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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0605.PDF
Flight, August 20, 1915. JJ ^= First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER. A Jourmal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. 347. (No. 34, Vol. VII.)] AUGUST 20, 1915. fRetUtered at the G.P.O.'I ("Weekly, Price 3< L as a Newspaper. J L Poet Pree, 8W. 3d. FligKt. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams: Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1838. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... 151. od. Abroad tor. od. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: Flying Men and Flying Maitriel The Roll of Honour Aircraft Work at the Front. Official Information The " X " Aircraft Raids The British Air Services The 1915 Benoist Flying Boats (with scale drawings) . Flying at Hendon Royal Aero Club. Official Notices From the British Flying Grounds Eddies. By"iEolus" A New Rotary Engine—The " Maude " Aircraft and the War Models CAGE • 605 . 606 . 608 . 608 . 608 . 610 . 6x2 . 613 . 614 . 616 . 618 . 620 , 621 EDITORIAL COMMENT. Flying Men and Flying Matiriel. While from statements repeatedly made by those who are in a position to know there can be not the slightest doubt that indi vidually our aviators and those of our Allies are more than a match for the enemy's pilots and observers, the relative effectiveness of Allies' and enemies' materiel is not so definitely stated. From its very nature it follows that the greatest delicacy is necessary in discussing this question, since it is a matter of the very highest importance, and one on which it is exceedingly difficult to say enough without saying too much. However, as the types of machines that have been employed up to the present are most certainly well known to the enemy, one can without fear of furnishing any fresh information likely to be of service to our enemies discuss just the fringe of some of the lessons learned up to now, and attempt to deduce therefrom the line of development that may most profitably help to gain definitely and retain a similar ascendancy in maUriel to that already so well established by the personnel of our air services. Beginning with the monoplane, Germany has, according to all accounts, practically discarded this type for military purposes. This is no doubt in a measure due to the fact that, apart from a few more or less freakish attempts at what one might term an ordinary monoplane, the Taube was the only form of which they had any experience, and this soon proved too slow and too indifferent a climber to be of any great use. In addition, there was the inherent unsuitability of the monoplane per se for observation and bomb-dropping purposes. The Allies, on the other hand, although discarding certain forms of monoplanes after learning their weak points during a comparatively short period of war, have not altogether abolished the type yet, but have retained it in at least one form—the parasol— which, although admittedly suffering from certain defects, has the redeeming advantage that from it a most excel lent view can be obtained in a downward direction, facilitating observation and bomb dropping. Everything considered, we are inclined to think, however, that no great improvements are likely to be effected in the mono plane type, whether ordinary or parasol, and that future development will follow along other lines. In the matter of fast single-seater scouting biplanes, we were un doubtedly the first to demonstrate the possibilities of obtaining high speed and good speed variation, coupled with excellent climbing, with this type of machine. In Germany the military authorities had not laid any great stress on these qualities, with the result that designers devoted their attention more particularly to the attain ment of reliability. This they managed to secure in no small degree, chiefly through the employment of such excellent engines as the Mercedes, Austro-Daimler and others. Inspired by the success of British scouting biplanes, a few German designers presently turned their attention to this type, of which a certain number were produced shortly before the outbreak of war. Judging from such information as is available, the enemy is not even at the present time making any extended use of single-seater scouting biplanes. The reason for this may, perhaps, be found in the difficulty of landing, which requires highly skilful piloting. In the hands of our aviators these swift scouts have, however, repeatedly proved their great military utility, and the type has, as we see it, come to stay, subject, of course, to progressive improvements. The next type to be considered is the tractor two- seater reconnaissance biplane. In the design and con struction of this the enemy has had probably as great experience as ourselves, and although in the days before the war German tractors were not so fast as some of the best of ours, being somewhat heavy and cumbersome, their modern machines are quite as fast as, if not indeed faster than, the majority of the Allies', and similar craft moreover climb very well indeed. This efficiency again
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