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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0376.PDF
am MARCH 20, IQIQ COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE AND NORTHERN EUROPE A VERY enlightening address upon our future commercial air service was given recently by Mr Stuart A. Hirst, Chairman of the Blackburn Aeroplane Co., before the Hull Chamber of Commerce and Shipping, mainly with a view to pointing the way in which our great sea transport concerns must protect their future. Mr. Hirst was naturally concerned in his views chiefly from the outlook from Hull and the East Coast, although a great deal of his paper might well be taken to heart by all who are interesting themselves in the future of commercial aviation. Facts and figures were a feature of the address in support of the general arguments of Mr. Hirst, these not being confined to aeroplanes, but embracing airship data also. When Mr. Hirst got down to details of the North Sea air service, his audience were keen listeners to the promise of success which was outlined, and we do not think Mr. Hirst in any way overdrew the possi bilities which may eventuate to Hull and the north-easterly jumping-off points in his very interesting and informative address, which the accompanying sketch map helps to visualise In this connection Mr. Hirst said :— " International air services will undoubtedly be com menced directly the International Laws that are to regulate International flights have been settled at the Peace Con ference, where this is one of the most important subjects due for discussion. We can see before us a definite prospect of a commercial aerial transport. This problem has a par ticular interest to Hull, because, as Hull has made itself a thriving seaport, it^can be made into our most important has been crossed on a regular daily patrol during the War and nothing thought of the performance. The North Sea is just a handy pond which is easily navigable even by our older types of flying-boats. My company are very interested in the design and construction of these vessels, and we believe that in a boat of 100,000 lbs. weight which we at present have under consideration and propose to build, and which will afford accommodation for anything up to eight tons of merchandise, we have a sound business proposition. The largest flying-boat at present used by the Royal Air Force has a disposable lift of nearly four tons, and can carry about 20 passengers. We shall be able to easily carry at least 30 passengers. What a boon it will be to certain com mercial men when they can attend to their business at their desks in Hull in a morning, get over to Bremen, Copenhagen, or even Amsterdam, transact in an hour business that before would have taken a week to put through, and be back safely in their homes in Hull the same day I This is no idle dream, but an indication of what will, to my mind, undoubtedly come about before long. " At the same time, I want to utter a word of caution. We have got so used to reading of flights from London to Cairo, and from Cairo to Delhi, and we have heard so much about encircling the globe with aeroplanes, that I want to say right here that the greatest harm will be done to flying, notwithstanding its marvellous progress, if we let the public expect too much. We must frankly recognise that many things are still impossible in actual flying. Aerial Sketch map of the proposed Initial Air Routes of the Blackburn Co. between Hull and the Northern Continent International air port. For the manufacturing centres of England Hull is our best outlet to the Continent. The fine, wide, sheltered estuary of the Humber affords almost unlimited anchorage for the great commercial flying-boat that will be used almost exclusively over the North Sea for the future. I have always taken the view that the War in relation to aviation has merely been an incident or a propelling force in the development of aviation to a commercially practical point, and the company with which I am connected have formulated their whole policy with the idea of being in the front rank in regard to post-War schemes. " The future North Sea air service will be greatly assisted by the important works which we have already established at Brough, and I look forward to the day when little Brough wll be helping Hull to keep abreast of the times by becoming the landing and departing station for the great air traffic that will ply between here and the Continent. The distance between Hull and the principal Scandinavian and Dutch ports is roughly 400 miles. It must undoubtedly be a great commercial advantage to reduce the time occupied in trans port between Hull and these places from 40 hours to four. It will be an incalculable advantage to the manufacturer, as well as an opportunity for a profitable parcels and pas senger service. I look upon the North Sea air service as a thing which we are within a very short distance of seeing accomplished. I think that the Atlantic, owing to its great expanse, presents many problems for an aerial transport company. The projected Atlantic flight is simply a demon stration, and there is no early prospect of inaugurating a c ommercial service. At the moment the Atlantic has not actually been crossed by air even once, while the North Sea navigation is not yet an exact science, and meteorology also calls for deeper study by pilots. It is foolish, for example, to expect immediately the announcement of a service leaving Hull sharply at 10 o'clock in the morning, and expect this service to run at once with the reliability and regularity of a railway express train. " An unscheduled air service over the North Sea can be initiated right away with the assistance of some of the smaller Naval airships, the S.S. type measuring 145 ft. in length, rendered redundant by the cessation of hostilities. The S.S. airships stand in original cost at only ^8,000 apiece, and could doubtless be turned over to a private commercial concern at a very low price if the details of the transport scheme were submitted to the Air Ministry and approved. One of the latest little S.S. airships only requires a crew of two, and could carry 700 lb. of mail each trip. They are at present fitted with five seats, so there would be room for three passengers each time if you wished to go over to Scan dinavia and see your customer personally. The cost would be small, and the service could be made to pay if the letters were franked at 4<f. per oz. There is an enormous amount of correspondence, as well as a heavy dispatch of parcels, between Hull and the Scandinavian countries. The present average time of three days for the delivery of mails across the North Sea would, by the new form of transit, be reduced to within 24 hours. That is to say, by airship or aeroplane, mail posted here would be assured delivery the same day in Esbjerg, Copenhagen, Gottenburg, or even to Christiania or Stockholm. t**m " Upon these modest beginnings I am convinced that aerial routes across the North Sea will be founded, and 376
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