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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 1196.PDF
ipm No doubt many readers of FLIGHT will remember Capt. Jas. V. Martin, who did some excellent flying in this country in 19 11, when he was attached to the Grahame- White school at Hendon. Capt. Martin later returned to the States, where he has since been scoring both as a pilot and as a successful constructor of aeroplanes of various types. He has now joined forces with the Aero- marine Plane and Motor Co., Avondale, New Jersey, U.S.A., for the construction on a large scale of flying boats and tractors. From accounts to hand, the venture looks like being a great success, an issue which we shall all be glad to herald later on. XXX Among the many pupils who benefited from Jas. V. Martin's tuition at Hendon, was Miss Lily Irvine, who, as will be recalled, became Mrs. Martin in the summer of 1911, and later went with her husband across the "pond." Mrs. Martin, or, to preserve her nom de vol, Miss Irvine, has still retained all her old enthusiasm for flying, and has to her score a considerable number of successful flights, which in July culminated in a splendid bit of air work—a flight with a passenger of 70 miles DECEMBER II, 1914. across Lake Erie from Cedar Point to Euclid Beach in 59 minutes. Starting from Cedar Point at 2.10 p.m. on July 23rd, Miss Irvine, having climbed to a height of 1,200 ft., steered in a north-easterly direction so as to clear the point at Vermilion. Huron was passed at 2.18, so that the first 11 miles were covered in 8 minutes. The rest of the time-table panned out as follows :—Vermilion, 2.30; Lorain, 2.40; Dover .Bay, 2.52; Eagle Cliff, 2.53; arrival at Euclid Beach, 3.09. On landing, Miss Irvine received her reward in an enthusiastic and well-deserved welcome, for the flight was one which any aviator might well be proud to have to his credit. At the commencement of the flight a rich banker offered to follow her in his fast motor boat so as to be at hand in case of accident, but Miss Irvine was not to be "mothered " thusly, and settled the matter in the follow ing characteristic words, " We'll go it alone or not at all ! " Miss Irvine is now flying her husband's machines, and we shall look forward to recording more of her doings in the future. " ^EOLUS." SOME MORE ® ® GERMAN ® & ANTI-AIRCRAFT BOMBS. THE Ehrhardt anti-aircraft shrapnel, manufactured by the Rheinischen Metallwaren und Maschinenfabrik, Diissel- dorf, only differs from the usual design of projectiles of this type, in that the fuse, the moment it ignites the powder in the axial vent communicating with the base- chamber charge, also ignites a delay fuse which leads direct to the grenade charge. First, the gases of the base charge drive the bullet filling and with it the grenade portion forwards. Then the latter detonates as soon as the delay fuse acts on the grenade charge. If the grenade portion strikes the aircraft beforehand, it will explode on contact. While the bullets fly forward in a closed cone of from i2°to 140 the grenade portion hurls its fragments forward with enormous violence under a cone angle of 2000, and for a distance of about 200-300 metres in all directions- forwards, upwards, downwards, and sideways. With this shell one therefore commands a space of about 700 metres length and about 300 metres width. An aircraft will thus not easily be able to escape if the range has been only approximately found. This shell possesses, apart from its great effect, the advantage of easy observation, as both the shrapnel and grenade portions develop clearly visible clouds of smoke. A smoke trail is therefore not neces sary, and the space thus saved may be used for increasing 'the charge of the shell. The smoke shrapnel on exploding ejects the bullets and simultaneously breaks off the head, which is not, however, filled with an explosive, but with an incendiary charge, which, from the moment of explosion, leaves a trail of smoke that renders its path visible, and, should it hit the mark, ignites the gas of the airship, whilst the object of the bullets is to put the crew hors de combat. The balloon grenade is filled with an explosive charge, behind which is a base-chamber filled with an incendiary charge. This is ignited by means of a fuse in such a manner that it begins to develop a trail of smoke 250 metres before the projectile reaches its intended point of explo sion, and continues to do so until a distance of 250 metres behind the point of explosion. If, in the mean while, the percussion fuse has not exploded the grenade, the time fuse will have reached the charge through another passage and brings the grenade to detonation. If this takes place near the aircraft, the fragments will! damage this more or less. ANT! AIRCRAFT SHRAPNEL SMOKE SHRAPNEL ANTIAIRCRAFT GRENADE GERMAN AIRCRAFT BOMBS.—Three tvpes of anti aircraft shells manufactured by the Rheinischen MetaUV waren und- Maschinenfabrik, Diisseldorf. All three types have the advantage that they come to- pieces in the air. There is thus little danger of causing damage to friendly troops, since the pieces are of small size and fall relatively slowly. 1196
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