FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0809.PDF
Flight, August 2, 1913, n ^ r i/-vi 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. 240. (No. 31, Vol. V.)] AUGUST 2, 1913. ("Registered at the G.P.O."] [""Weetly, Price Sd. L as a Newspaper. J L Post Free, 3Jd. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams: Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... \%s. ad. Abroad 20;. od. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: The Aeroplane in War—Real and Otherwise Aviation Agreement between France and Germany Men of Moment in the World of Flight: Mr. Sydney Pickles The Caudron Hydro-Biplane. (With scale drawings) , Over the Channel with my Son. By Lillie Pickles Water Flights at Windermere Flying at Hendon Royal Aero Club. Official Notices The Sand Test Propeller Making and Repair British Notes of the Week Airship News Foreign Aviation News Models. Edited by V. E. Johnson, M.A Model Clubs Diary and Reports Correspondence. PAGE 835 836 •37 639 844 04 = 847 852 B53 854 S55 859 861 862 EDITORIAL COMMENT. The past week has provided us with several .e Aeroplane very significant object-lessons in the use of Real and aerial craft in war. At home the course of Otherwise, the Naval Manoeuvres has demonstrated that the hydro-aeroplane—or, to give it its new official designation, the seaplane—has a value which can scarcely be exaggerated in the eyes of a commander- in-chief. It is true that very little in the way of official information as to the results of the manoeuvres has been allowed to transpire, and very rightly; while the details which have reached the ears of the public have been of the most meagre description. This much, however, there is no harm in mentioning—that aircraft have been made use of to an extent hitherto undreamed of in the conduct of naval operations, and that they have been on the whole a success. The detection and capture of one of Admiral Jellicoe's submarines through the agency of a hydro-aeroplane, with almost similar experiences off Hunstanton and on the north and south coasts, have quite a dramatic interest of their own. These deadly under-water craft appear to have had matters very much their own way during the mimic war in the North Sea. Moving with their conning towers only just awash, they are most difficult craft to detect from the deck of a hostile vessel, while submerged detection is an actual impossibility unless from an aeroplane or airship. Therefore, if the only record of usefulness were that the aeroplane is a sure detector of the presence of the submarine, it must be held to justify its application to the purposes of naval war; but that its sphere is thus restricted it would be foolish to suggest. It is true that nothing has been divulged as to the scouting value of aircraft, and the whole scheme of the manoeuvres being confidential we do not suppose for a moment that the Admiralty will take us into its confidence, but we cannot think that all the work we know to have been done by naval aircraft during the operations has been of a purely negative value. However, in the absence of definite information, we can only watch carefully for the indications as afforded by the future attitude of the Admiralty in regard to its aircraft. Passing from the mimic warfare to the real, news has come during the week of the first success of aircraft in war at sea. According to Central News and Reuter cables from America, the Mexican gunboat " Tampico " has been destroyed by a bomb dropped from an insurgent aeroplane while lying at anchor in the harbour of Guaymas. It is said that the aviator was M. Didier Masson, a Frenchman, and that the warship was blown up at the fourth attempt. At the time of writing, the report is unconfirmed, and it is only fair to say that it does not find credence among naval experts. A pro minent American naval authority, Capt. Gleaves, com mandant of the New York Navy Yard, refuses to credit the report, and likens the difficulty of dropping an aerial bomb upon a vessel to a man standing at the top of the Eiffel tower and trying to drop an apple into a hat. If the aviator is prepared to take great risks, he says, and come within easy range for the purpose of securing accuracy of aim, he was immediately exposed to rifle-fire, which would either maim or kill the aviator, and certainly riddle his aeroplane. In different words we have heard all this before; and without any attempt to dogmatize upon technical pro positions which are outside our scope, we are much more inclined to credit the report of the successful destruction of the " Tampico " than to agree with the views of the American naval expert. It is at least as probable that the bomb-dropping aviator should have found such a relatively large target as even a small gunboat, as that C
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
