FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0172.PDF
has from the first been designed to that end. That is no reason however why the officers of the Royal Flying Corps should be forced to exist in an expeditionary state, as they have done more or less since they came into existence. One little point that seems to have been overlooked in the finance of national aeronautics is that so far we have had to make a capital outlay out of income, and, as any commercially minded man knows full well, it is a slow and tiresome mode of getting on to an efficient footing. It is all very well to say buy aeroplanes and still more aeroplanes, and we have very good reason to be more anxious than most people that the orders for aeroplanes should come in thick and fast for the benefit of the industry, but it is nevertheless ridiculous to close one's eyes to the essential elements of harmonious progression. In order to make use of aeroplanes, the Royal Flying Corps must possess sheds in which to house them, grounds over which to fly them, men able and willing to pilot them, and last, but may we say not least, something approaching respectable quarters in which those men can live. Now some of these items quite evidently represent capital outlay as distinct from annual expenditure. Barracks, for instance, once erected, will, or should, last for a reasonable time. It depends how they are built, of course, but other things being equal, one may anticipate that they will outlive an aeroplane or two. In any case, there remains the outstanding fact that suitable accom modation is absolutely essential, and that so far as we can see there is comparatively little of it for the Royal Flying Corps at the present time. Then there is the question of flying grounds. One cannot fly an aeroplane in any old field, and, indeed, it is by no means easy to find suitable flying grounds in a country like England. The purchase of that at Upavon, which was so much criticised at the time, seems to have turned out very well, and, indeed, we have heard very high opinions of it. It is little enough to look at, we must admit, but it has served its purpose admirably, and that is everything; but, let us not forget that Upavon is the headquarters of the Central Flying School, that is to say where pilots go through their finishing course before becoming attached to the Royal Flying Corps proper ; in fine, the Central Flying School needs and uses the whole of the Upavon ground, none of which is available for the work of the Flying Corps itself. Taking one thing with another, it seems to us essential that an adequate capital outlay should be devoted to the proper establishment of the Royal Flying Corps, for until this is done it is simply out of the question to expect any extensive purchase of machines for further development. It is by no means out of the way to suggest that a quarter of a million should be placed to capital expenditure for the Royal Flying Corps next year. We can assure those members of the trade who are anxiously awaiting the time when they shall receive orders for aeroplanes by the hundred that the expenditure of sufficient money on grounds and accommodation is the quickest way to the realisation of their desire. Without men it is impossible to fly the machines, and without barracks and without sheds it is impossible even to keep, let alone use, either the one or the other. Moreover, it is highly improbable that we shall see any marked expansion of policy in the matter of aeronautical defence until the Flying Corps, as it is at present pro posed to be established, is in full and efficient working * order. So far as we understand the situation, the Flying Corps is essentially an expeditionary force—that is to say, FEBRUARY 15, 1913. its object, in so far as the Military Wing of it is concerned, is to fight overseas. Such being the case, it is apparent that the question of transport forms a vital consideration, and it is mainly for this reason that we venture to express the opinion that we would rather see dirigibles left out of the consideration by the military side if there is to be any shortage of money. Much better, in our opinion, to concentrate upon the perfection of aeroplanes for military purposes. It is all very well for Germany and for France, who are very much concerned about military operations on their own soil, to organise an elaborate inland system of airship stations. We are speaking, of course, solely of the military aspect of the situation. The naval side of the problem is entirely a different matter, and it may well be that the navy will need to spend a considerable amount of money on dirigible development. Indeed, we go so far as to say that it is the proper thing for the Admiralty to under take ; not all of the airships stationed abroad are far removed from the sea coast. England depends absolutely on her navy, and nothing on earth must prevent that navy from being the most efficient fighting force in the world. The development of aeronautics has unquestionably altered the whole outlook of warlike operations, and not less by sea than by land. It is by no means certain that the navy can be entirely served by hydro-aeroplanes, and whether it is the opinion of some or not, the fact still remains that the navy should know all there is to know about dirigibles. It is very proper that foreign dirigibles should be purchased,- through English firms, for experimental purposes, but it is rather a serious thought that there is not one large factory in England devoted to the pursuit of dirigible construction. We omit of course the Royal Aircraft Factory, which is essentially experimental by design and purpose, and is no more equipped for quantity production of anything than is the average householder's back - yard. It is thoroughly serious, as we have remarked, when in this country there is, to all intents and purposes, only one private individual who has thus far interested himself consistently in the subject. Around Mr. E. T. Willows we trust that some day we shall be able to record the existence of a very large and powerful commercial organisation devoted to airship construction. If a quarter of a million is spent by the navy this year in doing something really worth while along such lines as it sees fit, the nation will be well on its way to saving many times that sum in future, and there is nothing in the world that could possibly be better for the aeroplane industry itself, which is at the moment in pressing need of greater business. As more is known about dirigibles more will also have to be found out about the best means of attacking them. It may well be that the aeroplane will prove very useful in this work, but we do not now refer so much to the aeroplane as it at present exists, as to some specially designed type of machine that embodies fighting qualities in a more pronounced degree. We trust that no member of the aeroplane industry has forgotten the very pointed comment contained in the judges' report on the Military Trials, which was to the effect that of all the machines present only the ill-fated Mersey showed any evidence of having been designed with a main view to military requirements. The situation, so far as the industry is concerned, is, of course, somewhat acute. Those who have aeroplanes of a type that they can sell are only too anxious not to change, while those who have machines of a type that they find difficulty in selling are none too 172
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
