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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 1154.PDF
IfUGHTl DECEMBER 21, 1916. .•""-" TJ%^„ J%ri fKlRISMS FROM THE FOUR. WINDS THE Final Report of the Committee, presided over by Mr. Justice Bailhache, on the Administration of the R.F.C., was laid on the table of the House of Commons on Tuesday, and was issued to the public on Wednesday evening. It favours considerable development of the Air Board. IN the death of Mr.«R. A. Yerburgh on Monday at the age of 63, Imperialists have lost a great and enthusiastic worker. As President of the Navy League for the past 16 years Mr. Yerburgh has helped to counter the machinations of the Little Navy plotters, and of late years he realised the import ance of aviation as a military and naval asset. It was at his instigation the scope of the Navy League was enlarged to embrace aviation and to promote its progress as a vital national necessity. His political career stands out with a clean sheet, and is one that might well serve as a pattern for a few of the job and salary hunters who regard their entry into Parliament as merely a means to the end of pulling the nation's leg to their own advantage. Mr. Yerburgh's generous personality will be much missed, especially amongst those for whom his endeavour was ever.to provide a little healthful help and relaxation. " Two aeroplanes made a forced descent near Newbury on December 8th. On one of the flying officers going to the local post office to telephone to headquarters to send a relief gang, he was told that he would have to wait, as the line was held up for the Newbury races I " A. G. W., who writes this little Christmas story, asks " Are we at war ? " Perhaps we'll know presently, from Mr. Lloyd George. " COMBING-OUT " lias set in in the R.N.V.R.A.A.C, and some people think none too soon. As a result, men over military age are required to fill the gaps left by those fit for general service abroad. Here's a chance for a lot of hefty youngsters of 45 and over who are anxious to do a bit in the war, to get into communication with the headquarters of the corps at 4, Whitehall Gardens, and find out what the conditions of service require. SOME quaint quandaries have arisen in all sorts of un expected quarters from the lighting regulations in force in l-ondon and the country generally. Here is another almost Gilbertian situation which saw the light the other day during a case at Lambeth County Court when Judge Parry asked the Registrar (Mr. W. B. Pritchard) : " Who is responsible for the lights if we sit after five o'clock ? The Registrar says that the Judge is liable. I say that the Registrar is." Counsel quickly rose to the situation with the remark : " We shall be pleased to act for you as counsel at the police court, whoever is summoned." A GRACEFUL and thoughtful action by King George is the conferring last week upon the three sisters of Earl Annesley, who succeeded his cousin (killed in action while in the Royal Flying Corps in 1914), the rank and title of an Earl's daughters, as if their father, the late Hon. William O. B. Annesley, had lived to become Earl Annesley. • — • WE have the word of Lieut. C. Douglas, R.F.C., at a meeting of the Scottish Meteorological Society on Saturday, that the field of view from an aeroplane is so extensive that distant thunderstorms are easily discernible, he having "spotted" clouds 100 miles off from a height of 8,ooo ft. Which gives point to a diagram published fn " FLIGHT " upon this subject not very many months back. THE Northampton Polytechnic has a very fine record in war work. At the recent prize-giving, Dr. R. Mullineux Walmsley, the principal, mentioned that 52 members of the staff, 185 members and 329 students had joined the Colours, of whom 90 had obtained commissions. In other unspecified ways' the school has assisted in the manufacture of high-class munitions, whilst the equipment and staff of the Polytechnic have been placed at the disposal of the Government for experimental and scientific work. The Northampton establishment is a valuable national asset at all times, and has now proved its practical uses in War emer gency as in Peace times. AN echo of the untimely death of Lord Lucas, whilst flying over the German lines, is to hand in the news that his observer at the time, Lieut. Lex Anderson, R.F.C., in some way not explained escaped death and is a prisoner with the enemy. Truly a case of the luck of war, for which his father, Professor Anderson, President of Galway Univer sity College, is duly grateful. A propos of the late Lord Lucas, a very human sketch of his life appears in the December issue of T.P.'s Journal, as well as some personal notes of interest touching upon the life of the late Sir Hiram Maxim. •t ~ m QUITE a goodly proportion of the officers in the last batch of British prisoners of war who have arrived at Berne from Germany are of the R.F.C. These are Lieut. John First- brook, R.F.C., Second Lieut. John Macfie, R.F.C., Second Lieut. Macaskie, R.F.C., and Second Lieut. Cuthbert Selby, R.F.C. They are fortunate to have got clear of German soil. LEVEE EN MASSE.—THE CRANK : " Your Highness, I have here a scheme that will save many of your wonderful airships from destruction. It is a shell-proof envelope 6 ins. thick." Of what material ? " Iron, your Highness." Why, you idiot, how do you expect the THE COUNT : THE CRANK : THE COUNT; airship to rise ? THE CRANK It doesn't, your Highness. That is the sole purpose of my invention."—Punch. TEN YEARS AGO. Excerpts from the " Auto." (" FLIGHT'S " precursor and sister Journal) of December, 1906. " FLIGHT " was founded in 1908. THE BELLAMY AEROPLANE. In this country has arrived, with a suddenness which suggests the proverbial " bolt from the blue," Mons. Bellamy, whose ultimate object is nothing less than to make an attempt for the £10,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail. The Bellamy aeroplane consists of a bamboo structure carrying a double-decked aeroplane at each end. In front each plane measures 10 metres by 2^75 metres, those at the rear are the same width, but only 7 metres long. Front and rear aeroplanes are situated 10 metres apart, and lying longitudinally between then are two triangular side-sails inclining upwards and outwards like the wings of a bird. Between the upper and lower aeroplanes at each end are vertical partitions, which give a cellular formation to the aeroplane as a whole. Projecting in front is a horizontal rudder, while behind, in the centre of the rear aeroplane, is a vertical tail. In this latter device, M. Bellamy states that he realises a fault, so that at present it is unnecessary to consider it too seriously as part and parcel of the apparatus. Power is developed by a 50 h.p. engine situated in the centre of the forward aeroplane, from which it is transmitted to tractor screws by chains. The aeronaut's seat is situated immediately behind the engine. At the present time, M. Bellamy's claim for free flight is, we understand, a distance of 400 metres, so that there is still very much to be done before the Bellamy aeroplane can be regarded as having solved the problem of aerial navigation ; the presence of the inventor in this country, however, is at least evidence that he himself looks upon his experiments as already progressing along very satisfactory lines. 1126
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