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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0280.PDF
EBITOKIASL If J the responsible officials of the British Military War office would for a change take their IT TO PTCSS • in France, holidays in France, and combine business with pleasure by taking advantage of the facilities which we are quite certain would be afforded them to watch the progress of the French army in aviation, their eyes would doubtless be opened to a considerable extent. It is difficult nowadays to pick up a French newpaper without the eye falling at once on the record of some new performance, some fresh achievement in the air standing to the credit of a soldier aviator. Possibly there might not be a very great deal in, for instance, a new long-distance pas senger record, for we know that such things are now simply a matter of the endurance of the individual—the machine can do all that is necessary if the man can hold out. The same may be said of altitude records— in fact, of everything which we call a record. Therefore, if the happenings of the day were restricted to the putting up of fresh figures in what we may call the window-dressing side of aviation, we might be content to let it pass for the time, but it is not these matters at all which give us, as our friends on the other side of the Channel have it, furiously to think. It is rather the all - round progress that is being made, and the close, patient study of the many problems which arise from day to day which impress us. We have expressed ourselves as fairly well satisfied that our own Government has awakened to the immediate necessities of the aerial arm and we are not precisely dissatisfied with the amount of money which has been voted for that service as a preliminary, we trust, to much heavier expenditure in the near future. That is very well up to date, but it is of the time to come of which we must think. What are we doing, or going to do, out side of the purchase of a few aeroplanes to bring our aerial corps into line with the knowledge and skill of those of the Continent ? Before us we have two reports relating to aeroplane transport in the French Army. The one details the doings of an aviation section, consisting of three officers and twenty-five non-commissioned officers and men, who have been route marching over half of France. This section, which is apparently intended to be attached to an artillery brigade for observation purposes, consists of three motor-hauled wagons, each carrying a BleYiot monoplane with the wings detached. At every halting place the machines are assembled, and in some cases flights made, which finished, the aeroplanes are dismantled, packed away for transport, and the column moves off for its next objective. Then, again, the Army has been experimenting with certain R.E.P. machines of the same dismountable type, and we read that a few days ago one of them was un packed and made ready for flight in a trifle over twenty- three minutes. It was then flown by Mr. Gordon Bell, after which it was dismounted and replaced in its wagon in exactly fourteen minutes. There is no doubt but that the French aerial corps is rapidly arriving at the distinction of being the most efficient arm of the service—and we have sixteen machines, there or thereabouts, capable of flying ! Truly, it is time that we made a serious move! • •» «* Mr. Grahame- Following on all this, we have Mr. Grahame- ' White ' White resigning from the Technical Re- and the serve Advisory Committee, in order that Authorities. ]1C mav nave hjg hands free to expose the MARCH 30, 1912. COMMENT. true condition of military aviation in England. !t In an interview published in the Evening News, he says that, since the Committee was formed, it has held but two meetings, and has not even been consulted on any point connected with the estimates lately issued by the War Office. "Aviation," says Mr. Grahame-White, " in England is in a state of stagnation. Our people do not realise how backward we are in comparison with other countries, and how our very existence will depend upon our having a modern aerial fleet. No one, for instance, understands that, even now, France could send over a couple of hundred aeroplanes and burn London with comparative ease "—which is almost precisely what we have been saying in FLIGHT for months past. The British public simply does not realise how serious the position is already, and that it becomes increasingly so every day. Again quoting Mr. Grahame-White, he says that the Government view seems to be that there is no need to bother now; when required, we can soon build a couple of hundred aeroplanes to catch up any of our 1 rivals . . . . It takes at least two years' hard training to turn out a competent pilot who would be of real use under war conditions; while, as a matter of fact, the Government would not be able to procure the machines. Unless something is done at once, there will very soon be no aeroplane constructors, as they are all being driven out of the business by the inaction of the Government. This, coming from an authority of Mr. Grahame-White's standing, ought to assist in producing the desired effect upon the public mind; and the sooner the true position begins to dawn upon the popular understanding the better it will be for the safety of the Empire. • • • The proceedings at the annual general ^ he. meeting of the Royal Aero Club were very Aero Club. largely formal in their character, but there was nevertheless a good deal of interesting business transacted, while the record of progress outlined in the chairman's speech was distinctly encouraging. For example, he was able to remind his audience that between December 31st, 1911, and the corresponding date of last year, no less than 130 British aviators qualified for pilots' certificates, while up to date over 200 are inscribed on the books of the Club. Then, apart from the record of progress achieved, the Club has the future in its keeping, and it became the duty of the meeting to formally assent to certain rules for the better governance of aviation on the sporting and test side of the science, while it was also announced that regulations corresponding to the rule of the road at sea have been drawn up by the Club committee, and which appeared in last week's issue of FLIGHT. Finally, the general meeting disclosed the fact that, apart from its other functions, the Royal Aero Club is carrying out the duties of a real society of encouragement, by giving tangible marks of its appreciation of services rendered to the movement by the awarding of medals of honour to those who have achieved remarkable performances during the year. It may be remarked in this connection that a melancholy interest attaches to the awards of this year, in that the Club presented to the relatives of the late Cecil Grace the medal which he would have received had the issue of his cross-Channel flight been a happier one. All in all, the Club is certainly to be congratulated upon the work it has done, and is still doing, on behalf of the science of Flight.
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