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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 1041.PDF
NOVEMBER 23, 1916. under the conditions of their ringing at night, contrary to the regulations, was a light get-off for the offending company, Sir John Bennett, Ltd., and we would not be surprised to hear that the offenders' neighbours in Cheapside would gladly add another like sum if, upon the next visit of the Zepps. to this country, occasion may be found for the fulfilment of Chief Inspector Hewitt's threat. When Sir John passed away, his chef d'ceuvre might well have passed with him. ANOTHER stunt from America is the shooting of wild ducks from aeroplanes. Long Island is the spot where the sport will be in progress during the duck shooting season, and it should prove great practice for aerial gunners and pilots to endeavour to follow the manoeuvres of these very dodgy birds, and bring them to table. Our lower east coast should put up some good sport in this direction for those of our pilots lucky enough to be in the vicinity. THE London correspondent of a Midland paper, speaking of a machine he saw land in a field near him, says he noticed the number on it was close on 3,000, " and that turned out by one firm only amongst all those engaged in the manufacture of aeroplanes. Then there are the Government factories as well." And concludes by saying, " The total figures should make cheerful reading." In this ratio they certainly should. LOOKING remarkably fit considering the strenuous time he has had during the past few months, and with his honours thick upon him. Sous Lieut. Louis Noel has honoured England by making a bee-line for London to enjoy a few weeks' leave. His holiday has been most thoroughly earned by the hero of the recent Salonica-Sofia-Bucharest bombing expedition. WHETHER they are all anxious to become aviators or not, there has been an epidemic recently of boys sliding down the Brooklands track behind the aeroplane sheds. Fourteen have recently been before the Woking magistrates charged with being on War Department land without a permit ; it cost the three eldest 55. each, and the rest were told not to do it again. IT is reported that white dogs on leads are being utilised in " Darkest London " by pedestrians with defective sight as a means of giving notice of approach and thereby pre venting collisions with passers-by. Lurchers are unpopular. —Motor News. THE announcement of the Secretary of State for War this week relative to the presentation of decorations to the next- of-kin of fallen officers and men, would not have been necessary if the editors of daily journals would read their " FLIGHT." But what about the posthumous award of decorations ? Haven't the " difficulties " been overcome yet ? Mr. Lloyd George had better get a move on, since the best authorities say the war can't possibly last more than another three years. TEN YEARS AGO. Excerpts from the " Auto." (" FLIGHT'S " precursor and sister Journal) of November, 1906. " FLIGHT " was founded in 1908. ^10,000 FOR AN AEROPLANE FLIGHT. The event of the week, unquestionably, is the offer made by the Daily Mail of a magnificent prize of ^10,000 for the first aeroplane to fly from a point starting within a radius of five miles of the Daily Mail office in London to any other point within the same radius of the Daily Mail office in Man- m s Command of the Air. COLONEL WILFRID ASHLEY, M.P., chairman of the Parlia mentary Air Committee, delivered an address on the " Command of the Air " to a meeting of the members of the 1900 Club on November 15th, presided over by Viscount Peel. Reviewing the development of British aviation during the past five years from the standpoint of national defence, Colonel Ashley paid a warm tribute to the achievements of the R.N.A.S. and the R.F.C. In urging the need for closer co ordination between the Naval and Military branches of the air service, he said it was important for the vigorous prosecu tion of the war to secure unified control in all matters relating to design of machines, contracts, stores and the supply of material. He appealed for the full and unqualified support of the country for the Air Board under the presidency of Earl IC (/yGHTj B Chester. No stipulations have been attached to the muni ficent offer, except that the competition will be confined exclusively to aeroplanes, and that the competitors must be members of some recognised aeronautical club. THE BROTHERS WRIGHT AWAKE. According to our contemporary, Les Sports, a letter has been received by the French Aero Club from the brothers Wright, containing statements which may be regarded as truly remarkable. It would appear that during the past year they have not been flying at all, but have devoted the whole of their energies to developing a lighter and more suitable motor for use with their aeroplane, and now claim that they have produced a motor giving 28 h.p. and weighing about 3 kilogs. per horse-power. This is much more powerful than the motor they previously employed, and they estimate that they will be able to carry two men with it, and to travel at 70 kiloins, per hour. THE FRENCH WAR OFFICE AIRSHIP " LA PATRIE." The great airship " La Patric," which has been built by the Brothers Lebaudy to the plans of M. Julliot for the French War Office, made its first trip on the 10th inst., when it went out with a crew of six people, including Lieut. Bois, of the Aeronautical Department of Chalais Meudon, who was in charge. She was started off in the direction of Bonnieres. and turned successfully in spite of a considerable wind. She circled round the village of Lavacourt at a speed of 15 miles an hour, +hen moved along the hills bordering the Seine and returned towards Moisson, stopped dead some 200 ft. above the shed, and settled down quietly having been 2 hours and 20 minutes in the air. AERIAL WARFARE. A lecture was delivered by Colonel Fullerton, R.E., at the Royal United Service Institution on Thursday evening of last week on the prospects of flying machines for military purposes. " There was no doubt," said Colonel Fullerton, " that in the next great war flying machines would be regularly employed (1) against other airships, (a) against sea forces, and (3) against land forces. The object of each side would be in the first instance to obtain command of the air by purely aerial warfare, and for this they would maintain a high-speed flying machine armed with light guns. The aerial battles would practically settle the first period of the campaign. " Against the enemies' navies flying machines would be chiefly used for reconnoitring, but probably efforts would be made by firing special projectiles, more or less vertically downwards on to the decks, to inflict actual injury on the vessels. Location and destruction of submarines would also be a special function of the airship, as from a position high in the air objects 30 or 40 ft. below the water can readily be detected. " The use of aeroplanes against land forces would involve, of course, reconnoitring as a principal duty, but depdts might be set on fire, mounted troops attacked, and horses stamped)-• I. " At present it would appear desirable to construct machines weighing up to i.ooo lbs. for one passenger, with a speed of 30 miles an hour, and, say. about 25 h.p.. for two passengers weighing up to 1,500 lbs., with horse-power up to 30, and a larger type weighing up to 10,000 lbs., and with horse-power from 250 to 300 capable of travelling at 40 miles an hour. It is these last that would be suitable for military recon noitring work. " At present it appeared doubtful whether the flying machine could be employed for commercial purposes." m m Curzon, and said that until large executive powers were con ferred upon the Air Board by the Government, aircraft as an essential part of our war organisation could not achieve its highest point of efficiency. He expressed deep regret that difficulties had been placed in the way of a great unified air service by the Board of Admiralty, and he sincerely hoped that the Prime Minister and First Lord of the Admiralty would realise the importance of a full recognition of the functions of the Air Board by the Board of Admiralty at the earliest moment. He said he was satisfied that the Air Board should include a representative of the Ministry of Munitions, and he added that in the view of the Parliamentary Air Committee it would be entirely to the advantage of the Royal Naval Air Service if an Air Lord were added to the Board of Admiralty.
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