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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0958.PDF
JULY 17, 1919 A £10,000 RELIABILITY PRIZE THE Australian Government having offered ^10,000 for a flight to Australia and the Daily Mail prize of ^10,000 for a flight between Great Britain and America having been won, the Daily Express is offering a prize of £10,000 with the object of establishing aerial communication on a com mercial basis between Great Britain and South Africa and India. The preliminary announcement of the offer states that, in general, the terms and conditions of this £10,000 competition may be outlined as follows :— (a) All types of aircraft are eligible for entry. (6) The competition is open to all the world, except late enemy countries. (c) All aircraft entered must carry a useful load of at least a ton both on the outward and homeward flights. (d) Each entrant must produce one aircraft for the flight to and from South Africa, and one aircraft of a similar type for the flight to and from India. (e) The factors considered in the award will be :— Average reliability. Airworthiness and general conduct of aircraft entered. Average gain in speed over the established means of transport. (/) As it is aimed that each aircraft shall carry a useful load of saleable or exchangeable commodities or raw materials, it will be to the advantage of competitors to study the com mercial situation as affecting this interchange. (g) Particulars of entries will be announced within the next few days. (h) Competitors may undertake the flights at any date between the closing of the entries list, which will be an nounced later, and June 1, 1920. Priority in completion will not prejudice the success of later but obviously more efficient performances. (i) One complete failure by a competitor will involve disqualification for the award. Further details will be announced later. AVIATION IN PARLIAMENT Navy, Army, and Air Forces (Estimates) SIR DONALD MACLEAN, on July 7, asked the Lord Privy Seal when he proposes to re-introduce the Estimates for the Navy, Army, and Air Forces in accordance with his promise ? Mr. Bonar Law : My right hon. friend is mistaken in saying that I gave any promise that new Estimates would be introduced, though I said that the suggestion would be considered. I did say, however, that I thought there ought to be a discussion of the whole subject in the House when we revert to a peace footing, but I do not think that the time has yet come when it would be useful to have that discussion. Rigid Airships LIEUT.-COMDR. KENWORTHY, on July 9, asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what will be the total cost of the six rigid airships of an improved type now under construction for the Navy ; whether the signature of Peace will enable the building of some or all of these expensive airships to be post poned ; and, if not, why is there no difference between the War and Peace airship programmes ? Mr. Long : The estimated total cost of the six rigid airships is £2,200,000. The rigid airship programme was thoroughly revised shortly after the Armistice was signed, and was reduced as far as is consistent with the Peace require ments of the Navy, and with the necessary development of the Airship ser vice. No further reduction is at present contemplated. It should be noted that the six airships are not, as implied in the question, of a single type, but of several types, representing successive stages of development. Capt. Wedgwood Benn : Is it proposed to hand over the construction of the lighter-than-air-craft to the Air Ministry ; and, if so, when ? Mr. Long : That does not arise on this question at all. Lieut.-Comdr. Kenworthy : Is it not to be taken into consideration, in the interests of scientific experiment, at any rate, to postpone this building and the expenditure of this money until a later date, and until we have had more experience of this kind of vessel ? Mr. Long : Those questions have already been taken into consideration by the Board of Admiralty in arriving at their decision. Experts CAPT. WEDGWOOD BENN asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry whether any steps are being taken to retain for the public service the advantage of the expert designers and craftsmen engaged upon airship and aeroplane construction during the War ? Maj.-Genl. Seely : It is for the Admiralty to reply as regards airships. As regards aeroplanes, the position during the War generally was that the expert designers were in the employment of the contracting firms, experts on such general questions as aerodynamics, strength of materials, etc., being retained by the State. It is hoped to maintain this position under the peace organisation. Wendover Aerodrome MR. BRIANT, on July 10, asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry if the aerodrome at Wendover is intended to be a permanent training centre for the Air Force ; and, if so, for how many men is it intended to provide ? Maj.-Genl. Seely: The answer to the first question is in the affirmative. The answer to the second will depend on the peace strength which may be approved for the Royal Air Force. Temporary Opening of Oversea Civilian Flying THE Air Ministry on July 13 made the following announce ment :— Pending a definite agreement in accordance with the Air Convention, and in order to enable French and British aircraft firms to send machines to London and Paris, should they so desire, during the forthcoming Peace Celebrations Week, arrangements have been made with the French Govern ment for the opening of civil communication by air between London and Paris from July 13-20 inclusive. British machines Yisiting Paris will land at Le Bourget only, and French machines visiting London at Hounslow only, except in emergency. All machines will cross the French coast between Calais and Boulogne, and the English coast between Folkestone and Dungeness. All machines taking advantage of these facilities must be provided with, and carry, certificates of airworthiness, issued by their respective Governments. Passports will be carried by all civilian personnel. A full list of passengers, showing their destinations, will be carried by the pilot in charge of the machine. No goods or merchandise may be carried. It is to be clearly understood that from July 13-20 inclu sive, no machine taking advantage of this temporary arrange ment, will, in any circumstances, fly over London or Paris. Roll of Honour Wounded Lieut. D. Neil, Can. For. Corps, attad. R.A.F. " Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families " AT the annual meeting of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association on Monday, it was decided to include the word " Airmen " in the title, following the reading of a letter from Queen Alexandra, who is president of the Associa tion. Her Majesty's letter was as follows :— " Dear Sir James Gildea,—I hardly like the idea of changing our old title of ' The Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Associa tion,' the name by which we are so well known everywhere, I hope, and under which name, I am proud to think, have done so much good for the country, especially during the late War. " It has struck me, however, from conversations I have had with others on the subject, that our airmen having helped England so splendidly to win the great War—and the new Air Force, too, being now established as a distinct service— we might, and perhaps ought, to add ' Airmen ' to the name of the Association, and that in future our title should be ' The Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association. " What do you think of this change ? If you approve of it, please let my suggestion be known at the annual meeting of the Association to-morrow, and tell me what is thought of it. I strongly deprecate any greater change in our name than what I have above suggested. " ALEXANDRA." A.M. Civil Aviation Department THE telegraphic address of the above department should read : " Civiatory, Estrand, London "—not as misprinted last week. First Civilian Pilot since Armistice THE first civilian flying certificate issued by the Royal Aero Club since the Armistice has been secured by Pte. J. Hardy, an Australian soldier, living in Earl's Court Road, who claims to have learnt to fly in seven hours at Hendon. " Flips " at Brighton DURING the past week the passenger flights carried out by the Avro Co. from the Ladies' Mile at Brighton have proved very popular ; on the opening day more than 100 passengers were carried. Capt. Kennard is in charge. And at San down THE Avro seaplane service at Sandown, which is under the careful direction of Capt. F. Warren Merriam, A.F.C., has also been doing good business since its introduction on Monday last. The passengers are taken up at the pier-head. Air Work on Indian Frontier ACCORDING to a report from Chaman, via Peshawar, our aeroplanes on July 9 bombed a small gathering of tribes men near the Bogra Pass. 960
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