unpaid freight ? " Dally Mail" £1,000 Cross-Country Prize. AT last it has been possible to obtain from the Aero Club of France the certified record of M. Paulhan's flights for the Daily Mail Cross-country Prize. These total to 1,290*9 kilometres, equivalent to 801 miles 1,025 yards. He thus secures the prize by being nearly 100 miles in advance of Mr. CJaude Grahame-White, whose record totalled to 703J miles. The delay which has arisen in connection with the issue of the final awards has been solely on the side of M. Paulhan and the Aero Ciub of France, as the duly certified figures of Mr. Grahame-White were passed by the Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom within about ten days of the closing of the competition, and although several appointments to exchange totals were definitely made by the French Club, and duly kept by the British representatives, postponement was each time on behalf of M. Paulhan. 5-cyl. 40-50-h.p. radial Anzani motor at Paris Flight Salon. 7-cyl. 90-h.p. Canton Unne motor at Paris Flight Salon. 886
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