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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0396.PDF
^ Winter, Fraser, and Williams. Eights or circuits alone : Philip Wood doing good circuits at 500 ft. Instructors during week: Messrs. Ed. Baumann, Felix Ruffy, Ami Baumann, Andre" Thomsen and Clarence Winchester. 60 h.p. and 50 h.p. Ruffy-Baumann tractor biplanes in use. Certificate was taken by Philip Wood.who accomplished vol plane from over 1,000 ft. His test flights were an excellent performance. ® ® A NON-METALLI LAS 1 week a demonstration was given by the County Chemical Co., Ltd., of Bradford Street, Birmingham, of a new body shield, to which they have given the name of "Chemico," and which they are now introducing to the market. Its purpose is the resisting of revolver bullets, spent rifle bullets, sword, bayonet, or lance thrusts, flying shrapnel, Sec. As will be seen from our photograph, the garment consists of a waistcoat which protects either the front part of the body, or, in its double form, front and back at the same time. The new " Chemico" bullet and bayonet resisting- body shield o! the County Chemical Co., as worn. The same ptinciple is put forward for the protection of radiators, petrol tanks, ana other vulnerable patts of either an aeroplane or motor car. In this body shield there is nothing in the nature of steel, it being of a flexible material, from which there is not the slightest risk upon impact, of the added danger to the wearer of either splintering or fracturing. The invention appears to be particularly apposite just now, when so many of our men may by wearing this extra protection, not only avoid death but escape being wounded at all, or be so slightly affected as to necessitate no retire ment from the light ing hn*. At the demonstration at Anderton's Hotel, owing to specially unsuitable conditions, one or two of the tests were not perhaps as successful as the inventors might have desired. The dummy on w^hich the body shield was fiued was fired at continually from a distance of 4 yards with a Colt revolver, the bullet of which has a velocity of 700 ft. per second. This test followed one in which a private in the Dragoon Guards, who had returned from the front and had been asked to attend for the purpose, had made a dozen or more full strength lunges with a service bayonet from a distance of about three feet, the body shield l>eing in no way affected beyond the slight puncturing of the outside covering. This first test had so disarranged the *' dummy's" internal stuffing that the shield did not " sit" evenly as would be the ca e when on a human body. The inventors have been experimenting for a considerable time, and now claim to have brought the shield to perfect efficiency, and recently it has been under the consideration of the War Office, at MAY 11, ,9l6> Bournemouth School. Pupils rolling last week : Messrs. Adamson, J. L. Barlow, Brandon, Daniels, Gordinnue, Kennedy, Pritt, and Scaramanga. Straights alone : Messrs. Smith, J. Wilson, O. Wilson, Morley, G. Mouton and Morris. Half-circuits alone: Messrs. W. Mouton, Simpson and G. Mouton. Eights or circuits alone: Messrs. W. Mouton, G. Mouton and Simpson. Instructors: Messrs. S. Summerfield and Brynildsen. Certificate taken by Mr. W. Mouton in very good style. ® e C BODY SHIELD. whose suggestion various improvements in regard to shape, etc. have been made. It is claimed that it could be made absolutely bullet and bayonet thrust proof, subject only to the governing factor of weight, and this, of course, is an important matter in equipping men for active service. As it is, the weight has been brought down to 2j lbs. for a shield for the front of the body, and 4j lbs. for a shield protecting both back and front. The principle of the protection appears to be by means of a series of strips of fabric of about 2\ ins. wide, right across the body, each strip being doubled. These overlap each other in such a manner that there are never less than 20 double thicknesses of this fabric or 40 single thicknesses at any single point. After some of the test shots, upon personal examination we found that the bullets fired from 12 ft. away were stopped at the eighth layer of fabric, comprising 16 single layers ; leaving therefore still twelve double fabric layers as reserve against the bullet penetrating completely through. The shield is rendered perfectly antiseptic, by a special treatment, and we understand that they are to be put on the market at the low price of 27s. dd. for the sirgle shield, and 47s. bd. for the double. With the idea that many parents and wives, whose kith and kin are at present at the front fighting, may wish to provide their dear ones with a protection of this sort, the President of the County Chemical Co., Mr. Wilfred Hill, stated the Company had decided to place this humane proposition at the disposal of ail those who are anxious and able to give the men an extra chance of coming out of this horrible war unscathed. The Company has deemed it desirable to do this, although the directors are hoping that the authorities will before long arrive at some more extended policy in regard to taking the matter up officially. It is hoped in addition to thus placing the body shield upon a commercial basis, to also make arrangements, in cases where it is demonstrated that the relatives are desirous of sending out this shield to soldiers at the front, and are not in a position to pay the price at which it is Testing the new "Chemico" bullet resisting body shield. On the left a Colt revolver lead bullet before discharge. In the centre the butlet after it has struck the "Chemico' resisting shield, and on the right a spent bullet replaced in its case. marketed, to give facilities for having the shield sent direct to the soldier at absolutely cost price. Bat, of course, this would be 2 matter for arrangement in each individual case. There can be no question that the introduction of the shield should prove a most valuable saver of lives, and we congratulate Mr. Wilfred Hill and his directors in having taken the present steps to give our troops and those of our Allies the benefit of its qualities before the present war has claimed a further unnecessary toll of human life. 396
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