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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0378.PDF
are, we know not, the numbers of The Barb containing these having failed to reach us. .---.''- VERY helpful work has been accomplished by the " Over-Seas Club " in its efforts to help forward the cause of the Allies throughout our widely-flung Empire. By way of markingthe amalgamation of the R.N.A.S. and R.F.C. on April ist, a special Royal Air Force number of the Club's publication," Overseas," has been featured. It was a compliment to the Club and its work that Lord Rothermere, the Air Minister,should have seen fit to supply a message to the members, who have contributed to the Air Services 159 aeroplanes andseaplanes since the beginning of the war, in the form of the following foreword :— " A MESSAGE FROM THE AIR MINISTER. " Lord Rothermere's Tribute to our Flying Men. " Of all the amazing object-lessons in personal braverywhich Armageddon has given us, surely there is nothing more wonderful than the British flying man. All our previousstandards of bravery and daring have had to be revised in face of the deeds of the boys in the R.F.C. and in the R.N.A.S.I do not think any of us who come into daily contact with the pilots and observers in our Air Service ever quite lose asense of wonder when we come face to face with them. These boys of 18, 19 and 20, as they are for the most part, withoutany vestige of 'side,' all imbued with the desire that their splendid deeds should remain anonymous, are one of themiracles of the War. " I wonder if those who read the daily bulletins issued bythe Air Service as regards the fighting on the various fronts have any idea of what is entailed by the simple statement' twelve enemy aircraft were brought down ' ? Spinning nose dives, tail-slides, side-slips, ' falling leaf,' looping theloop, and the many other ' stunts ' entailed almost take our breath away. " The performances of our flying men to-day and the aero-batics which form part of their daily routine were undreamed of even eighteen months since. Only human beings of perfectphysique, of matchless bravery or of extraordinary quickness of brain can have any chance of distinguishing themselvesin aerial warfare in 1918. And here is the miracle—the British Empire possesses thousands, not hundreds, of these' supermen.' " Our pilots come from all sections of the British Empire ;from our public schools and universities ; from the counting house and office desk in London, Manchester and Glasgow;from the wheat farm in the Canadian North-West; the sheep station in Australia and New Zealand ; from the gold APRIL 4, 1918. mines on the Rand—in fact, from every section of His Majesty'sDominions these boys have come to ' strafe the Hun.' " Whatever mistakes there may have been in the pastowing to a lack of realisation of the outstanding part that aerial warfare was destined to play, it is very largely thanksto the bravery of the British airman that the Empire occupies its present position in the Air. .:-•.-"• "ROTHERMERE." THERE have been several instances of aviators who haveflown with only one leg, but a flying officer with one arm is probably unique. There is at the present moment a youngofficer who lost his right arm below the elbow in the Battle of the Somme, and now, after the greatest of difficulty, hehas succeeded in obtaining leave to fly. He has a very in- genious artificial arm of American manufacture fitted, andappears to be able to do solo flying at least as well as most of his fellow pupils. His courage deserves every success. Trials of our Airmen.—STOLID HIGHLANDER (contemplating the usual humorous and complete mix-up of pilot and machine after a bad forced landing) : " Hae ye broke yer machine ? "— Punch. "... ' ; •••'••< TEN YEARS AGO. Excerpts from the " Auto." (" FLIGHT'S " precursor and sister Journal) of March, 1908. " FLIGHT " was founded at the latter end of 1908. ' MR. HENRY FARMAN MAKES A NEW RECORD.It is really most gratifying to watch the facility and rapidity with which Mr. Henry Farman continues his progress towardsthe conquest of the air. Mr. Farman summoned the Aero Club Committee to witness further attempts on Saturday.Two posts, 550 yards apart, were erected, and outside these the Farman aeroplane circled twice in succession. Theofficial distance is given as 2004.8 metres, and the official time as 3 min. 31 sec. . Two PASSENGERS ON THE DELAGRANGE. - • "Not least gratifying in this conquest of the air, is the good fellowship existing between the successful and epoch-makingrivals. After having successfully achieved a circular flight of over a mile in length, on Saturday, March 21st, M. Dela-grange remounted his machine, and Mr. Henry Farman joined him. M. Delagrange then succeeded in accomplishinga short flight with his passenger. This is the first recorded occasion on which a heavier-than-air machine has carriedtwo persons. ' : '•""•'- As I was strolling 'cross the '3romeOne fine September day I saw a jovial Rumpety . Land in a curious way. I . • It landed not with airy grace "But struck the quaintest pose-! It smote the ground upon its face—In other words—its nose. Forthwith a form in yellow coatUprose in posture weird, Described a neat parabola, And promptly disappeared. A fount of water rose aloftI heard a muffled scream, I saw a figure clamber fromThe local sewer stream. In fear and trepidation I approached the prostrate Rump,Made a brief investigation And ejaculated " Umph ! '' Said I, " Oh Maurice Farman,Your position is absurd, You have landed in a manner Unbecoming of a bird. " I prithee give your reasonsFor this dubious descent, I trust, Oh Farman Shorthorn,It was not unkindly meant." THE HUN. The Maurice gave a quiver (Its choler was intense). But in waiting for its answer Did not keep me in suspense. More in anger than in sorrowIt began its tale of woe. " D'you tliink I like to laad like that ?I'd d d well like to know ! " I was happy till this morning In my hangar over there, Till I met that little devil With his bally cocksure air. " He'd had enough of dual, And he'd landed once or twice.So he wanted to go solo In spite of all advice. " ' I'm sick of doing dual In a bally pusher bus. Why, any fool can fly those things,' Said he, and sneered at us. " The CO. didn't argue, Or make a needless row, He merely indicated me, And said ' Right—go up now.' " The Hun was not all put out. In fact, he soon got in. ' All right, my little friend,' said I, ' The fan will now begin.' 374 " He took me up, then stalled me, Not on purpose, you may bet; His flying quite appalled me : The worst I'd sampled yet. " Our few heartrending circuitsI will not now portray, But I trembled every minuteAs we floundered on our way. " We frolic'd o'er the sergeants' mess, We gambolled o'er the sheds. We side-slipped and we assed about Just clearing people's heads. " At last the Hun decidedHe'd now essay to land. ' All right, my little friend,' said I,* Now I will take a hand.' " So when he pulled the stick back To skim along the ground, I didn't take no notice, * * • :-#;"" •• And I wish he had been drowned." The Rumpety then ceased to speak (It had no more to say), And soon a lorry came along To cart the wreck away. * * * * The moral, gentle reader,Is, " When, thinking you can fly, Don't air your vaunted prowessWith a Rumpety near by." " PITOT."
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