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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0438.PDF
IN a little world of their own, men of science, of this and other days, live, and have lived. Engrossed in their own particular studies, they appear oblivious to the outside world. Their world is the world of science, nor care they, apparently, for the opinion of any but their scientific brethren. It would seem to me that they probably never read in the newspapers, or elsewhere but in their own journals, any reports on their investigations into matters on which they are concentrating every effort of research. The scientist is in his element at a meeting of brother scientists, and here he will expatiate, wandering at large in the congenial atmosphere, explaining his theories at length, absorbing the infoimation imparted by others. He is with people who understand his efforts and his aims : he does not understand the outer world, nor does the outer world understand him. Somehow, to the general mind, " Scientist" conjures up a picture of old men with grey beards and horn rimmed spectacles, although, as a matter of fact, many of them are still comparatively quite young. Simultaneously, there are visions of them passing their lives poking about in test-tubes, concentrating their every moment on one problem. They have but a remote idea of the far-reaching tentacles of science; how these men, working in their laboratories, reach out and solve problems in matters supposed to be entirely outside their particular branch. The fact is they have no particular branch, taking the word in its fullest meaning. The inclination is, so little are these men understood, to associate them with only one particular thing—Lord Kelvin with electricity, Sir William Crooks with the X-rays, Sir Charles Parsons with steam turbines, and so on. Yet these men have investigated and solved problems far outside these several activities. Take, for instance, the surprise which many people have expressed at reading of Sir Charles Parsons being placed upon the committee formed to investigate charges against the organisation and equipment of our Flying Services. What, it has been asked, can Sir Charles know of aviation, he who is so closely associated with turbines ? As a fact, there are few depart ments of science in which Sir Charles Parsons does not take a deep and practical interest, and it must have been some curious form of coincidence that I came across a reminder in this connection the other day in the pages of " FLIGHT." There I found that so long ago as 1893, he was conducting experiments with a model flying machine. Turning to "FLIGHT"of February 13th, 1909, there is on record an account of these experiments, together with a couple of photographs. Even at that date—1893 —Sir Charles was quite an old hand at won ving around the air problem, as he had then already constructed an aeroplane having a span of 11 ft., a total surface area of 22 sq. ft., and a weight of 3§ lbs.—no mean achievement taking the then stage of aerodynamics into consideration. As far back as this, this machine was driven—and we have a photograph of it in the air—by a steam-engine of Sir Charles' own design, having the cylinder and valve- chest inside the boiler, in an experiment to ascertain the effect of steam-jacketing small steam engine cylinders. I do not think Sir Charles Parsons pretends to any special detail engineering knowledge of the modern aeroplane, but that he is eminently capable of helping the committee to invest'gate the charges recently made, I for one do not think there is any measure of doubt. It would be interesting for those fortunate enough to possess a set of " FLIGHT " to turn up 1909, and read the details for themselves, for, not only would they have a better idea of the cosmopolitan character of science, but they would read there a document of considerable interest from Sir Charles himself, reproduced verbatim, and con taining much of interest to earnest students of aviation. One idea there mentioned, for instance, is a steam- engine with a boiler able to steam the engine continuously by using methylated spirits instead of water in the boiler, and burning the exhaust as fuel. Here now, is some thing surely worth experimenting with by those having more time to give to its study than Sir Charles, whose attention has been fully occupied in other directions. Taking another example, that of Sir George Cayley, we go considerably further back—to 1809—more than a hundred years, to find this scientist making a profound study of flight, thereby enrolling his name in this country honourably in the list of those who first extended their mental vision to include the conquest of the air within the boundaries of science. Further on in the same volume of " FLIGHT " (how intensely interesting and valuable are these records of early days, and how much that would prove instructive could be gleaned by some) can be found a letter from Mr. Arthur Cayley, grandson of Sir George, written to the editor of ''FLIGHT." In this he mentions several other inventions of his grandfather, including a choke-bore gun as now used, a bicycle, and a flying machine of the heavier-than-air type, which flew by means of an engine of his own con struction. Sir George Cayley was of course more closely associated with the problems of aviationi than some others of our scientists, he foreseeing the difficulties associated with the dirigible on account of its enormous size, and at the time pointed out how they could be made to ascend and descend without the loss of billast. Therefore was I right when I set forth that it was erroneous to suppose that scientists necessarily restricied their energies to close association with one particular subject of research. Science leads on and on. In conducting experiments along certain lines, to ascertain certain facts, side issues of every description and of absorbing interest continually crop up. These are taken count of in their fullest particulars, and placed aside, to await, in their turn, opportunity for investigation. Unfortunately for mankind, it is to 1 e feared that it must sometimes happen that time for this cannot be found, and the world is the loser. Certain it is, how ever, that not always to those directly concerned in one particular sphere do we owe, as the outcome of that one science, some of our most valuable discoveries. 438
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