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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0495.PDF
Flight, May 24, 1917. First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder andgEditor : STANLEY SPOONER. A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. N«. 4S9. (No. 21, Vol. IX.) MAY 24, 1917. rWe«kly, PriC* 3d.L Post Fraa, 4d. —, a Editorial Office: 44, St. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C.2. Telegrams : Trudltur, Weitrand, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom .. isr. id. Abroad *.<*«»-•«•:•»- •. zos. od. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: • ' I "; : The Aerial Policy of the Navy ..• .. ... . ..•*';.," ,i 495 The Abolition of War ." .. ... .. ;. •,»• 496 Hall Caine on Reprisals .. .. .... .. .. .. 496 The Civil Aerial Transport Committee .. .. .. ,. .. 498 The Roll of Honour .. .. ~. . 499 "The Navy-that-Flies" .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. s°° The Standard H-3 Tractor Biplane (with scale drawings).. .. .. 501 Identification of German Aeroplanes .. .. .. 504 Royal Aero Club. Official Notices 5°5 Answers to Correspondents .. „ * • .. .. v. .. .. .. 506 Airisms from the Four Winds .. .. .. .. .. _ .. 507 Personals 510 Aviation in Parliament ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..511 The British Air Services 51a Aircraft and Motor Car Engine Design. By Louis Coatalen .. .. 514 Aircraft Work at the Front. Official Information •• .. .. ... 518 Legal Intelligence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... • ., 520 Imports and Exports, 1916-1917 . .. .. .. 520 PROPOS the destruction of " L. 22 " recently by " our Naval forces," the Daily Mail recently published a strongly-worded leading article on the need for more seaplanes and a more forward policy on the part of the Admiralty. It is perfectly true, as our contemporary points out, that until very recently : " Owing to the German Staff's foresight and the Sea Lords' want of imagi- nation the enemy could watch what Aerial*Policy ^e British admirals were doing, raid of the Navy, the British coast, and escape destruc- tion. His airships were everywhere, while British fighting admirals complained that for want of aircraft they were paralysed. They were, in fact, in the position of a blind man fencing with an opponent in full possession of his sight." The Mail then goes on to say that the German Admiralty knows the importance of commanding or controlling the air. Now it finds the Zeppelin is becoming useless for war it will set out to build seaplanes and copy our methods. No German, says our contemporary, ever invented anything, but the Germans are the most patient and industrious of imitators. They are never ashamed of stealing our discoveries. We may be certain that they will set to work to produce powerful and formidable machines, and our Admiralty will be wise to prepare for such a competition in sea-going aircraft as is now in progress in land aeroplanes. It is of the most extreme importance that the Air Lord of the Admiralty should have a free hand and all possible support. We agree with all this. In fact, we feel quite as , strongly as the Mail that it is absolutely necessary for us to secure and maintain the supremacy of the air above the sea as we have, we hope and believe, secured that over the land. At the same time, however, we have something of a feeling of regret that the Mail has thought it necessary to go out of its way to throw doubt by implication upon the present administration of the Naval Air Service/ Undoubtedly the man in the street as he reads the Mail's article will end it with the feeling that once again there is a screw loose at the Admiralty. Par- ticularly must that be so when he regards the past history of the Service. He will have it in his mind that not once but two or three times since the begin- ning of the war has it been found necessary to " re- organise " the Air Department of the Admiralty, and he cannot be blamed for the conclusion that once more there is foreshadowed more of the same sort of thing. Admitting, as we have, that all the Mail says about the past, and the want of foresight displayed by successive Boards of Admiralty before—-and since—the war, we still deprecate the tone of what we have called casting doubt by implication. Either the present administration of the R.N.A.S. is alive to the needs of the situation, present and future, or it is not. If it is not and we know it, then let it be said right out and we will join our contemporary with pleasure in a campaign for getting rid of the slackers and incompetents. But so far as we know, the new administration is particularly alive to both present and future, and there is no reason at all for getting into a panic about things. If, for example, the French reports which purport to give details of the destruction of " L. 22 " are anywhere near the truth, they should assist in reasuring the public that a spirit of greater liveliness and aggressiveness has already been infused into the conduct of the aerial war over the sea. Those reports tell us that the Zeppelin was destroyed by British seaplanes—and not so very far from her own coast, either, which indicates
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