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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1619.PDF
DECEMBER 18, 1919 December 1.—Arrived at Bangkok. Greatest assistance and courtesy shown by Prince Pitsanoluke and aviation corps. December 2.—Left Bangkok 7.0 and arrived at Singora at 1. Escorted first 50 miles by four Siamese machines. Course south along east coast of Malay Peninsula. First two hours good, then met heavy monsoon ; rain, wind strong and changeable, sometimes helping and sometimes against. Necessary to fly 500 ft. three hours, following coast. Almost blinded with rain, but country impossible for landing. Had to continue, hoping for the best. Worst flying conditions ever encountered. Last hour better. The aerodrome at Singora is bad and stump '. Had to land in a crosswind on a small dry patch. Safely down with luck. Later, taxi-ing the machine, tail skid caught root and broke fitting ; not serious. Great interest of local population in seeing their first aeroplane. Decided that, owing to weather, we could not reach Singapore without more petrol. Wired Asiatic Petroleum Company, Penang, to send urgently. During night heavy squalls ; crew held machine all night. Great assistance and hospitality, Prince Yugala and local officials. December 3.—Torrential rain with wind. Repaired skid, crew wet through, working on machine all day cheerfully. Petrol arrived evening ; raining too hard to put in. December 4.—My birthday. Weather bad. Decided to try for Singapore. Left Singora 10, arrived Singapore 5. Take off at Singora very rough, but convicts had cleared stumps yesterday. Aerodrome very wet in patches Got off in a cross wind—lucky. Rain all the way. Flew 2,000 to 500 ft. all the way. Great reception here, huge crowd. After leaving Singapore, on December 6, Capt. Ross Smith flew round a large thunderstorm and travelled down the east coast of Sumatra jor 200 miles, then over the sea to Batavia and Kalidjatti, where the Dutch Governor-General gave a warm welcome. The next day the stage to Sourabang was completed, but the machine was bogged on landing. It was necessary to make a path of bamboo mats in order to get off, but the next day they went on to Bima. Another stage to Atamboca in Timor Island was completed without mishap, and on Wednesday, December 10, the last lap to Port Darwin was successfully made, the machine landing at Fannie Bay at . 3.40 p.m. (5 a.m. G.M.T.). <$> <$> THE AIR THE Air Estimates of effective and non-effective services for the year 1910-20 were issued as a White Paper on Dec. 13, In a statement issued therewith, Mr. Churchill writes :— " The Air Estimates as now presented to the House of Commons amount to a net sum of £54,030,850, which is less by £12,469,150 than the forecast of £66,500,000 shown in the White Paper presented last March. Since the forecast of £'66,500,000 was framed, it has been arranged that provision shall only be made in Air Estimates for the cost of aircraft and equipment which the Air Ministry agreed to accept after the Armistice and not for the cost of liquidation of all aircraft contracts placed by the Ministry of Munitions. As a result of the progress made with the organisation of the Air Force on a peace basis, it has also been possible to reduce the programme for the supply of aircraft and equipment. By these means a reduction of approximately 13J millions has been effected. The reduction of the programme has also resulted in a saving of approximately ij millions in respect of building accommodation and land. A further reduction of approximately £2,000,000 has been effected in consequence of the programme of the Controller- General of Civil Aviation and the Director-General of Supply and Research being still in the process of development and not having yet fully matured. In addition it has been found possible to meet the requirements of these departments from existing stocks to a greater extent than was originally anticipated. It has, on the other hand, been necessary to make addi tional provision of approximately 4 millions for certain services which could not be foreseen in March. The chief of these i terns are as follows :— Million Demobilization of officers proceeding more slowly than was anticipated and decision to pay outfit gratuities to cadets, etc., less reduction due to decision to abolish Women's Royal Air Force, and to the demobilization of men proceeding more ra' idly than was anticipated .. . . .. £ Increased charges for fuel, provisions, etc. .. \\ Cost of the airship service on transfer from the Admiralty . . .. . • •. . • 2 It is necessary to bear in mind that a very large proportion of the sum required for 1919-20 is in respect of charges THE Air Ministry announces that messages of con gratulation on the successful termination of the flight to Australia have been sent to Messrs. Vickers, Ltd., construc tors of the Vickers-Vimy machine, and Messrs. Rolls-Royce, Ltd, the manufacturers of the engines with which the machine is equipped. Sir Frederick Sykes, Controller-General of Civil Aviation, sends sincere congratulations to both firms on their achievement " in providing the winning machine for the Australian and Atlantic flights." The Air Council sent the firm's congratulations on " the great feat of building and equipping the machine." The machine is a Vickers-Vimy, fitted with two 350 h.p. Rolls-Royce Eagle Mark VIII engines. The span is 67 ft. overall length, gap 10 ft., chord 10 ft. 6 ins. The maximum speed is 100 miles per hour. The weight of the machine empty is 3 tons. A description of the machine with scale drawings appeared in our issue of November 6. The Tragedy at Corfu IT is with the greatest regret we have to record the fatal ending of the attempt of Capt. Howell and Air-Mech. H. Frazer to fly to Australia on the Martinsyde-Rolls machine. The news came in the following telegram from Lloyd's agent at Corfu on December 13 :— " Information just received British aircraft wrecked off St. George's Bay, Corfu, December 10. No hope of survivors. Log washed ashore. Certificate number 33. Identification mark G.U.M.R., Capt. C. E. Howell, Melbourne. No. licence 412, Hounslow for Melbourne." The machine had arrived at Taranto on December 8, and left on the following day for Athens. Mrs. Howell is travelling to Australia in the s.s. Orsova. No further news has been received of Poulet, but strong representations have been made in Australia that the Common wealth should invite the Frenchman to continue his journey to Australia, and offer him £1,000 in the event of his com pleting the flight. In the meantime it is understood that Poulet is to be awarded the Medaille Militaire for his work during the War and for his present flight. He intends to return by air to Paris, and to prepare for a flight round the world. <$> <$> ESTIMATES arising out of the war and for which no provision will be required in a normal year. Amongst these items may be mentioned the war gratuities to officers and men, the pay and maintenance of surplus personnel, the repatriation of officers and men from the Colonies, and the maintenance of surplus aerodromes, etc., pending their disposal. Regard should also be had to the fact that the amount required for 1919-20 includes provision for the purchase of large stocks of aircraft, engines and equipment which were ordered prior to the Armistice, but which will be available, so far as can at present be foreseen, to meet requirements during two or three years. Finally, it must be remembered that at the date of the Armistice the total expenditure in respect of the R.A.F. was in excess of £1,000,000 per diem, and that the provision for the present financial year is necessary not only to meet the normal requirements of the Force, but also to meet the heavy charges involved in a transition from war to peace conditions. Moreover, the R.A.F. has been engaged in active opera tions in India, Egypt, North Russia and the Baltic almost continuously throughout the year." The Estimates show that the maximum number of officers and men on the establishment of the R.A.F. at home and abroad, exclusive of India, is 150,000. This number will be reduced by March 31, 1920, to 35,000. The estimated expenditure, after deducting appropriations in aid, is £54,030,850, made up as follows :•— £ Pay, etc., of the Air Force .. .. .. 21,051,000 Quartering stores (except technical), supplies, animals and transport .. .. .. .. 6,103,000 Technical and warlike stores .. .. .. 19,322,850 Works, buildings and lands .. . . . . 6,402,000 Air Ministry . . . . .. . . . . 692,000 Miscellaneous effective services .. .. .. 203,000 Half-pay, pensions and other non-effective services 257,000 The £692,000 to defray the expense of the Air Ministry is divided into : salaries and allowances, £613,323 ; pay of messen gers and porters, £76,777 ; and contingent expenses, £2,000. In the Vote for the non-effective services the largest sum, £233,000, is devoted to pensions and gratuities to wounded officers. 1621
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