FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0421.PDF
APRIL 18, 1914. navigation by dead reckoning is at sea to-day. In five years' time aeroplanes will be so safe, and so free from engine trouble, that to " bet on one's engine running " will be to bet on a certainty. That is to say, it will be possible to do all these things, which at the present time are regarded as too dangerous. But we shall then find that navigation is the difficulty. Here is, however, a little " ever ready " drift indicator, very simple and very quick to use, and involving no calculation and no drawing. From it you can read at a glance what course to steer to make good a certain course ; and where you will be at any moment. But first we must have our wind chart. I believe such a thing is possible. The lack of thess chaits is at the present time the great gap in airship work. We still depend on seeing either ground, or sun, or stars. I^ad reckoning, so often necessary, is not possible. May I be excused here for digressing from my subject ? At the present day, I think more might be done than is done by the Meteorological Office. I am told on fairly reliable information that the commander of a German naval airship which met with disaster at sea was warned by wireless from the nearest Meteorological Office of the approach of a bad disturbance, the nature of which was not quite known, and was advised not to send the ship out. The exigencies of the situation decided him to send out the ship, however, which four hours later ran into the Line-squall which overwhelmed it. No such warning is possible in England except at stated hours. The Meteorological Office issues two reports only, early morning and late evening, so that the distur bance may actually arrive before the warning of it. I suggest that warnings of unusual disturbances be sent out at once to all aeronau tical centres, so that aircraft may be stopped from going out in fine weather into certain bad weather. Further, the difficulty in plotting out wind forces and directions at any part of a cyclonic disturbance, is that the Meteorological Office does not issue any definite statement of the movement of the centre of the system. Its speed and direction should always be given, and any change in either speed or direction should be sent to aeronautical centres for distribution to aircraft carrying wireless. Again, as most systems work up from S.W., warnings of actual weather conditions sent from Plymouth or Bantry would give aircraft at least six hours' warning of the weather ahead. These warnings should be sent out every three hours. The Training of Pilots and Observers.—I must now turn my attention to the second sub-division, i.e., to training pilots and observers. Ballooning might, I think, be more used for training observers. It produces quicker results in the elementary stages. A man will learn far more in three or four balloon ascents than he will in double that number of aeroplane flights. He will probably, too, reach greater heights in the balloon. The process is also attended with le's actual risk and discomfort. Several ascents in aeroplanes are quite wasted, as the passenger is fully occupied in drinking in the new sensations. In the balloon, however, there are no new sensations except that of unusual calm. An instructor is always at the pupil's elbow to help him to learn, and there is no noise to prevent talking. Aeroplanists among the audience know that cross-country flying is really very easy until trouble comes. How many pilots leave the aerodrome for the first time full of confidence ? Never before have they had occasion to watch the country for possible landing places. How many of these same pilots have landed in green corn or standing hay and smashed up simply becau'e they could not distinguish between these features and pasture land from 3,000 ft. up ? How many aeroplane pilots can recognise the useless pasture that slopes like the roof of a house ? The remedy I suggest is to take each would-be crosscountry pilot for two balloon runs before sending him ® ® The New "Wight" Seaplane on Trial. THE " Wight" Seaplane, with 200 Canton-Unne' motor, was out for the first test on the 7th inst. ; there was a wind blowing at about 20 to 25 m.p.h , and the sea was very rough. The machine left the water very easily at 35 m.p.h., and after flying for a short time, owing to the motor stopping a descent had to be made on very rough water. Owing to the state of the tide, it was some ten hours before the machine could be taken back to the shed, but she stood the buffetting of the sea without any mechanical breakdown at all. The flight was considered very satisfactory. Easter at Shoreham. ALTHOUGH there was no definite meeting arranged for Shore- ham, some really excellent flying was seen during the Easter vacation, and quite a small crowd of onlookers attended. Cecil Pashley was out on the H. Farman and made several flights with passengers on Saturday, and also treated the spectators to some neat banks and spirals. The Cedric Lee circular monoplane, with Gordon Brll at the wheel, made a flight during the afternoon. On Sunday, both Elliott and Pashley were out on their respective Farmans, and put up some good work. The Pashleys' new Farman will be completed ere long, difficulty I/OGHT] oft' on his own. Point out that cattle or sheep are the only safe indications of pasture ; that, failing cattle or sheep, one should look out for the scar in the gateway used by animals that is not present in standing hay or green corn fields. That when cattle or sheep are feeding with heads in the same direction, it indicates either a slope or a strong ground wind ; that streams or woods at the edges of fields often indicate steep slopes. These can be learnt very quickly. Five or six pounds spent on ballooning is worth far more for the experi ence gained, and is an excellent insurance for the preliminary risks of cross-country flying. While on this subject, I would like to suggest that a few balloons on the strength of the Staff College would provide all Staff officers with an invaluable grounding in aerial observations and would enable them to appreciate the situation from the flyer's point of view far more sympathetically than they are likely to if they have never flown. Finally, 1 cannot leave the subject of training without pointing out that the balloon training is an essential part of every airship pilot's education. He must learn to read local conditions of temperature and wind. He must be skilful in the management of his gas and envelope. He must understand, inside out, the theory of ballooning. The bigger the airship the more he must know. Changes of temperature, up and down currents, affect airships in a way in which no aeroplane is affected, and without a thorough appreciation of the situation the airship pilot would soon 1* utterly fogged, and at a loss to understand the ivagaries of his charge. If night flying is to be a principal tdlc of airships, the pilot must be trained first in night ballooning. When real flying, away from illuminated aerodromes, becomes a possibility for aeroplanes, some regulation should be adopted to make each pilot do at least two night balloon runs before he attempts to cross unknown country by night. Thunderstorms ana Local Cloud Effects.— All aircraft avoid thunderstorms, as well they may ; not a few nasty aeroplane accidents have bsen attributed to them, notably Capt. Reynold's smash at Bletchley, where he was upset by a thundercloud at 1,500 ft. Nearly every balloonist of repute has, however, been right through more than one storm. Can nothing be done to plot out the air disturbances by means of parachutes and pilot balloons set free from the car ? The danger involved is, I believe, infinitesimal, though it is not a pleasant experience. Every cloud has its own peculiar air disturbances. The up currents in cumulus clouds are a distinct menace to unwary flyers, and measurement of their force would provide a balloonist with many hours of fascinating study. Experiments.—Balloons provide the kick-off platform for many important experiments. Many books have been written on the subject. Perhaps one of the most interesting was Bacon's desciiption of his sound experiments. Others are, photography, bomb-dropping, intercommunication, wireless, &c., &c., with the details of which it is not within the scope of this lecture to deal. The atmospherical conditions over big towns and in mountainous regions require investigating. Those who have flown airships over London alone know what colossal bumps are to be met with there. It would be interesting to trace the smells of Soho to their ultimate destination 1 The conclusion I hope this Society will come to is that there is a great scope for ballooning, and many problems to be worked out by its aid. There is a very serious necessity for more information about the air. The Society can assist by organising investigations, by interesting scientists and meteorologists in the problems that present themselves, perhaps even by finding money for the work. ® ® in obtaining material causing the delay. It is probable that more people would have been present during Easter, but for the difficulty in gaining access to the 'drome. It is rumoured that a new approach may be instituted shortly. Mr. Salmct's Paris-London Non-stop Flight. ACCOMPANIED by Count Fitzjames, Mr. Salmet made a fine non-stop trip between Paris and London on the 9th inst., on the Bleriot two-seater monoplane which he will use during his tour of the country on behalf of the Daily Mail this season. Buc was left at 9.50 a.m., and good progress made in fine weather over France and across the Channel, but on reaching Folkestone, wind and rain were met. The machine was, however, headed for Hendon, but on reaching the Southern outskirts of London, as it was found that the petrol supply was getting very low, a descent was made safely at Addington, near Croydon. The journey of 210 miles had been covered in 3 hours 25 mins. The remainder of the journey to Hendon was made the following morning. English Prince Loops tbe Loop. AMONG the passengers taken up by Mr. Hamelat Bournemouth on Saturday was Prince Leopold of Battenberg, who enjoyed the sensation of looping the loop twice. I
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
