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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0735.PDF
AUGUST IO, 1912. (Deperdussin), Chambenois (Borel), Molla (R.E.P.), Mollien (Paulhan), Eug. Renaux (Maurice Farman), Train (Astra-Train), Weyman (Nieuport). The Ae.C.F. Criterium. THE rules for the Criterium have now been issued by the Aero Club of France. They state that the course must be at least 10 kiloms. round, and may be situated either in France or Algeria, and that the minimum distance to be covered without a stop is 750 kiloms. A Sommer Hydro-Aeroplane on Lake Geneva. A SOMMER hydro-aeroplane, fitted with an 80-h.p. Salmson- Canton-Unne motor has been in great demand for passenger trips over Lake Geneva. Its headquarters are at Evian and the pilot is Burrin. On the 2nd inst., he was flying for two hours. A Fatality at Doeberitz. SERGT. LACHMANN, the first German non-commissioned aviator, met with a fatal accident at Doeberitz on the 30th ult. In a fall of about 15 metres he sustained such injuries that he died in hospital without regaining consciousness. An International Meeting at St. Petersburg. IT is announced that the Imperial Aero Club of Russia is organising an International meeting to be held at St. Petersburg next month. The prize list amounts to ^4,000 at present. An Australian Race. THE postponed race between W. E. Hart, the Australian aviator, on a Bristol biplane, and A. B. Stone, on an American- built copy of a Bleriot, was held on June 29th. The course was from the Surry football ground at Sydney to Parramatta, a distance of 144 miles, and the arrangement was that the two were to start with an interval of 10 mins. between them. Hart won the toss, and got away first in fine style. He covered the course in 23 mins. 53 sees., and landed in the Parramatta Park. Stone lost his way, and mistaking the St. George's river for the Parramatta, landed at Belmore, after being in the air for half an hour. [AJGHTJ American Aviators Suspended. FOR taking part in an unsanctioned meet at Boston on Tune 29th, Lincoln Beachy, Glen L. Mattin, Charles K. Hamilton, Philip W. Page, Farnum T. Fish, Paul Peck, Arch Frernan, and F. J. Terrill have been suspended by the Aero Club of America until December 31st, 1912. An American Superior Certificate. THE Aero Club of America, having come to the conclusion that the F.A.I, conditions for obtaining a pilot's certificate are not sufficiently severe, has decided to issue an " expert aviator's certi ficate." The regulations are now being drawn up, and it is stated that they will include a physical examination. ® ® ® ® AIRSHIP MEWS. A New Russian Dirigible. A NEW dirigible " Albatros " has just been built in Russia for the Russian Army, and she will shortly be undergoing trials. The envelope has a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres. 24 Hours' Trip by " Conte." THE Astra dirigible " Conte" on the 2nd inst., with nine passengers on board, went for a trip of 2^ hours from Issy, and returned without incident. Success of the New Zeppelin. ON Saturday the new Zeppelin liner "Hansa" sailed from Friedrichshafen to Hamburg, a distance of 400 miles. The average speed worked out to 37 m.p.h., while the highest speed is said to have been 52 m.p.h. She will be stationed at Hamburg for a month for passenger trips. Other Trips by Zeppelins. THE " Victoria Louise " made a trip of three and a-half hours from Frankfort to Baden Oos on Saturday morning, while the " Z3 made a voyage of two and a-half hours round Metz. © © ® ® The Stability of Model Aeroplanes. WE have on several occasions been asked if we do not consider that model aeroplanes possess more natural or inherent stability than full-sized machines. The question is, in one sense, not an easy one to answer, because just how much natural stability a full-sized machine does possess is not a known factor, a practical one that is. Every full-sized machine carries a pilot, and possesses, as well, an additional stability factor as exemplified in the personal control of the same. One can scarcely imagine a live pilot, merely sitting in a machine like a dummy, while the machine is being tested for its stability factor ; in other words the personal control element would, in all probability, come into play some time before the actual limit of recovery had been reached. The advent of the hydro-aeroplane renders it now possible for such a test to be applied to a full-sized machine on some large and isolated sheet of water such as the open sea. As to whether the experiment will ever actually be tried is another matter. In experiments with models, so far as they go, large models are somewhat more difficult to get correctly adjusted than smaller ones, especially if they are power driven, but when once this has been done, their stability is in no way inferior to that of one weighing as many ounces as the other does pounds. Undoubtedly there are quite a number of full-sized machines whose stability factor is in all probability as good, or nearly as good, as that of some of the best models. There are one or two points which must, however, be carefully borne in mind. The most stable models (longitudinally) are of the elevator-in-front type ; or, to speak more correctly, the easiest models to stabilise longitudinally are this type. This is a fact proved practically hundreds and hundreds of times. But is not this in itself a proof that this type is inherently or naturally more stable longitudinally than the tractor-type, or even than the tail-type model with propellers in the rear ? A very im portant factor in the model stability problem is the question of speed, more especially in twin-screw hand-launched models of the flying- stick type ; practically speaking, in many—probably it would not be too much to say in most—models of this type this is their only stability factor. Conducted by V. E. JOHNSON, M.A. The question of stability is a very important one—in fact it would not be too much to say perhaps that it is the most important one, and we propose now devoting some attention to the subject—it is one on which quite a number of contributions of various kinds have reached us during the past six months, and with the chief of which we now propose to deal. There are, however, several preliminary considerations with which it will be necessary to set forth—these we will deal with in next week's issue. Mr. A. B. Clark's Model Biplane. We publish this week a photo of the above model, taken while in flight. The following are the chief dimensions of the model : 30 ins. long, 27 ins. span, it is driven by a pair of 9J ins. laminated pro pellers. It is equipped with a substantial landing chassis, and rises from the ground from four small wheels. Average duration of flight 35 sees., and the distance some 250 yds. It is constructed entirely of split bamboo, as advocated by Mr. H. H. Groves and others, including the writer. The bamboo chosen should have as large a diameter as possible—it should not be under from \\ \a z ins. All joints should be silk bound. The planes in the model referred to are covered with jap silk, which is proofed by celluloid dissolved in amyl acetate. The objection to this proofing is that it loses its tautness in damp weather. The altitude to which the model rises is about 80 ft., and the gliding angle is good. It is worthy of note that at the Wakefield competition not only was the winning machine a biplane, but that out of the first five, if we remember correctly, four were biplanes. One reason why the biplane found favour with some undoubtedly was that by using a biplane instead of a monoplane a means was thereby found of obtaining the necessary extra lift required for this year's increased weight, without increasing the span. An increase of span, to any great extent, necessitating a departure from the usual type of wire- wing frame. Mr. C. C. Horner's Twin Screw Tractor Monoplane. We also give some scale drawings of a novel and interesting twin tractor monoplane, designed and built by Mr. C. C. Horner (hon. sec. Macclesfield and District Aero Club). One of the chief points 735
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