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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0066.PDF
AVERAGE FEBRUARY WEATHER. By T. F. IN almost every respect February weather shows a decided improvement on that of January. There are fewer gales, fogs, snowfalls and rainy days, and considerably more sun shine. Still, like January, this month is characterised by the three weather phenomena most dangerous to the aviator—gales, fog and snow. Gales, however, are one-fifth less numerous than in January, fogs one-fourth, and snowfalls one-fifth less numerous. If this month should approximate to the average February of one hundred years past, we have more reason to expect one or two gales during the first twelve days and the last six days than during the intervening period. Fogs, on the contrary, are less frequent in the beginning of the month, more frequent in the middle, and then rapidly diminish in number. Snowfalls are pretty equally distributed throughout the four weeks. The average number of gales in the whole month is 2, of fogs 3 and of snowfalls 3J. Hail begins to grow more frequent after the middle of the month, but the chances of a fall are very slight—only 6 to 10. A thunderstorm occurs in February only once in nineteen or twenty years, that phenomenon reaching its minimum of frequency in February. As to rainfall, February shares with March the distinction of having the least amount. And in the number of rainy days (a fall of at least one-tenth of an inch) February is one of the good months, October to January being the worst. The improvement of February on January may be seen from the following figures, which give the average number of events occurring in a period of ten years :— January. February. Ten years' gales .. .. 25 20 ,, snowfalls . . 39 32 fogs .. .. 40 30 dense fogs .. 8 6 hailstorms • • 3i 6£ Hours of sunshine (London) during the month .. .. 42 56 Rainy days .,. .. ..15 12^ In hours of sunshine (at Greenwich) February shows an increase of 33 per cent, over January ; but as regards the amount of cloud the two first months of the year are equally bad. On nearly half the days of February we have either very much cloud or an entirely overcast sky ; while on less MANNING, than three days, taking the average of many years, is the sky cloudless or nearly so. Cold is little less severe than in January, and from the 7th to the 10th we will probably experience a very bitter spell, with northerly winds, one of half-a-dozen weather events which occur with singular regularity almost every year. The percentage chances of the various weather phenomena for each day in February are given in the following table. It must be remembered that this does not pretend to be a forecast ; but being based on records for a great many years past, it gives us some idea of the probabilities. Table of Weather Phenomena in February. The figures show how many times in a hundred years each event occurs. The odds against any event on a given day would be as 100 to the figure in the Table :— )ay. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 H "5 16 17 lS 19 20 21 22 -J 24 25 20 27 28 Gales. 9 7i 3 4i 6i 6 12 12 9 6 ioi 12 6 4i 5 6 H 6 5 54 0 6< (>l 64 7i 12 9 6A Fogs. ioi toi 10^ 8 9 14 8 8 14 8 9 13 9 '5 '3 13 16 IS 14 9 U| 16 9 7 7 6 8 7 uense Fogs. 3i 2 I 41 2 — 2 2 34 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 ih 2 34 1 1 2 snow falls. 15 17 9 9 9 12 74 6 10 10 18 7 10 9 IOJ 10 12 15 13 12 IS 12 12 9 134 12 12 12 Hail. '. 1 — — 1 1* i4 4 4 3 ii 3 14 2 5 — 3 14 2 3 i4 2 4 44 4 44 — 3 4 rhunder. 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 1 — 1 — — — ALL THE WORLD'S AIRSHIPS." IN starting out on parallel lines to do for the aeronautical industry what he has done so well for those interested in naval matters, Mr. Fred T. Jane in his remarkable work under the above title took in hand a stupendous task and one at which many a bold statistician might well have quailed. When the first edition of " All the World's Airships" appeared last year, although naturally there were several shortcomings inevitable from a first essay in such work, it was seen that Mr. Jane had set about his tisk in a very determined manner and had in fact got the general scheme of arrangement well in hand. The second issue, that for 1910-n, now lies before us. On turning over the pages it is at once obvious that the compiler has been at extraordinary pains to bring the publication right up to date, although at the present time when so many experimental machines are building and others being altered in design almost daily, it is well-nigh impossible to keep quite abreast of such developments. For all that the book is practically indispensable as a work of reference to those who wish to have ready to hand leading informa tion on this subject, as it forms a catalogue of all the aeroplanes and airships in the world and a good many more. There is little doubt that Mr. Jane has well laid the foundation of a hardy annual, which will take the place of "All the World's Fighting Ships" when Dreadnoughts and craft of that nature shall be deemed of secondary importance in the art of national defence. Nowadays the term ® ® Flying Across the Isthmus of Panama. IN addition to Mr. Harmon, who is credited with the intention of flying across the Lthmus of Panama, following the line of the Canal, Bielovucic and Chailley are the latest aspirants for the same feat, the latter intending to use a Voisin machine. In the meantime Bielovucic is credited by cablegram with having accomplished a 25 miles flight over Lima, in Peru, in "airships" has come to be applied mainly to dirigible balloons, but Mr. Jane uses the term in the broadest sense, and so, as we have said, his work includes particulars of all types of mechanically propelled craft used for the navigation of the air, whether for fighting purposes or merely for sporting and scientific uses. Under the heading of each country of the world, particulars are given oi the aeroplanes and dirigible balloons owned in that country, and wherever possible these details are illustrated by a photograph and supplemented by a silhouette drawing. In connection with these sketches it is of considerable moment that they are all drawn to the same scale, thus making it an easy task to compare any one with another. Lists are also given of the owners of each type of machine. Part 2 is a list of the various motors specially made for aeronautical purposes, and here again, wherever possible, a photo graph is included of the engine. Part 3 is an aerial " Who's Who," but here all too many names have been omitted which should certainly find a place, while the summary given con cerning many that do find a place could very well be amplified. Lists are also given of the manufacturers and agents for aeroplanes and airships, and in like manner for the different fittings therefor, although we fancy this portion of the work has been treated in rather too wide a way. The book is published at the price of 21 s. net. by Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston and Co., Ltd. ® ® the extraordinary time of 16 minutes, his descent being on the racecourse. Florida to Cuba by Aeroplane. AN attempt is to be made, according to report from New York, to fly from Key West, in Florida, to Havana. In the event of the flight being made arrangements will be carried out for torpedo boats to be in waiting en route. 68
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