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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0955.PDF
Flight, October 26, 1012. ^ f? First Aero Weekly in the World. A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 200. (No. 43, Vol. IV.)] OCTOBER 26, 1912. ("Registered at the G.P.O.T L as a Newspaper. J ["Weekly, Price 3d. L Post jrree, 3id. Flight. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams: Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. Un'ted Kingdom ... 15J. od. Abroad sor. orf. CONTENTS: Editorial Comment : What is Military Aviation for? Italy and British Machines Men of Moment in the World of Flight: The Chairman of the Aeronautics Society of Great Britain—Major-General R. M. Ruck, C.B., R.E. More Encouragement from Our Readers The Handley Page Monoplane (with scale drawings) FLIGHT Maps with Tangent Borders FLIGHT Map of Environs of London The Martin-Handasyde at Brooklands Royal Aero Club. Official Notices From the British Flying Grounds Airship and Balloon News British Notes of the Week Week-End Flying at Hendon Foreign Aviation News FLIGHT Prizes of Merit Models. Edited by V. E. Johnson, M.A Correspondence 935 960 95? 060 962 9<V oSS 970 97' 971 974 975 V7<'! 977 979 979 981 What is Military Aviation for? If we were living just now in Cettinje, Berane, Skutari, or any one of the other places where the even sing-song of civi lised life is really discorded by the blatant trumpets of war itself, not merely accented by the high G of rumour, we should doubtless perceive that military aviation is first, last and always, a purely national affair. If, further, there suddenly appeared in the air a goodly fleet of aeroplanes, flying on our behalf with such superior efficacy that the tide of fortune was turned in our favour, we should not stop to criticise very severely the modus operandi whereby the war department of the ministry succeeded in thus getting ahead of its neighbours and in keeping there right up to the critical moment. An idealistic hypothesis truly, but it is necessary to have some standard above the attainable in life if we would hope to keep one goal in focus from every point of view, and to see it clearly despite the press of practical existence. So with military aviation in England just now ; what is it for if not to assist in the better protection of this country in time of war, and to what end is a real lead in military aeroplane design if not to throw the weight 01 the unexpected into the balance in our favour ? The " authorities," after the manner of those who have no friends, come in for more kicks than ha'pence, and have doubtless learned ere now to accept their lot with equanimity; but there is a persistence about the abuse being levelled against those who stand at the head of official British aeronautics that harbours no good for the industry in whose interests it professes to be made, and still less for the martial welfare of the nation. For our own part, we would fain give the subject of the Govern ment and aeronautics a rest until the close of the financial year, but it is difficult for a journal like FLIGHT to ignore outside opinion that is publicly expressed. All the same, we do not believe that the industry in its present state derives encouragement from throwing the limelight on an internal sore, real or imaginary, for it is quite certain that the directors of companies with capital to spare for the proper development of original aeroplanes are not readily to be persuaded to invest it therein by any attempt to convince them that the full extent of the business they are likely to get from the Government is a few odd parts to be manufactured to specification under competitive contract, which is the war cry in the latest phase of the attack. Let us at least try to look at the/acts in a reasonable light, and also endeavour to feel some willingness to believe that public servants may still be gentlemen and, as such, men of their word. Col. Seely has said over and over again that the R.A.F. should not be used as a competitive manufactory on a large scale against the interests of private enterprise. It is difficult to obtain exact figures, but we should estimate that up to the present about seventy aeroplanes have either been built or are on order outside the R.A. Factory, and as the accounts that we have had from pupils at Upavon and elsewhere suggest that the main difficulty, at any rate until recently, has been to get deliveries of machines already overdue, it would seem as if at least some British firms have had their hands more than filled by Government orders. Some of these machines, not exceeding, we should guess, a dozen in number, are duplicates of the biplane BE 2, evolved at the Royal Aircraft Factory, and by general concensus of opinion, one of the best flyers ever produced. A few firms, we know, have been building these replicas complete to specification and supplying them to the authorities fully equipped with engines. Of the firms that received these orders, not every one could have as readily justified a similar demand for its own machines on demonstrated merits in the Military Trials. C
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