FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0040.PDF
ennui land it in safety. Pilots at first objected to dual control onthe ground that an observer might be tempted to exercise control while the pilot'was himself flying the machine andthus cause accident. This objection is wearing away, and pilots are now becoming reconciled to the idea, and evenlook upon it with favour. Dual control is more easily fitted to machines which carry the pilot in front, but there is noserious difficulty in fitting dual control to all machines which carry a pilot and an observer. The dual control stick shouldbe detachable with a bayonet socket, and should not be placed in position until the need for using it arises. If dualcontrol is to be effective observers must have some elementary training, at any rate, in flying. Subject to these observations,we agree with the growing feeling in favour of dual control, and do not gather that the heads of the Royal Flying Corpsdesire to raise any objection. It was wise not to move strongly in the matter uotil pilots become reconciled to theidea. (/) MAPS, COMPASSES AND ALTIMETERS. Maps. 133. The question of maps has been unfavourably com-mented on and some witnesses consider that, if maps had been clearer, pilots would have found it easier to recogniseplaces, and an accident, such as occurred on May 31st last, when Lieutenant Littlewood lost his way and was capturedwith his machine in Lille, would never have happened. 134. The Directorate have had great trouble in gettingsuitable maps, owing to the fact that air operations extend over so many different countries, the maps of which differ instyle and scale. For instance, in the course of a flight, machines frequently pass over parts of England, France andBelgium. On the whole, though the construction of maps was necessarily rather slow, we do not consider that any faultcan be found with the Royal Flying Crops, nor can we attribute the loss of the machine in Lille to the map, which was thesame which all pilots flying across to France use, and seems toius reasonably sufficient. 135. Some further adverse comment has been made bywitnesses because the maps for the theatre of war have not been constructed on the process by which Lord Montaguhas produced maps for air pilots over this country. There are several reasons given why these undoubtedly excellentair pilot maps have not been constructed, and with these we are in sympathy, (a) The process was a private inven-tion and quite unknown to the Military Authorities until December, 191 5. (b) Even if the invention had been known,it could not have been adopted for military pilots, as it is essential, whilst learning to fly, that the latter should use thesame type of map as they will find in vogue in the theatre of war. (c) To produce maps of the theatre of war onLord Montagu's play would take time, though it could probably be done, (d) The maps, if produced, would beuseless owing to its being essential for the purpose of orders, reports, description^ &c., that pilots should use the samemaps as the Army to which they belong unless Lord Montagu's maps should prove to be suitable for the ordinary work of anArmy. This we think possible, although they have not yet been adopted. Compasses. 136. The provision of a suitable compass has presentedvery real difficulties, and only quite lately has it been possible to invent a really satisfactory one. It appears that thetwisting and turning of an aeroplane are so sharp and sudden that no existing compass was trustworthy in an aeroplane ;and it has been urged that an indifferent compass was useless, and that the number of high-class compasses was very limited.There are certainly instances in the earlier days of the war of machines flying without compasses owing to there beingnone to give them ; and, later on, isolated instances due to the negligence or rashness of local officers who were respon-sible for seeing that a machine was properly equipped before leaving the ground. Some of these cases will be found com-mented on in this Report. Altimeters, .; ... . 137. The complaint that altimeters were limited to register-Ing a height of 10,000 ft., arid that they burst if an aircraft rose above that height, appears to be borne out by fact, and,here again, was a surprise of the war. When hostilities com- menced 10,000 ft. was considered an ample maximum height,but the range and accuracy of anti-aircraft guns increased, until machines were hit at over 20,000 ft., and the range ofthe altimeter had to be increased. Consequently there was a period when there were no suitable altimeters for flightsabove 10,000 ft., but the Committee have no reason to suppose that the period was unduly protracted. JANUARY II, 191?. (g).—GENERAL HENDERSON OPPOSED THE BUILDING OF AIRSHIPS ; AND (A)—GENERAL TRENCHARD HAD NO SUFFICIENT TRAINING IN FLYING. 138. Both these charges are quite unfounded. (A)—GENERAL HENDERSON DECLINED TO ALLOW LEWIS GUNS TO BE SENT TO THE FRENCH IN EXCHANGE FOR ENGINES. 139. Upon this charge we quote General Henderson'sanswer, which we accept. General Henderson said— " I was accused of having stopped that, or interfered withit. Major-General Sir Stanley Von Donop, M.G.O., deals with that in the following minute :—' Continual strongrecommendations have been received from the General Officer Commanding Royal Flying Corps, that Lewis guns should besupplied to him for issue to the French. On these recom- mendations the number allocated to Royal Flying Corps wasvaried at various times in order to meet the demand. In addition to the guns thus received by the French AviationDepartment from the Royal Flying Corps special issues have been made at times by the War Office.' " General Henderson added :—"It is one of the things that I have taken more trouble about than anything else, and I have even cut down Lewisguns for our own aeroplanes in order to supply them to the French, because I looked upon it that it did not matter whobrought down the Germans, whether it was our aeroplanes or Frenchmen's." (/).—GENERAL HENDERSON140. Here again we ... accept General Henderson's Answer, . . . (m) EXCESSIVE FLYING TO CREATE A RECORD.141. A record is kept by every squadron at the front show- ing the number of hours flown per diem by every aeroplane.A record is required in order to be able to trace the nature and length of the duty on which every aeroplane has beenemployed. The record enables the life of a machine and engine to be ascertained. It provides material for tracingfailures in any particular type and for comparisons with other types to be drawn with a view to future commitments.142. We are not blind to the fact that this record must indicate to headquarters how the differeEt squadrons com-pare in performing their duties, whether, for instance, they are active enough whilst not being too active to the detriment ofthe pilots and machines. 143. It is suggested that this leads the superior officers tosend more machines to do a piece of work than are necessary, or to send them up on pretended errands. It may be so,although we have no evidence of it. There are always to be found persons who hope to rise by making an impression ofzeal and keenness. There are also some persons in authority who are so impressed. We have no evidence that the GeneralOfficer Commanding the Royal Flying Corps in France is among their number. Even if he is, the record is so obviouslyvaluable, and indeed necessary, that the risk of it being abused must be run. We should suppose that any instanceof real abuse is fairly easy to detect. (n) No MACHINES WENT UP ON THE OCCASION OF THE RAID AT DOVER BY A GERMAN SEAPLANE WHICH WAS OVER DOVER ON OR ABOUT JANUARY 31ST, 1916. 144. It appears that Dover is a Naval War Station, andthat the Royal Flying Corps merely has a training and mobilising ground there. On the date in question it happenedthat General Henderson was inspecting there. He had just gone into the mess-room when he heard the anti-aircraftguns firing. The only portion of the Royal Flying Corps at Dover at the time was a half-completed squadron ready togo abroad. Directly the guns were heard the pilot on duty ascended in pursuit of the German seaplane, and was imme-diately followed by two Naval machines, and these again by another Army machine. It appears that the machines wentup in the opposite direction to Dover, so were not seen by the inhabitants of that town. The day was rather mistyand the German seaplane 8,000 ft. up, so that the British machines were unable to catch it. Another allegation wasthat the anti-aircraft guns fired at the British aeroplanes, and there is evidence which points to some rounds havingbeen fired at one of the Naval machines. (0) THE SENDING HOME OF 74 PILOTS FOR FURTHER TRAIN- ING THE DAY AFTER MR. PEMBERTON BILLING'S ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. 145. This charge was not made by Mr. Pemberton Billing.There is no foundation for it, and certainly none for the implication that the return of Mr. Pemberton Billing was thecause. The suggestion probably originated in the fact that observers who wish to become pilots are from time to time 40
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
