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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0107.PDF
Flight, February i, 1913. First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor; STANLEY SPOONER. 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. 214. (No. 5, Vol. V.)] FEBRUARY I, 1913. fRegiWered at the G.P.O.-] rWeekly, Price 3d. L as a Newspaper. J L Poat Free, 3id. FMgfiat. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams: Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... IJJ», ad. Abroad 30;. od. CONTENTS: Editorial Comment: Our Aerial Fleet How Things are Done Abroad Where is the Monoplane Report ? Men of Moment in the World of Flight : Mr. S. F. Cody Flying the Alps 35-h.p. Grahame-White "Popular " Biplane Some Thoughts on Stability and Control. By A. E. Berriman Royal Aero Club. Official Notices From the British Flying Grounds Hydro-Aeroplanes. By V. E. Johnson, M.A British News of the Week Eddies. By " Oiseau Bleu " Flying at Hendon Stability Devices. By Mervyn O'Gorman Foreign Aviation News Aeronautical Engines. By A. Graham Clark Things We Should Like to Know Models. Edited by V. E. Johnson, M.A. Model Club Diary and Reports Correspondence 11 '7 roS 10S 109 I ro II a no •17 ..s 121 1'3 124 «»5 126 M7 X3G 130 t$> 13:. 133 ]£D1T©RSAIL COMMIEMT. Our In dealing with the matter of our aerial Fleet defences we have at all times endeavoured to steer clear of alarmist tendencies and to give the naval and military authorities due credit for what they have accomplished in the teeth of Government apathy. Even in the matter of the Government attitude we have chosen to believe that the hand was being held, not because of any want of proper realisation that in the air may lie the future fate of the Empire, but that what many regarded as improper procrastination was simply a considered policy of awaiting developments until such time as it was wise to make a great forward move. But there comes a time when it is necessary to talk plainly and to say the things that come uppermost in the mind after a close and careful study of the relative strength of our own and other nations' air fleets. That time has come now. We have waited to see the awakening, and we have seen nothing but a continued policy of dis couraging apathy, which has left this country hopelessly behind its rivals, without an air fleet worthy of the name, and almost entirely at the mercy of the first aerial power which cares to launch its air squadrons on a mission of destruction across the North Sea. We sit idly down and watch Franceand Germany constantly building, constantly reinforcing their resources of both men and material, and our answer is, what ! We play about with small dirigibles which are but of minor count for the purposes of serious war, while Germany rapidly and certainly builds huge craft, capable of taking the North Sea in their stride and which, if report is to' be trusted, have already paid us visits by night. Not that we are inclined to take these reports too seriously, but the fact remains that even if German aircraft have not visited these shores it is beyond all question that there is nothing in the wide world, least of all British aircraft, to prevent them so doing whenever those directing them are inclined. France has built up an enormously strong air fleet, and will have before long not less than five hundred aero planes in effective service, to say nothing of a respectable number of large dirigibles. What has been our reply to this ? Three tiny dirigibles, and about a score of aero planes, with about half of them in effective commission ! There may be a few more or less, but whether that is the exact number within one or two does not affect the matter one way or the other. True, France at the moment is our very good friend and ally, but political friendships are notoriously unstable, and even so, when did Great Britain have to depend upon her friends to supply her own obvious deficiencies ? And what of the immediate future ? It has been stated upon apparently good authority that it is intended to spend a round million on the air services during the coming financial year, but this statement is not based on any public official announcement and before it can be confirmed we must wait for some weeks yet for the publication of the Army Estimates. And supposing when those Estimates are given to the country that the information turns out to be incorrect ? Is there any hope that the Parliamentary " Supers" who draw their ^"400 per annum for walking through the lobbies obedient to the crack of the Party whip will rise up in their places and insist that the safety of the country shall take precedence of schemes of so-called social reform, which no one wants and which are frankly designed to catch the votes of the unthinking populace ? We fear not. True, there is Mr. Joyn son-Hicks, an indefatigable C
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