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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1330.PDF
NOVEMBER 21, 191S towards evening, and he had better return to earth. But he still pointed her nose up, and switched on the oxygen. Instantly, he says, the sun grew brighter again, and the motor began to exhaust so loudly that he thought there must be something wrong with it. His hunger departed, and the evening shadows cleared away. Still he stuck it, but at last the oxygen gave out, and he could not see through his goggles for the frost that formed on them! But he had climbed to 28,900 feet. TEN YEARS AGO Excerpts front "FLIGHT " of November, 1908 HENRY FARMAN AT THE FRONT AGAIN Since Henry Farman's trip to America, he has been little heard of in practical aeroplane work, although he has been installed at Chalons for some little time. He has now placed somewhat in the shade the wonderful performances of Mr. Wilbur Wright, by making his very plucky across country record flight on the 30th ult., from near the military camp at Chalons to Rheims, a distance of 27 kiloms., in the time of 20 mins., rising to a height of over 100 ft. He also entered for the High Flight Prize, and secured this on the 31st ult., by flying on the Chalons camp ground at a height of fully 100 ft. past pre-arranged points marked out by balloon ettes. M. BLERIOT ALSO MAKES HISTORY On the day following M. Bleriot made what may be regarded as an equally successful essay and record with his monoplane. In the afternoon, at 2.50, M. Bleriot was ready to fly, directing his course to Artenay (Loiret), a village situated at a distance of about 14 kiloms. from his hangar. Having overhauled his machine he re-started for Toury, where he arrived at 5 p.m., having en route during the return journey made a stop at Sintilly. In his flight from Toury to Artenay, M. Bleriot's time was 11 mins. for the 14 kiloms. CLEMENT-BAYARD AIRSHIP On October 29th the " Clement-Bayard," the latest French dirigible which has been constructed for M. Albert Clement, was given its first trial, and a very successful one. The air- ship was manoeuvred over Sartrouville, St. Germains and Maisons Laffitte for about an hour and a half, and it behaved so splendidly that immediately on its descent it was resolved to have another trial. On Sunday last the airship accom- plished a splendid performance by making a trip to Compiegne and back, the round trip being about 250 kiloms., and occupying about five hours. COLONEL MOORE-BRABAZON AS PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE IT is an interesting sign of the times when no less famous a pioneer of aviation than Col. J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, R.A.F., is adopted as Parliamentary candidate, and one hopes this example will be followed by other men of experience and influence in the aircraft world, for undoubtedly there will be countless questions of the highest importance raised in the House of Commons in the near future which will be the better handled if we have as representatives men who understand the subject thoroughly. Col. Moore-Brabazon was adopted at a public meeting held at Rochester recently, and had a most enthusiastic reception. He said, in the course of his address, that he came before them as a Unionist candidate to support the existing Coalition Government, and in supporting that Government he sup- ported Mr. Lloyd-George, Mr. Bonar Law, and Mr. Barnes. After dealing with the general position of the political outlook he went on to say he could not let that opportunity- go without speaking of the Air Force, and in that connection it was with the greatest possible pleasure that he saw on his left that evening Mr. Oswald Short, with whom he had worked—it was only ten years ago, but it seemed a long time in the history of aviation. In those early days they were looked upon as crazy lunatics, like people looking for per- petual motion, and were laughed at by most people. But since then they had seen that when England really put her back into it and got to technical subjects in earnest there was no country in the world that could touch them. " I have been connected intimately with aviation from the start," said the speaker, " and from the beginning of this war, in the Royal Air Force, and I say emphatically that at no time from the beginning has Germany or any other country been superior to us in any technical details. Now that's a very big claim, because we are always pretending what fools we are, but I happen to know." The Air Force had started in England some very big industries from mushroom growth, and he asked them to give him support, if he were returned, to see that the Government in some way or other carried over that difficult time before aeroplanes became that commercial necessity which they were going to be. They must see that those very big firms with all * their employees were given Government orders for a year or two until the thing was on a self-supporting basis. Mr. Oswald Short, in seconding a vote of confidence in Col. Brabazon as a fit and proper person to represent Rochester in Parliament, said that when he heard that his old friend was standing for that borough, the question he put to himself was whether his political views were such that he (Mr. Short) could support. A reference to his career and his avowed aims brought an answer entirely in the affirmative. Col. Brabazon was in sympathy in efforts as between thinkers and workers, capital and labour ; he wanted to shorten the road to those ideal conditions of life at which they all aimed.' Col. Brabazon satisfied him that they were his aims by his support of Mr. Lloyd George. The matter was of great interest to him as a partner in his firm, and was also the interest of the 3,000 employees and dependents in their works at Rochester and Bedford. Referring to Col. Brabazon as " the pioneer of pioneers " in the matter of aviation, Mr. Short called to mind assisting him in one of his first attempts. It was a machine called " The Bird of Passage." He was one of those who hung on to the tail, and presently he found himself bounding over the ground at 20 miles an hour. However, he was soon shaken off, and the machine, rising to a height of about 100 ft. and flying a few hundred yards, crashed to the ground. They all rushed to the spot, fully expecting to see Col. Brabazon dead, but to their great joy -he was collecting himself together out of the wreckage. But his first question was " Short, how long will it take you to build me a new machine ? " That, said Mr. Short, was the spirit which dominated aviation from the very earliest and hardest times, and it was that spirit which had given us the lead, especially over our enemies, in aviation. With their help they would never let that spirit go. The resolution was carried unanimously. All his numerous friends will wish Col. Moore-Brabazon success in this new venture, certain that he would render valuable service in Parliament to the science with which he has been so l connected. REVIEWS " PETROL AND PETROLEUM SPIRITS " As Sir John Cadman points out in a brief introduction to this book, there is a general lack of information as to what " Petrol " really is, and what precise qualities should be utilised for the varying purposes to which it is to be applied. The little volume which Capt. Wilfred E. Guttentag, R.A.F., has written will, at any rate, be welcomed by all who have to do with the design of aeronautical and automobile engines, to whom it is a somewhat wearisome task to search out any information they may require from general treatises on the technology of petroleum. In a chapter on " Petroleum " Capt. Guttentag deals with its characteristics, the theories as to its origin, its geology, its exploitation and the methods of refining the crude oil. He then goes on to discuss the systems in use for rectifying and refining petrol, as well as the other scmrces of petrol, such as natural gas, cracked spirit and shale naphtha. The greater part of the book is taken up with the chapter on " Examination and Testing," in which such questions as chemical composition, specific gravity, volatility, fractional distillation, calorific value, sulphur content, unsaturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, acidity, purity, flash point, explosibility, specific heat, optical properties, solubility in alcohol, congealing point, &c, are considered in detail. The book is illustrated by 26 drawings, and there are a large number of useful tables, while the usefulness of the work is considerably added to by the comprehensive index. " Petrol and Petroleum Spirits " is published by Mr. Edward-Arnold, at 10s. 6d. net. W KM M PUBLICATION RECEIVED Petrol and Petroleum Spirits. By Capt. Wilfred E. Gutten- tag, R.A.F. London : Edwin Arnold. Price 10s. 6d. net. 1331
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