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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 1108.PDF
pus ROYAL AERO CLUB SUCCESSFUL as last year's annual dinner of the Royal Aero Club was, this charming function for 1911, which was held on Thursday of last week in the great gallery of the Royal Automobile Club, surpassed it in every way. Without being unduly crowded, the banqueting room was as full as it could hold. An excellent dinner awaited the guests, following a reception by the Chairman, Mr. Roger W. Wallace, K.C., in the special and elaborate erection which had been put over the terrace of the R.A.C. in connection with the big Durbar Ball held at the Club on the previous Tuesday. After the excellent repast had been discussed and the loyal toasts duly honoured, the Chairman called upon Mr. G. J. Sandys, M.P,, to propose the toast of the "The Imperial P'orcef." Mr. Sandys confessed that he could not understand the attitude of our authorities towards military aviation. From personal obser vation at the French military manoeuvres he could vouch that, from what he saw, there was not the smallest exaggeration in the reports as to the value attached to the fourth arm by the French authorities. It was evident that the future for it was very great. Had the fourth arm been available twelve years ago most of the disasters of the South African campaign would have been either avoided or greatly modified. The French Government were, in spite of their great advance at present, prepared to lay down enormous sums in the futherance of the science in the coming year. Comparing this with the British War Office our position was most unsatisfactory. The serious position was that in the event of war our leaders had no experience in, or the slightest knowledge of, the use of aeroplanes. The whole situation under such condition required radical alteration. The present proposals were for a short course of training for a hundred military aviators, and for them then to return to their ordinary duties. This was an entirely unsound and unsatisfactory proposition. A proportion of permanently engaged officers devoting their energies entirely to aviation was the only possible solution of efficient equipment for the Army for serious work. Lieut.-Col. C. O. Smeaton, R.A., speaking for himself and his brother pilots, said he could safely say if the Government would supply the money and the material they would find the men. When the Morocco trouble arosf, one of the greatest factors in preserving peace, on the top of the British Navy, was the strength of the French aerial fleet, which, by the demonstration of their practical worth under war conditions, scared to death those who saw what it was possible to bring immediately against the German army, and a further direct result was seen in the action of Prince Henry of Prussia in forcing forward huge expenditure upon aeroplanes for the German army. ® © AIR I COMPTON PATERSON and E. F. Driver have, as anticipated, opened their tour in South Africa in fine style, and during the past week they have been making flights in the neighbourhood of Cape Town practically daily. On Monday, Driver, who knows the country well, was flying for three-quarters of an hour on his Bleriot over the suburbs of Cape Town. • • • I hear thit the Gnome people are experimenting with an absolutely new type of engine. It is a stationary motor, water-cooled, and with the cylinders set parallel to the crank-shaft. It is very difficult to get any particulars yet, but I understand that there are two pistons in each cylinder. The experimental engine which is now being tested is said to have developed 140-h.p. on the brake. After noting that General Roques had decided to adopt the word " Avion" for military aeroplanes, I was interested to see that Mr. Montagu, in a reply to a question in the House of Commons, referred to the fact that instruction in practical " aeroplanism " of Indian Army officers was under the consideration of the Indian Government. " Aeroplanism " is a good word, but if the Govern ment is going in for coining terms now that it has turned a some what more favourable eye on aviation, it is to be hoped that they will submit its proposals to Prof. Skeat, or some other competent philological authority first. One regrettable result of the Naval Airship catastrophe is that the " Hermione " has been ordered to return to Portsmouth, and consequently Commander Schwann has had to interrupt the series of experiments with his Avro-hydro-aeroplane. Quite a lot of interesting data regarding this type of machine and its use have been obtained by Commander Schwann, and he has now a new pair of floats ready for testing as soon as a convenient opportunity occurs. DECEMBER 23, 1911. ANNUAL DINNER. Mr. W. Joynson-Hicks, M.P., in proposing "The Royal Aero- Club of the United Kingdom," congratulated the Club upon the huge success which they had achieved in their work. Seven years ago they numbered 240 and now their numbers were well up to 1,400. Mr. Roger W. Wallace replied and gave some quaint recollec tions of aviation and referred particularly to the chief aviation, events of the past year, especially including the Daily Mall Circuit of Britain and the Gordon-Bennett Race at the Royal Aero Club Eastchurch flying grounds. During the evening the presentation of prizes took place, Mr. C. H. Pixton receiving the Manville £*>oo prize, and Mr. S. F. Cody the British Empire Michelin Trophy No. 1, and cash prize of £500, and the British Empire Michelin Trophy No. 2, with a cash prize of ^400. Between the orations, and until a somewhat late hour, an excep tionally fine entertainment of a varied character was enjoyed, the artistes including Senorita Carman Turia, Signor Francia, Signor G. Lenchi, Mr. L. H. Mills, Miss Madge Temple, Miss Marian Jay, Mrs. Lilian McKenzie-Fairfax, Mr. James Chilcott, the Imperial Russian Trio, &c. Over 300 members and guests were present, and amongst those who supported the chairman were :—Admiral of the Fleet, the Rt. Hon. Sir E. H. Seymour, P.C., G.C.B., &c, Sir C. D. Rose, Bart., M.P., Sir Norman Lockyer, Baron Campbell von Laureniz, Messrs. E. Manville, G. J. Sandys, M.P., W. Joynson-Hicks, M.P., Capt. the Hon. Edward Dawson, R.N.> Lieut.-Col. C. O. Smeaton, R.A., Capt. B. D. Corbet, the Hon. Mrs. Assheton-Harbord, Lady Blood, Lady Lambart, Major F. M. Carleton, Capt. E. F. F. Sartorius, Lieut. B. H. Barrington- Kennett, Lieut.-Col. A. R. Hoskins, Prof. A. K. Huntington, Mr. Mervyn O'Gorman, the Hon. Mrs. Leveson-Gower, Countess von Resetas, Baron and Baroness H. de Ville, Mr. F. Hedges-Butler Capt. P. Brooke-Smith, R.E., Mr. Alec Ogilvie, Capt. E. M. Maitland, Lieut. A. G. Fox, R.E., Capt. A. H. W. Grubb, D.S.O., R.E., Lieut.-Col. F. C. Trollope, Lieut. J. C. Porte, R.N.„ Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer, Messrs. F. A. Hirst (Yorkshire Aero Club), J. Wilkinson (East Riding Aero Club), F. E. McClean, J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, S. F. Cody, Fred May, J. W. Dunne, H. Barber,. O. C. Morison, James Radley, D. Lawrence-Santoni, D. Graham Gilmour, Capt. J. Benett-Stanford, Messrs. R. Blackburn, L. Howard-Flanders, N. Chereau, Howard T. Wright, A. V. Roe, Kennedy Jones, F. W. Shorland, and Harold E. Perrin. (secretary). ® ® 3>BIES. The Avro Flying School has cause to be pleased with the result of their past season's work, as, reviewing the list of prizes won a Brooklands this year, Mr. Roe tells me that 80 per cent, of them. were carried off by Avro pupils or pilots who have graduated in this school. I hear that a limited company is being formed next year to take it over, when it should do even better, as in the past it has been run more as a testing department than a flying school. Messrs. A. V. Roe will now devote their time solely to the making of aero planes, and their works in Manchester are being enlarged to enable them to cope with the work in hand. By the way, the firm are making an attractive offer to those who wish to qualify for the Royal Aero Club superior certificate. Write them for particulars, j • • • Evidently our cousins of the Australian Commonwealth are determined to get a move on in the matter of Army aviation. Evidence of this was afforded by the advertisements which have been appearing in the home and Australian papers calling for two competent pilots to act as instructors at an Army School of aviation which is to be commenced. Capt. Fulton, I hear, is likely to be in charge of the military Deperdussin monoplane which has been acquired by the British^ War Office. • • • George Dyott and Captain Patrick Hamilton have been doing great things in Mexico, and the former had the honour on the last day of November of taking Francisco I. Madero, the newly installed President of the Mexican Republic for a ten minutes flight in his Deperdussin monoplane. A day or two previously he took Gaona, a popular bull-fighter, for a trip. During the flying week held in connection with the Presidential installation during the previous week Miss Matilde Moisant and Miss Harriet Quimby were out on their Moisant monoplane over the Valbuena flying ground nearly^ every day, and on one occasion they were both aloft at one time. "OISEAU BLEU." II16
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