FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1913
1913 - 1237.PDF
Flight, November 22, 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. 256. (No. 47, Vol. V.)] NOVEMBER ,2, I9I3. ryC^'i 1^^%^^ FligKt. Editorial Office : 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams : Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... 15J. od. Abroad aoj. od, CONTENTS Editorial Comment: France and Military Aviation A Word of Warning Men of Moment in the World of Flight: Mr. R. H. Carr Flying at Hendon The 160 h p. Deperdussin Racing Monoplane The Ponnier Monoplane Royal Aero Club : Official Notices From the British Flying Grounds Armchair Reflections. By the Dreamer The Right to Fly. By Roger Wallace, K.C Elementary Stresses Looping the Loop Spreads Foreign Aviation News Models. Edited by V. E. Johnson, M.A Correspondence ... ... ... PAGE 1263 1264 ^65 1266 I269 1271 1274 1276 1279 1280 1282 1283 1284 1385 1287 EBITOEOAIL COMMENT. France and Military- Aviation. For some time past as has been reflected in these columns, there have been whispers abroad to the effect that all is not well in the French administration of the military aerial department, and, if the aeronautical correspondent of the Daily Telegraph is right in his facts—and there is collateral evidence to show that he is—there have indeed been grave abuses which have crept in. Referring to the reports of laxity and maladministration, to call these things by their least offensive names, our contemporary says—and the matter is of such capital importance that we make no apology for quoting him very fully : — " These rumours were founded on fact, and I am in a position to assert that a scheme of wholesale reorganisation has lately been decided upon, and will shortly be carried into effect. The main outlines of this drastic measure, of which nothing is yet publicly known in Franc?; are as follows : " Quite recently Gen. Hirschauer has been replaced by Gen. Bernard, and it is to the latter that the impending alterations are understood to be due. Hitherto France and Algeria have, for purposes of military aviation, been divided up into five zones, each comprising one territorial centre, including a training school and dep6t, and a large number of sub-centres. Again, until the spring of this year, aviation in the French army formed a separate, self- contained branch of the service, whose head, the Inspector-General, was directly responsible to the Minister for War. Under him were placed the commanders of the airship and aeroplane sections. The latter was divided into a number of squadrons, each homogeneous in that it comprised aeroplanes of a similar type, which were apportioned, according to the requirements of the moment, between the various zones. "But the system worked unsatisfactorily ; untold abuses crept in, and were tevealed one by one. This spring it was decided to cope with the situation by placing the various aeroplane cenres and squadrons directly under the command of the several army corps commanders, thereby subjecting them to more rigid military discipline and effective inspection, the while placing a check on the paramount influence of the great firms of aeroplane constructors. " The latter exerted a pernicious effect on the aeroplane establish ment, which in some cases assumed the proportions of a scandal. And this mainly through the medium of the national aerial subscrip tion, since imitated in more than one foreign country. By means of this subscription a number of manufacturers unloaded upon the army whole series of out-of-date aeroplanes, or others in which work had been scamped to a scandalous degree. But these aeroplanes, being a gift, had perforce to be accepted, under the penalty of affronting public sentiment and opinion. The evil also assumed other forms, such as the payment by manufacturers to military pilots flying their machines of considerable sums for making cross-country flights, which were subsequently extensively advertised in the Press, and alleged inducements offered to pilots to break up machines with a view to receiving an order for replacement. The result is that many of the aeroplanes that figure upon the establishment of the French flying corps are in a deplorable condition. " Drastic measures were required to meet the situation and to arrest the evil. These have now been taken. In future the aerial establishment of the French army will be included in two regiments, stationed respectively at Cha'ons and Dijon. The whole series of aviation centres and sub-centres will be suppressed at one blow, saving only those at St. Cyr—where are situated the main depfit and the military laboratories—at Dijon, at Port d'Avor, near Lyons, and at Pau, the latter being intended chiefly for use in the winter. The aerodromes in existence at all the other centies, whether hitherto created by the military authori ties or presented through the national subscription or through local effort, will be retained, but only in the guise of aerodromes or alighting grounds pure and simple. They will play no further part in the scheme of military organisation. " But these reforms will be accompanied at the same time by an even more radical step, by which a great blow will be aimed at the French aviation industry, which, with a few exceptions, to-day lives entirely on orders placed by the army. For it has been decided to strike off the list of Government contractors seven of the principal firms of aeroplane constructors, including some of the most famous names in the world of aviation. This step has been necessitated not so much by past contraventions of commercial rectitude, such as have been alluded to already, as by sheer business inefficiency. Delays in delivery of aeroplanes have in the past been a continual source of complaint, and have persistently militated against the formation of those homogeneous squadrons which B 2
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
