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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 1224.PDF
1/OiJi) be said of the year which ends on Tuesday next. Engines, aeroplanes and pilots have all played their part in contributing to the forward movement. So far as appearances go, the aeroplane, as such, is fairly much the same as it was in the main essentials of its design. Progressive improvement in detail there has been, and must be in the future, but it is as true now as it was at the end of 1911 to say that no radical departures have been made from the accepted types. It is equally true to say that the increased and increasing skill of the pilots is accountable for much that might, without thinking, be laid to the account of improvement of the machine itself. That experience teaches is probably more true of the practice of flight than of most other things, and between the greatest experience of the men and the improvement of the machine and its motor the sum total of the year's progress is a very considerable one. One significant feature of the year has been the better showing made by aircraft of the dirigible type. There has been a noteworthy absence of the disasters which have overtaken these craft in previous years, and we are strongly of opinion that if 1912 has taught no other lesson in connection with the lighter-than-air type, it is . that it occupies a distinct and important place of its own in aeronautics. In Germany in particular, immense strides have taken place in the development of these craft, especially of the rigid Zeppelin type, and many notable voyages have been accomplished by them. Not only have the Zeppelins proved themselves successful, but it looks as though many of the difficulties surrounding the construction of airships of the semi- and non-rigid types have been overcome by various constructors. In this country the amount of research work which has been done in connection with large dirigibles has been practically negligible, the work having been confined almost entirely to experiments with the comparatively small craft built in the Royal Aircraft Factory. At the present time the Nation has on order a Parseval semi rigid airship from Germany, and an Astra-Torres from France. In addition to this, it is said that the ® ® DECEMBER 28, 1912. Admiralty has ordered, or intends to order very shortly, one or two large sized dirigibles from other countries. Since the failure of the Barrow airship no attempt has been made to construct a large vessel in England. Much attention, however, has been directed to the doings of these machines abroad, and the conviction appears to be taking shape that there are immense practical possibilities in the dirigible, as indeed we have insisted at various times during the year, and we may shortly see this conviction crystallise into some material action. The Government Attitude. While it would be impossible to say that the Government attitude towards aviation is an entirely satisfactory one, it can at least be laid down that it is far better than it was a twelve-month ago. Then we were not only hopelessly behind our rivals but there seemed no prospect of things bettering themselves during the year to come. During 1912 something has at least been done, and although we have hardly commenced to make up the leeway, still the outlook is nothing like as disquieting as at the end of 19n. At the same time, it is sufficiently alarming in view of the extremely unsettled state of the European political barometer. It is no exaggeration to say that at any time during the past three months we might have found ourselves suddenly at war with a first-class power and the danger is by no means past yet. To say that in the air we are ready for such an eventuality would be a simple piece of pure exaggeration. We are not ready by a very long way. We have neither the machines nor the trained pilots to man them if we had. True, there are 380 British pilots on the roll of the Royal Aero Club, but willing as every one of them might be to give his services in time of war by far the greater proportion entirely lacks the military knowledge and training to make those services of any great value. However, these are all matters with which we have dealt from time to time during the year and which we shall continue to comment upon as occasion arises. THE NEW BLERIOT CANARD," SEEN FROM^IN FRONT.-Injhe backhand is the new BI«io7^o7ane which was at the Paris Salon I2I6
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