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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0629.PDF
work »,' A' W^at T6 think is ^ tbere was a defe in »•* w»d. woodwork „f P ° °n,e Wi^' M the C°«»i«ee knows, the mosiTaefaf rZ T?"* £ T*^ by CalWaS- We kee'> thr record of,! d °f **>' hreaka8e which o^"'5- Th<^ is no record ot any repair, in this case, of the woodwork. miriu m,^™ t0 me-«?>' J^^re have suggested it-that we frennLT • , "P CVen Safcr ,f We were to have sP»re **»& *nd at oniqv the 0,7 LCO,nplete]y.to striP the wmE *"d •*"*« «"* SoS-«L '• but.mner fabric- I am toW this might be done without weakening the structure, and I have given orders that the providedte Partt * * WiU ** necessitated if we do this sho»'d be ar^li ^"P316 thls country with other countries in the matter of as follows •— aCCldenls ln the different countries last year were No. of accidents. 5 ... 13 21 S Men killed. 8 17 27 S Britain France Germany America . Our aeronautical personnel is 756. The figure I have forVrance is 1,174. I do not know whether that is accurate. I am not aware ot the precise numbers of the German personnel or pilots, but it is not much different from our own, and the list of accidents is three ana a half times as large. The United States, with probably under an eighth of aeroplanes, showed the same number of accidents. Hying in England has peculiar difficulties and dangers. In our enclosed and hilly and woody land local air disturbances are much more severe than in open country. And it is much more difficult to nnd a landing-place. Two-thirds of the accidents in this country are due to difficulties of landing. On the plains of France you can descend almost anywhere. I think I have shown—the credit is not mine, but that of the very great care taken by our flying officers—that, though the whole thing is so new (a year or so ago there was nothing, and now we have flown all these tens of thousands of miles in the most difficult country in Europe), judged by any available test, we are far more free from fatal accidents than any country except France, and perhaps as free as Fiance has been. That reflects great credit on those who have to do this difficult business. I cannot give a comparison of the miles flown, as we do not know the miles flown abroad. Even if we did, it would be most misleading, because to fly round an aerodrome is so very safe compared with flying across country. The number of miles flown is no test. Even if cross-country flights are taken into con sideration, I think it would still be found that this country has enjoyed a remarkable immunity from accidents, compared with other countries, except France. But 1 can assure the House that no efforts and no expense will be spared to ensure that everything will be done to make this—which must be the most dangerous of all parts of our service—as safe as mind and money can make it. With regard to the misapprehensions which have existed—what I venture to call the absurdities—1 have indicated that 1 hoped that I should not be asked very often to state the precise number of aero planes we have. No other country gives such information. I did think it desirable, however—and I spoke with the full con currence of my colleagues—to make a general statement, in view of the fact that the House knew nothing of what had been done, although they knew that we had started in May of last year with practically nothing at all. No sooner was that information given in March last than there came a chorus of denials. I found it difficult to convince people, and I waited until at last I found a man who was an acknowledged authority on the subject, and who definitely stated that it was not the case that the War Office had the number of aeroplanes stated. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu wrote me a letter, which I must read again, as it has been raised again to-day. Do let us dispel these foolish suspicions, and then we can get on to real business, and see what we ought to have in addition. Colonel Seely then read extracts from Lord Montagu's letter, which was published in FLIGHT of April 26th. I really should have thought, continued the right hon. gentleman, that that would have disposed of it, but up gets Mr. Joynson-Hicks, and begins again. I will make him an offer. If he likes to come and see the same documents that Lord Montagu saw, I shall be only too pleased. , We shall never get on with a proper discussion of this subject, or with that co-operation between parties which I hoped for, until this absurd suspicion is dispelled. I can produce to the hon. gentleman eighty machines without giving away any secret, and he will be able to tell us what he thinks about them. I hope he will have a good many flights himself, and will see what admirable machines they " On The question of type, Mr. Joynson-Hicks referred to the Maurice Farman and Henry Farman machines as if they were obsolete and unworthy to be classed. That is not the opinion of any aeronautical authority that I know of. I should say that those particular machines we have are, for military purposes, of extra ordinary value. Mr. joynson-Hicks: I said these particular machines could not go beyond fifty-two miles an hour, and the Henry Farman u >t beyond sixty miles an hour : whereas the modern French mono planes can go up to seventy-five and eighty miles. Col. Seely: We have machines that go at a greater speed than that. You do not want allyoui aeroplanes at this great speed ; the principal purpose of aeroplanes is observation. For that purpose these machines would be of the newest type of that particular make, and would be of peculiar value for military purposes. What really is the position, assuming that the facts I have stated are correct? We have made very remarkable advances. A little more than a year ago we had practically no aeroplanes, no pilots, no flying school, no skilled mechanics, no organisation, and every other country except France was in the same condition. A litlU' while before I took my present office we decided thai we must make a move, and we did. I ask the committee to say that in that short time we have made a great advance. We had practically no aero planes ; we have now something over 120. We had practically no pilots—we had one or two extraordinarily efficient pilots, ami I am glad to say that some of them are still flying—but only a few. Now we have 146 and of these S3 are first-class pilots. Those 83 have passed a mote exacting test than the French military test, or that of the higher test of the Royal Aero Club. They have to learn the principles of mechanics, construction of engines and aeroplanes, meteorological observation in the air, navigation and Hying by compass, cross-country flights, photography, signalling by all methods, and have to have a knowledge of the different types of warships. All this they go through for thirteen weeks, flying in all weathers and practically every day. Eighty-three men have done this, and all in less than a year. It does speak volumes for the energy and determination of the people of this country once they have the opportunity to go forward. These pilots, exe. pt for the most highly-trained pilots in France, are the most highly qualified pilots in the world. All this reflects credit on the naval officer at the head of the Central Flying School. A year ago we had no flying school at all ; now we have a first class establishment, passing through pilots at the rate of about sixty or seventy in the year for the military wing alone, whilst a propoition of the pilots trained are naval officers. A year ago we had no school of mechanics ; we could not get mechanics; they were not in the country. Now We have a very large staff of trained mechanics, and trained not only in ordinary mechanical work, but in the very highly specialised mechanical work connected with aeroplanes. We want more of these mechanics. Although we had only three military airships, they were very efficient machines—in fact, remarkably so—and if hon. members would go to Aldershot to see them arrangements might be made for them to go up in them. These airships had been thousands and thousands of miles, all over the country, without a single accident— a favourable comparison with the experience of other countries, where there had been a series of disasters. With regard to the proposed Daily Mail hydroplane competition, the Government were delighted at such public spirit, but of course they could not agree to the flight taking place over prohibited areas. lie hoped some arrangement would be come to whereby the competition eould yet take place, and what he could do to effect that he should lie pleased to do. In this matter, however, national intereits com pletely overrode every other consideration. A year ago we had no organisation in connection with this particular service. Now we bad a sound foundation of organitation. Delay had been caused, not by lack of money, but by difficulty in obtaining the materials wanted. By attempting to hurry matters they might induce scamped work, and that might result in accidents. The policy of the Government had been to get all they required within the British Isles. These machines should be treated like other engines of war. If they had not actuilly reached, they were rapidly approaching, the desired position in regard to aeroplanes. Nine engines were under test, and he had little doubt the right one would be obtained in a very short time. They did not claim that we had great aeronautical establishments like those of France, but our position did not compare unfavourably with that of other countries. He should say that, whereas a year ago wc were nowhere, we were now certainly amongst the first three, and possibly in the first two, countries in regard to provision of machines, skilled pilots, and organisation for training. He did not claim that the number of machines was adequate, and he had been asked when the proposed squadrons would lie ready. He could not give a date. They had done things quickly, and if they tried to do them quicker they would waste money. The industry was becoming more standard ised, and they were now in a position to go forward in the direction, of securing that this country should hold her own in the air. 655
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