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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1473.PDF
DECEMBER 19, 1918 days of the war, before Zeppelins had ceased from troubling,and before Gothas had even been heard of, he showed me by rough diagrams a plan of nets hanging from balloons to tripup Zeppelins. I believe he showed them also to other persons. " The matter is clear in my mind, because some of us wereinclined to scoff, as in those days it seemed rather fantastic to dream of curtaining the sky. Mr. Macdonald was alsoan early advocate of nets for catching submarines." THE idea of Mr. Handley Page for overcoming the difficultiesof regular aeroplane services during foggy weather, is indeed excellent. He suggests that air routes should be mappedout by captive balloons tethered with their correct markings at such a height as to be above the mantle of fog which sobothers the flying man. A pilot flying with his passengers and running into a district enveloped in fog would thus beable to tell from these guide balloons exactly where he was and where he would find safe landing. A GOOD deal is being said about converting the large bomb-ing and other fighting planes into postal and passenger carrying machines, but is it at all certain that for the latterpurpose this can so very easily be effected ? Air problems of this nature are not quite so readily solved as the con-version of a 4-seater Ford car into a tradesman's van. THE Aero Club of America has lately inaugurated a clubin Paris which will form a centre for those interested in the military and commercial aspects of aviation. A felicitousopening address was given by M. J. L. Dumesnil, Under Secretary of State of Aeronautics, in which he expressed thehope that the happy alliance which already united the two sister Republics would be yet further strengthened by thework of the club. The speaker reminded his auditors that of 240 pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille, 70 had died on thefield of honour. Among those -who were present may be named Mr. William G. Sharp, the American Ambassador,M. Henry Deutsch de la Meurthe, President of the Aero Club of France, M. Paul Painleve, Commandant Brocard, Capt.Heurteux, and Lieuts. Renee Fonck and Beaumont, the latter being well and favourably known for their work over the lines. . .,;.- ..., ..,..: v , . • ,t , -•• . _ ; •.•V.-i^-'t. ..-.•f. • "a •••'•V'- ' ^" - OUR contemporary L'Auto raises the query as to whatwill become of the " aces " of this war, now that, like Othello, they find their occupation gone ? Renee Fonck, who has75 victories to his credit, has already received several alluring offers from private firms; but as he is an Officer of theLegion of Honour at the age of twenty-four, it is thought likely that he may pursue the career of arms. Lemaltrewill direct an aerial transport enterprise ; if he does it with the efficiency with which he bombarded the Huns 100 timesin the course of one day, his shareholders will be enviable. Ehrlich says that he has a situation already found, he willstay with his parents ! Lieut. Bourjade avows flatly that he will enter the clerical profession, in which he stands alone.Many of these adolescent fighting men, one of them having only just reached his twentieth year, say that they wanttime to make up their minds. LIEUT. MADONHAS received the Rosette of the Legion ofHonour, a well-earned distinction', conferred in recognition of fearless work accomplished over the enemy lines whileon reconnaissance work. He has over forty enemy machines to his credit, and to him at least the Armistice has broughtno cause for rejoicing, as he had set his heart on attaining the hali-century. AN inter-ministerial commission has already been setup in France to deal with the questions arising in connection with the inauguration of aeroplane services between Englandand France, also matters of customs inspection, mails, &c. An inter-allied conference will be held shortly to establishthe limitations to be observed tn connection with such ser- vices. NOT even the- incessant bombing of the presumptuous Boche afforded more delight to the poilu in the trenches than the gratuitous delivery of the morning papers by aero- plane, an idea comparatively recently instituted, and which was hailed on its advent by " ovations prolonged." MR. CLIFFORD PRODGER really ought to write a book. Themany adventures he meets with in the course of his career as an experimental pilot would make entertaining and pro-fitable reading. Last week he added to his experiences on the South Coast. He was testing a small flying boat late inthe afternoon—later than was comfortable, but he was anxious to catch a certain train north if possible. He wasalone on the flight, when suddenly he observed water leaking generously from the radiator. Very soon the thermometerbegan to display unusual activity, and according to Mr. Prodger it went right round the dial at least three times,so evidently the motor was getting warm. As the night was already dark and a thick sea-mist was coming up he knewthe position was not exactly comfortable, but nothing would ever disturb his sang-froid, so he calmly made for the shore.It was some distance off, for owing to the low clouds and the low tide he had been flying a good way out. Unfortunatelyhe could not get close in, and consequently no one saw him. Having descended safely on a calm sea he stopped, and helooked, and he carefully listened, as George Robey would say, but there was nothing doing anywhere. By this time itwas perfectly dark and more foggy than ever. In fact he hadn't the foggiest idea where he was, so he started to shoutfor assistance. He kept this up until his voice gave out, sitting meanwhile on the outside of his cabin, but nothinghappened. At last he decided to .climb inside and put on his leather flying suit, which up to that time he had not wornas it was not a very cold evening. He proposed to mak« himself as comfortable as circumstances would permit insidethe boat, but before doing so he searched his pockets and found some State Express cigarettes and a few matches,and these, he says, saved his life. He lit a match (it hap- pened to be one of those good ones we sometines find in a box)and the flare, reflected on the fog, attracted the attention of two fishermen who chanced to be out late in a rowing-boat.They came along to investigate, and were able to tow him and his flying-boat a mile and a half to bis destination. Itwas a lucky chance. If the Admiralty regulations about off-shore fishing limits had not been relaxed last week therewould have been no fishermen out to see him. ;- TEN YEARS AGO. Excerpts from " FLIGHT " of December, 1908. MOORE-BRABAZON FLEES.Congratulations to Mr. Moore-Brabazon on his achieve- ment of flight. Omitting for the moment the claims ofMr. Henry Farman, he is the first domiciled Englishman who has succeeded in this field of enterprise. It was onThursday last, December 3rd, that the real flight event came off, and on that date he succeeded in accomplishing threedistinct flights of from 500 to 600 metres each. The R.N.A.S. Dover Patrol | SPEAKING at Dover on December 12th, when he waspresented with the freedom of the borough, Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes said that from personal observation hecould confirm the great damage done by the R.N.A.S. machines attached to the Dover Patrol to the aerodromesnear Bruges and Ostend. He said he visited the places two days previously and the damage caused there was inde-scribable. ' •-'. The Enemy Aircraft Exhibition THE R.A.F. Exhibition of Enemy Aircraft at the Agri- cultural Hall, Islington, continues to prove a great attraction, and up to the end of last week 100,000 people had visited the show since it was opened on November 15th. The arrange- ment by which visitors may manipulate the controls of a German aeroplane, as illustrated on page 1441, has provedmost popular, while the two German engines, sectioned to show every working part, are also a never-ending attraction.The exhibition is open daily from 10 till 10 on week-days, and from 3 till 10 on Sundays, a charge of is. being madefor admission, which goes to benefit the R.A.F. hospitals. A " Juvenile " Lecture THE annual " Juvenile" lecture of the Royal Aero-nautical Society will this session be given by Mr. F. Handley Page, C.B.E., who will take as his subject " To Constantinopleand back by Aeroplane in War Time." The meeting will be held in the Central Hall, Westminster, on January 8th,1919, at 3 p.m., and the chair will be taken by Lieut.-Col. Alan Burgoyne, M.P. Children of members and their friendsare specially invited. 1442
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