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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1014.PDF
with many guns and much ammunition apart from wireless telegraphy apparatus and bombs. It was clear that it would be necessary to employ a very large aeroplane with powerful motors. The 350 Eagle Rolls being the biggest and best geared engine available it was decided to employ four, using a system of tandem propellers, which theoretical investigation showed to be reasonably efficient. The main lines of the design were quickly arrived at, and arrange ments made for the building of a few experimental aeroplanes, by a large firm of shipbuilders in Ireland. In order to get a straight run on the design and to avoid interruption, Mr. Handley Page, the designer, went over to Ireland with a large proportion of his design staff, and after six months very hard work, the first of the batch came over to Crickle- wood, to be erected and tested. Many difficulties, particularly connected with the control, were encountered and surmounted, and on November 8, three days before the Armistice was signed, two of these aeroplanes were standing ready and fully equipped to start for Berlin. Ground Fighters. Armoured Aeroplanes.-—In the very early days of the War the aeroplane had little to fear from enemy action provided it crossed the lines at any height above about 3,000 ft., so as to be out of range of ordinary rifle fire from the ground. The introduction of the special anti-aircraft gun, however, very quickly altered this state of affairs, and the aeroplane was driven higher as the accuracy of fire improved ; until at the end of the War there was no immunity from danger from A.A, fire at a height of 20,000 ft. For a long time it was considered that the risk of a low flying aeroplane being hit by rifle or machine gun fire from the ground was so great that we should not be justified in using our pilots and aeroplanes in this way. The remarkable escapes experienced from time to time by pilots forced to return across the lines at very low altitudes, however, en couraged the idea that the risks of low flying had been a good deal exaggerated, and a most effective mode of attacking the enemy was gradually developed. The first important success in this direction was, I believe, achieved by Lieut.- Col. Bishop, V.C., who attacked an enemy aerodrome soon m m The Air Ministry and the " Daily Express " Prize THE Editor of the Daily Express has received from Maj.-Gen. Sir F. H. Sykes, Controller-General of Civil Aviation, a letter in which he says : " The generous offer of the Daily Express has come at a most opportune moment, and will be of very great value in stimulating and encouraging British aircraft industries. " I am most happy, therefore, to assure you of the whole hearted support of the Air Ministry in general and my own department in particular, and I trust that we shall have the early satisfaction of acknowledging success." Maj.-Gen. Sykes has also offered a number of very helpful suggestions, and has promised to nominate an advisory member of the committee which is being formed to define in detail the conditions of the competition. This nominee of the Air Ministry will have at his command all technical and meteorological data available. The Com mittee will also include two members nominated by the Royal Aero Club, one nominated by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, and one nominated by the Royal Aeronautical Society. Ways and Means to Encourage Commercial Aviation THE Daily Express understands that a committee com posed of members of the Air Ministry and two representatives of the aircraft industry—Mr. H. White-Smith, chairman of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, and Mr. Cary, of the Sopwith Aviation Co., Ltd.—under the presidency of Maj.-Gen. Seely, Under-Secretary of State for Air, is now investigating ways and means to encourage the production, of the best type of commercial aeroplane. Reliability, safety - and practical utility are determining factors in these delibera tions. It is understood that considerable State subsidies for com mercial flying will be recommended and taken up. Infringement of Air Navigation Regulations THE Air Ministry makes the following announcement:— It is notified that though the Air Navigation Regulations have been in force since May 1, and it is felt that pilots and others have now had ample opportunity of acquainting themselves with the Regulations, numerous instances of their infringement are still being reported. The regulations were made with a view to securing the IC JULY 31. 1919 after daybreak. After riddling the officers' and men's quarters with bullets from his machine guns, he turned his attention to the German aeroplanes which had been brought out to attack him. He put two or three out of action on the ground, brought down three in succession as. they got into the air, and then returned safely to his own aerodrome. Thereafter this method of attack developed very rapidly, and it proved of the greatest value later on, not only in breaking up the dense infantry formations advancing to attack us after March 21, 10,18, but in demoralising the retreating enemy when we subsequently advanced. A system of co-operation between our low flying aeroplanes and the infantry was also evolved, and this proved of the greatest value in keeping the infantry and the headquarters behind in touch with what was going on in front. The aeroplanes used were the single- seater fighter—especially the light, manoeuvrable Camel— for attacking ground targets from very low altitudes ; and the standard artillery machine for the infantry co-operation from rather greater altitudes. Our casualties in these operations were naturally heavy, and the problem of providing a suitable armoured aeroplane arose. As a result the Sopwith " Salamander" was de signed, and was just about to make its appearance in the field at the time of the Armistice. This was a single-seater fighter with B.R. 2 engine, equipped with two Vickers guns and a very large amount of ammunition for attacking ground targets, while it carried nearly 650 lb. of armour-plates so arranged as to give the pilot and all vital parts of the aero plane adequate protection from German armour-piercing bullets fired from the shortest ranges. In spite of this heavy load it had a speed of 123 m.p.h., and was sufficiently manoeuvrable for the pilot to make the attack by diving at the target, thus getting the advantage of firing in the direction of flight. Had the War lasted a few months longer this aeroplane would probably have done most effective work in hastening the German retreat. An armoured two-seater for infantry co-operation was also designed and produced, but like the Salamander it was too late to come into actual service. (To be concluded.) m H public safety, and, in future, proceedings will be taken when they are contravened. The public are requested to co-operate with the Air Ministry in this matter by forwarding to the Secretary (C.G.C.A.), Air Ministry, London, particulars of alleged offences, including, if possible, the registration number or mark of the machine in question. The most common instances of infringement are :— 1. Dropping leaflets and other advertising matter. (For the purposes of the Victory Loan Campaign the Secretary of State for Air waived the provision in the Regulations against the dropping of leaflets from aircraft ; but the exemption has now been withdrawn.) 2. Taking up and landing passengers as a regular proceeding at places which have not been licensed as aerodromes. 3. Low flying (a) Over towns ; (b) To the danger of the public elsewhere. 4. Neglecting to obliterate military markings when a machine has ceased to be a military machine. 5. Obscuring registration marks by means of advertise ments or otherwise. The St. Pancras Cadet Corps THE good work done by the aircraft school organised in connection with the St. Pancras Cadet Corps is attracting international notice. Gen. Corvisart, the French Military Atache, Commandant Sable, the French Air Attache, and his Aide-de-camp, visited the school on Saturday, and were re ceived by Maj.-Gen. Philip Game, Director of Training and Organisation, Air Ministry, Col. T. Gerrard, Major Moore, and Sir Willoughby Dickinson. Sir Willoughby Dickinson said that, although the aircraft school was only in the nature of an experiment, they were certainly justified in believing that it would be attended with big results. There must be thousands of boys longing to get up into the clouds, but before they could achieve that ambition they must learn aeroplane construction and master the science of aircraft. Maj.-Gen. Game said he could see a friendly rivalry between the school and the Air Ministry in obtaining boys. The Air Ministry wanted as many boys as they could get between 15 and 16, and were willing to train them for three years. It would, therefore, be an enormous help if the school could assist the Air Ministry in this direction by instructing boys in aircraft.
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