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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0988.PDF
lysgHT] NOVEMBER II, ign. THE FRENCH MILITARY COMPETITIONS IN our last issue we were able to record the closing of the preliminary competition at Rheims, and on the ist inst. it was officially announced that the Military Commission had decided to pass the seven following machines: Weymann's Nieu- port (ioo-h.p. Gnome), Renaux's Maurice Farman (70-h.p. Renault), Birra's Maurice Farman (70-h.p. Renault), Fischer's Henry Farman (70-h.p. Gnome), Frantz's Savory (70-h.D. Labor Aviation), I'revost's IJ^perdussin (100-h.p. Gnome), Vedrines's Deperdussin (60-h.p. Anzani). It was also decided to refer to the Superior Commission the question of admitting the 100-h.p. Gnome-engined Breguet, piloted by Moineau, as well as Bregi's 140-h.p. Gnome-Breguet. Incidentally it may be mentioned that a British Commission, consisting of Captains Fulton, Sykes and Birrington Kennett, arrived at Rheims on October 31st., in order to witness the final competition. At their meeting on the following day the Superior Commission decided to admit the two Breguets, so that nine machines are left in to take part in the final test, consisting of a 300 kilometre flight from Rheims to Amiens and back, which was to have been held on Saturday. A slight alteration was made ® ® AlRSHIlF Trial Trip of the "Akron." ON Saturday last Mr. Vaniman had his new airship, with which he proposes to attempt a trans-Atlantic voyage, out for a trial trip at Atlantic City. The airship carried out one or two evolutions, before suddenly landing in a swamp about eight miles from its headquarters, There it had to remain for some hours until high water, when a boat went to its assistance and towed it home. The New Lebaudy Out Again. ON the 31st ult. the new Lebaudy military dirigible " Lieut. Selle de Beauchamp" was out for altitude tests imposed by the military authorities. No difficulty was experiemed in getting the airship to a height of well over 1,000 metres. Gross "M 2" at Cologne. ON the 3rd inst. the Gross military dirigible, " M 2," was away from its headquarters at Cologne for a couple of hours, during which speed and altitude tests were carried out. In the afternoon of the sam; day it was out again, voyaging for about three hours. A New Propeller for Dirigibles. TESTS have been recently carried out at the German Military Airship Park, at Tegel, with a new arrangement for propelling air ships. The old envelope of " Parseval I " has been inflated, and carries a car in the front of which has been fitted a 50-h.p. Argus ® ® in the rules, allowing csmpetitors to take as much petrol as they liked, instead of having to take a definite quantity, which had been previously declared. It really seems as though the fates are against the final being run off, for on Saturday morning the wind and fog rendered flying practically out of the question ; but, as the Farman representatives wished to start, the Commission, after consulting with the entrants, decided that they could not refuse permission. Barra was accord ingly the first to be timed away, but he had only covered a few kilometres when he was obliged to land. Renaux had ignition trouble, and so could not start, while Fischer, after a trial, decided that the wind was much too strong. The Commission met again in the evening, and decided to start on the following day if the weather was more favourable. As a matter of fact, it was, if anything, worse, and so Sunday had to be written down a blank day, while Monday was the same. On Tuesday several attempts were made to start, but the only one to get away was Waymann, and he was obliged to land 8 kiloms. from Rheims through a petrol pipe breaking. ® ® lEWS, motor. In place of the usual propeller the motor operates a sort of endless venitian blind, the blades being made of fabric on an aluminium framework. The trials are said to have been very suc cessful, and there was no vibration or shaking. "Schwaben" Takes a Royal Load. THERE is no doubt that the voyage of " Schwaben," on Thursday of last week, was unprecedented from the point of view of the aristocratic passengers who accompanied it. The party con sisted of four sons of the Kaiser, Princes Eitel Friedrich, Auguste Wilhelm, Oscar and Joachim, as well as the Princess Augusta Wilhelm, Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia, Prince George of Greece, and two Ministers, Herr Von Breitenbach (Railways) and Herr Delbruck. The start was made from Johannisthal, and the dirigible was away for about two hours, during which it crossed Berlin to Potsdam, where it circled above the royal castle, and then came down to the surface of Lake Schwielow for some time before returning to Johannisthal. Th» "S:hutte Lanz" Out Again. As a result of a first trial trip, several slight modifications were decided upon with regard to the steering-gear of this airship. These alterations having been completed, she was out again for a little over an hour on the 31st ult., during that time passing over Mannheim, Heidelberg and Schwetzinger. ® ® 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 have appeared in FLIGHT, would much facilitate ready reference by quoting the number of each letter. The Aeroplane in War. [1415] Corrigenda for letter 1,404:— Semi-colon after £4,000—delete " and," two words before. " 60 or 90 " m.p.h. should be" 60 or 70." Ooo ft. or 700 ft. should be yards. You will observe that the talk of Germany spending ;£i,500,000 on aeroplanes, and the official statement by Col. Seely that France has now 200 aeroplanes, both favour my contentions. Nov. ist. R.A. (Retired). Subsidized Sheds. [1416] The article in your edition of the 28th October on the subsidizing of aeroplane sheds was happily inspired, and no doubt great and lasting benefit to the whole nation would accrue, if only there was the slightest chance that the authorities appealed to would display the imaginative fore sight necessary to initiate such a scheme. But, alas ! all evidence to date points to the certainty that in England no one in authority, whether country landowner, town councillor, city mayor or Minister of State, seems to consider aviation a subject for serious consideration. This being so, your article no doubt merely enshrines a pious hope destined tofloat indefinitely in the realms of fancy ; and as an intensely moderate scheme is but little less unlikely of consideration than the most far-reaching, why not amplify to heart and mind's content ? For instance, let the municipal councils of every town or city of any importance at once start a municipal aero station. The right sort of land, conveniently close to a main road leading into the town, can now be bought cheaply enough. By agreement and legislation recognised signs could be erected and rules drawn up for alighting and starting. A simple and possibly efficient scheme would be to have the centre of the station marked, for guidance by day, by a large white surface of definite shape, level with the ground, and by a bright white light at night. The perimeter of the manoeuvring ground would be defined by red posts and lights ; and all traffic would move so as to keep the white light on the left hand. Hangars, hotels, repair shops and so on could be added as the aerial traffic grew, and a service of cars or a tramway into the town started. A promising programme, one would think; present cost, small ; future gain, incalculable. But no ! anyone can guess exactly what will happen. The need for aerial stations will be gradually met by private enterprise. At last, when the traffic has grown enormously, public opinion will force the authorities to act, and then, grudgingly and with immense inconvenience, delay and expense to all concerned, the stations will be bought and placed under proper supervision. Oh, the chances, soon to be lost for ever, that the birth of aviation is still sending a-begging! Nf E§ 990
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