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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0798.PDF
AFTER the war, when competition will call for still more scientific methods, the manufacturer who has at his disposal a wind tunnel for the experimental determination of the thousand and one problems that crop up in the design of an aeroplane, will be at a decided advantage over a competitor not so equipped. CONGRATULATIONS, therefore, to the Curtiss firm, for their foresight in being the first to erect a tunnel. TUITION is now in full swing at the various civilian flying schools which have made arrangements with the W.O. for training of military pilots. It appears that not only are these pupils receiving tuition in practical-flying, but that they have opportunities of attending lectures on the theory of the aero plane. ON Friday of last week a lecture was given by Mr. A. A. Fletcher, the designer of the successful L. and P. biplane, whose subject was " The Flow of Air around Wing Sections." After the lecture the pupils had an opportunity of asking questions regarding any points that they did not quite under stand, and many availed themselves of this, so that alto gether a couple of most interesting and highly instructive hours were spent talking " shop." THE practice of thus letting a certain amount of theory go hand-in-hand with practical instruction is highly commend able, and one from which the flying services in general cannot but benefit. MR. SMILES had a narrow escape the other day when his engine " gave up the ghost " just as his machine had reached the stage of a loop where she was slightly past the vertical. The altitude at the time was not exactly a " safe " one, but the machine instantly got her nose down, and her fore and aft stability is such that she passed out of the ensuing nose dive just in time. The damage was confined to a couple of burst tyres a»id a buckled chassis strut. m- - - • THE moral is obvious. If you must loop, do it at a reason ably safe altitude. AFTER various unavoidable delays the new flying school at Cheltenham has now so far progressed that it is expected to make a start about the middle of this month. Three machines —two 50 h.p. and one 60 h.p. Ruffy-Baumann biplanes—are already there, and more are ready to go as soon as required. The aerodrome is well situated, and has an area of about 150 acres, so that the new school should have good prospects of growing to considerable importance. MR. FANSHAWE, formerly of Harrods Stores, who has taken his " ticket " at the Ruffy-Baumann School, will be one of the instructors, and is also, we understand, interested in the company. SINCE the Gyro motor was first introduced in this country little has been heard of it. It now looks as if visitors to Hendon may have an opportunity of again listening to its healthy bark, as we understand that a new one of no h.p. is expected to arrive shortly, when it will be fitted to a Grahame-White scout. SMILES appears to be as good at diving in water as he is in the air.- Complimentary to Ireland. HERR KARL VON WIEGAND, in a message to the New York World, quotes a Zeppelin commander as saying :—• " I believe that, with the latest Zeppelins being turned out now and which are beginning to be used against England, I could cross to America, providing the meteorological condi tions were favourable." The commander further said that the new Zeppelin can reach every corner of England, Scotland and Ireland ; but, adds Ilerr von Wiegand— " I learn that Ireland is outside the zone prescribed for Zeppelin attacks ; that so far as Zeppelins are concerned Ireland is not regarded as ehemy territory." 1 ; PITV his efforts at rescuing 10-year old Sydney Howlett were not completely successful. He had to dive into the Silk Stream, Hendon, six times before he found the body, but the boy was then past help. His gallant conduct is very rightly being brought to the notice of the Royal Humane Society. TEN YEARS AGO. Excerpts from the " Auto." (" FLIGHT'S " precursor and sister Journal) of September 8lh, 1906. " FLIGHT " was founded in 1908. LEBAUDY DEVELOPMENTS. Thanks to the enterprise of our contemporary, Les Sports, we are able to give below some particulars of the present position of the great Lebaudy airship that is destined ulti mately to be stationed for service at the fortress at Verdun. . The large aeroplane, a prominent feature of previous constructions, is, as our readers are aware, to be retained, but it has been constructed so that it can be taken to pieces to enable the airship to be readily packed up and transported by train. The machine is to be propelled by a Panhard motor running at a speed of 950 r.p.m. and developing 70 h.p., and weighing 350 kilos. . . . The vessel at present building is destined, as we have already said, to take up its station at Verdun, but before proceeding thither it is intended to employ it in naval manoeuvres at Toulon with a view of securing data regarding the effectiveness of the air ship in naval engagements, which, it is anticipated, will prove to be very great, if for no other reason than the readiness with which submarines can be detected from a height above the surface of the water. . . . M. Julliot calculates that these airships of the future will be carrying at least 500 kilos, of shell, weighing from 5 to 50 kilos, each. As regards the possibility of being injured by hostile fire, M. Julliot says that the future airships will be designed to manoeuvre at 800 to 1,000 metres above the ground, and at this height, he points out, they are in no danger from either rifle or shell fire. ROYAL PATRONAGE FOR THE AERO CLUB. It is announced that the King of Spain, who takes the keenest possible interest in aeronautics, has consented to become an honorary member of the Aero Club of the United Kingdom. His Majesty is the President of the Royal Aero Club of Spain. FOR THE KRABBE PRIZE. A LADY'S BALLOON RECORD. On Saturday and Sunday last, the Hon. Mrs. Harbord and Mr- Frank Butler made what is so far a record run for the Cup offered by Miss Krabbe, of the Aero Club, for the longest aerial journey in Great Britain. The balloon started at ten minutes past eight on Saturday evening, travelling all through the night with a southerly wind and a bright harvest * moon. . . . Knowledge of their whereabouts was rather impeded by the presence of a heat fog in the early morning, but at 5.20 they found they were at Brigg ; at 6 they crossed the Humber; and finally they descended at Bridlington at 8 o'clock, having in all covered 200 miles in slightly under the 12 hours. ANOTHER U.S.A. NAVIGABLE BALLOON. Airship construction on the Santos Dumont lines continues to flourish in the United States, and Major C. J. S. Miller, who has had a big affair of this kind constructed for him, has recently made a successful excursion. The airship is capable of taking up two passengers and Major Miller was accompanied by his wife. Three Months for False Alarm. THREE months' imprisonment was the well-merited punishment meted out at Lincoln the other day to Harold Storey, a stoker, for having in a drunken condition entered the Corporation Electricity Works on the night of Sep tember 1st, climbed to the roof and blown the Zeppelin buzzer twice. When remonstrated with, he said, *' I have won my bet." We fancy he has found the stakes a bit heavier than he bargained for. Toronto Assists Flying Men. IT is announced from Toronto that the City Council is making grants of 32s. per week each to students from that city preparing for the Royal Flying Corps. s
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