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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0367.PDF
Flight, May 28, 1915 ^ r, ^\C( 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. 335. (No. 22, Vol. VII.)] MAY 28, 1915. rKegivurtKiat ih*i..HO.-| [ Weekly, Prioe 3d. L at s Naw«pspw. J L Post Free, SJd Flight. Editorial Office; 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams: Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... IJ». ad. Abroad 201. cut. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: Our New Ally London and Air Raids Aircraft Work at the Front. Official Information The British Air Services The Daugherty Tractor Biplane (with scale drawings) Flying at Hendon Royal Aero Club. Official Notices From the British Flying Grounds Eddies. By " iEolus " The Screw Propeller. By F. W. Lanchester, M.Inst.C.E. Aircraft and the War Models. Edited by V. E. Johnson, M.A FLIGHT Prizes of Merit Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... 1'AGE ... 367 ... ,168 ... 370 ... 37° ... 37' ... 373 ••• 374 ... 374 ... 37* ... 378 ... 381 ... 384 ... 385 ... 386 EDITORIAL COMMENT. Our When the British Government was still New Ally, shelving Aeronautics as outside the serious consideration of a Ministry juggling with National Insurance, Old Age Pensions, the Disestablish ment of the Church, and other similar vote-catching sops to various sections of the electorate, Italy had thoroughly made up her mind that it would be a suicidal policy to pooh-pooh all that was likely to follow the great pioneer work of the Wright Brothers. She has always taken the whole business of Aeronautics seriously from the very first. Without waiting for the perfect aeroplane to be evolved, she determined to take her fair share in helping to develop the science which, to most far-seeing folk, promised to revolutionise many old-world traditions of this globe. Not perhaps unnaturally, having regard to the influence of her then ally, Germany, those in charge of Italy's interests had already regarded lighter- than-air craft as of primary importance, and steps were taken early in the history of dirigibles to keep in front with this type of aircraft. Striking out a line of her own, she did not allow her judgment to be too much influenced by the theories and practice of Zeppelin. The entirely rigid mammoth airship did not commend itself to her, and with the result, she now has a very fine fleet of airships of a type which is likely to be heard of in the near future. There is an enormous scope for their use in the new field of operations. Germany can certainly not afford to ignore this side of the Italian offensive, and, therefore, the entry of our new ally into the arena in the world's fight for civilisation, from this point of view alone, possesses great significance, and opens out possi bilities which may have far-reaching effects—including the re-construction of whatever plan of action against London may have been in contemplation. Whilst Italy is strong in this type of aircraft, she has also at her command a splendid equipment of warplanes which have already entered the active side of operations. In fact, it may be said that the opening of hostilities was between aircraft, as in the attack upon the Adriatic coast on Monday morning by some of the smaller Austrian ships, the way was led by Austrian aeroplanes bombing Venice, both these and the enemy warships being respectively speedily driven off by our ally's aeroplanes and one of her dirigibles and her torpedo-boat destroyers. In a measure this points to what we have always maintained, that in future wars—far distant, we sincerely trust—the first great move will be in the air. The nation which has a sufficiently large air fleet at her command—that is, tens of thousands of warplanes, besides scouting dirigibles—and has that fleet in a highly efficient state of organisation, will be the country which will gain most of the initial advantages of any strategic movements. There will necessarily be a great clash to obtain supremacy at the outset. The one great aim will be early to deprive the enemy army and navy of their "eyes." With this even partially accomplished, subsequent events should resolve themselves into very one-sided contests—a blind man, however skilful can hardly hope to secure victory against even the most unskilled opponent—and each phase of the present war has demonstrated more and more the advantages obtained from and the absolute necessity of possessing a host of aeroplanes to effectively utilise the hideous and powerful forces away beyond the range of sight. This necessity is in the years to come more likely to be intensified than the reverse, as further " progress " is made in the concoc tion and improvement of the present ghastly engines of war. Therefore, the Allies, who have so far been fighting so strenuously for the Freedom of the World, have every reason to be pleased at the addition of Italy to their ranks at this stage of the struggle. Judging by reports
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