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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0855.PDF
SEPTEMBER 30, 1911. TTWrfH CORRESPONDENCE. *»* The name and address of the writer (not necessarily for publication) MUST in all cases accompany letters intended for insertion, or containing queries. Correspondents communicating; with regard to letters which they have read in FLIGHT, would much facilitate ready reference by quoting the number of each such letter. Aerial Gunnery. [1369] R.A., in letter 1355, makes telegraphy to appear a delightfully simple operation. During aciual warfare, a telegraphist, after sending off a large number of totally unintelligible messages, might be pardoned if he left out a letter, a syllable, or even a word. There is an excellent description of the telegraphist's office under Service conditions in "The Green Curve," by "Ole Luk Oie." I should also like to mention a footnote to Section 17 of F. S. R., Part I, a work to which I had occasion before to draw R.A.'s attention:—Ike term " signal" includes telegraphs. . . . and to point our that it is possible to '' tap " even wireless messages. R.A. seems to think it the easiest thing in the world to alter the speed of one's aeroplane to suit that of any dirigible that happens to be underneath one. As easy, in fact, as it is to solve a triangle when in flight. It is not the number of shots fired that will bring down an aeroplane, but the number of hits, and the bull is small. Hitting a man, an engine, or propeller at 2,000 ft. with ball is very different from hitting snipe at 110 ft. with shot. I confess to be still not quite convinced as to the utility of the "'rough rules" R.A. mentions, and would be extremely obliged if he would give me more particulars about them. Perhaps I shall find them in the article he mentions. In any case, many thanks to him for recommending it to me. O. D. ATKINSON. Classification of Aeroplanes. [1370] In looking over some back numbers of FLIGHT I came across Mr. E. W. Twining's letter on the "Classification of Aero planes," No. 880, of November 12th, 1910. Since his letter was published I have not heard of this method of tabulating types of machines being used. Furthermore, Sir, in referring to your editorial note I see that you study the interests of your new readers, and rightly so. But I think the time has come that any person can understand the classification of aeroplanes, be he a student of aeronautics or otherwise. I call attention to this because I am sure it would save a great deal of space and unnecessary repetition of describing types of aeroplanes. Salisbury. D. ALLON PITT. The Aerial Post. [1371] In your editorial comment of last Saturday's FLIGHT is a short article on what the Manchester Guardian thinks about the aerial post. It calls it "an amusing enough game for the silly season," and I quite agree with it too. I am a great believer in aviation, I have studied it from its earliest stages, and have seen many different types of machines in flight, and I think, if I may be allowed to express the following opinion, they may stand as some defence for the cause of aviation, and also prevent the aeroplane from being used for more or less " farcical" purposes. Your paper seems to have been in favour of this " farce," for in FLIGHT of September 16th, in the Editorial comment, you say: " So far the venture has proved successful, in spite of the unfortunate accident to Hubert," &c. Well, let every person who received letters or post-cards which have been taken for a twenty minutes' ride in an aeroplane (or supposed to have been, as there is no proof that they ever went to Hendon) think that these epistles have played a part in practically crippling an aviator for life. Then in the same article you go on to say: " Thousands of people have received letters which have been carried through the air (?) (the query is mine) and have been duly impressed by the wonder of it all." Wonder of what ? There is nothing wonderful in the fact that an aeroplane can fly twenty miles with a few pounds of letters strapped on to the machine. Tnen the lay Press (when reporting on aviation often gets hold of false reports which are pubished and are well remembered by the non-aviation public), have no doubt done some damage to the science through this postal business. They boomed it before it was started, after, and also Hubert's accident. I think if they would fill their columns with good accounts of cross-country flights, &c, instead of accounts of accidents to aviators, they would create a better impression on the outside public. Naturally people who do not take any interest in flying, and never will so long as they read these accounts of accidents, become more and more " pigheaded." I know of some people who come under this category that gloated over the stoppage of this letter airing business and said if aviators were foolish enough to risk their necks for playing at aerial postmen they need expect no sympathy from ihe outside public. I am very pleased indeed that the Postmaster-General has stopped it. I think it a pity that Messrs. 1 lamtl, Greswell, Hubert and Driver were dragged into this business, as they might have been making better flights elsewhere. The next thing I should like to see as regards this business is the balance sheet, which if circumstances permit I hope you will publish. Sorry to trouble you with this long letter, which I hope you will publish next week. Wishing your paper further successes. I may say I have taken it almost from the first. Pool, near Leeds. " RKMOUS." [There are two points in our correspondent's letter to which we would refer. He presumes to doubt whether the letters con-iigned through the Aerial Post were carried by aeroplane at all. His remark under this head is certainly uncalled for and in bad taste. To criticise the promoters of the enterprise for their conception is one thing, but to throw doubt on the elementary bona lides of the service is quite another, and we are confident that on reflection " Remous will see it in this l'ght. He asks what there is wondeiful in the receipt of a letter which has been carried for twenty miles through the air. Is there nothing wonderful in it when we remember that three years ago the longest flight was measured in yards? Again, is there nothing in the point that the personal appeal made to the recipient of the air-carried letter to consider that the aeroplane is so much an accomplished fact that it can be applied to the purposes of our everyday life worth nothing to the science ? We should be sorry to think so.—ED.] Twisting Tail for Steering.—Letter 1331. [1372] In reply to Mr. Richards' letter in your valaable paper asking for readers' experiences with models fitted with flexible tails for controlling vertical and horizontal flight, it may interest him and others who have written on the subject to know that as far back as July, 1903, I made and demonstrated a model fitted with a flexible tail to Eric Stuart Bruce, then secretary of the Aeronautical Society. The model was steered to right or left, raised or lowered according to the twist on the tail relative to the front planes. The design for this machine won the first prize in an open competition in 1903, presented by the Illustrated Scientific News. I patented the idea in 1902. A sketch of the tail fitted to the IQ03 model I enclose, showing controlling cords above and below the tail. 260, Clarges Street, W. WILLIAM COCHRANE. OUR READERS ASK: FOR what reason does a piece of cardboard launched with a spin fly better than if thrown without rotation ? [1373] A piece of cardboard launched with a spin makes a better flight than one launched without the spin for the same reason that a spinning bullet fired from a rifle makes a better trajectory than one fired from a smooth-bore gun. The energy in the spin confers stability of attitude on the projectile, disturbing influences being resisted by its gyroscopic force. IS plated wire worth mint; on models f [1374] 857
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