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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1623.PDF
DECEMBER 18,1919 Em THE PERMANENT R.A.P.—continued. APPENDIX. Existing or to be formed in 1920-21. Increase during 1921-22 to. Increase during 1922-23 to. Striking Force Training Wings Co-operation with Army Divi sions. Co-operation with Fleet (Home Waters). Communication Squadron Experimental Stations .. Schools and Training Centres . Depots Airships India Egypt Mesopotamia Malta Alexandria Mediterranean 2 Squadrons. 2 Wings each of 3 Squadrons. 1 Squadron. -UNITED KINGDOM. 4 Squadrons. 5 Wings. 2 Squadrons. 1 Squadron Reconnaissance and Artil lery machines. 1 Flight Ships' fighters. J Squadron Torpedo machines. 1 Flight Flying Boats. 1 Flight Float Seaplanes. 1 Squadron. 4 Stations for Aeroplanes, Seaplanes, Torpedo Machines and Wireless re spectively. Cadet College. Navigation School. Flying Instructors' School. Administrative and Technical School for Officers. Wireless and Electrical Training School School of Photography. School of Co-operation with Navy. School of Co-operation with Army. Balloon Training. Airship Training. Boys' Training Centre. Technical Men's Training Centre. R.A.F. Dep6t and Non-Technical Men's Training Centre. 2 Aeroplane Repair Dep6ts 1 M.T. Repair Dep6t. 3 Stores Depots. 1 Station. 8 Squadrons. 1 Depot. 7 Squadrons. I Depflt. No increase. 1 Squadron Ships' fighters. 1 Squadron Torpedo machines. 1 Squadron Flying Boats. No increase. No increase. 4 Stations as before and trial ground for bombs and machine guns in addition. As for 1920-21, and in addition School of Air Pilotage. School of Gunnery. (N.B.—The majority of the Schools will be on a reduced basis in 1921—21, and will gradually increase to full strength in the two succeeding years.) > No increase. As for 1920-21 except that the M.T. Repair Depot will drop out as soon as the repair workfor R.A.F. vehicles can be undertaken at Slough. No increase. II.—OVERSEAS. No increase. 7 Squadrons. 1 Depot. 1 Training Wing. 3 Squadrons. 1 DepOt. 1 Flight Seaplanes. 1 Flight Seaplanes. i Flight Float Seaplanes on Carrier. No increase. 1 Squadron Seaplanes. 1 Squadron Seaplanes. No increase. No increase. 6 Wings. No increase. No increase. No increase. No increase. 2 Squadrons Flying Boats. No increase. No increase. No increase. As for 1921-22, substituting Staff College for Administrative and Tech nical School for Officers, and in addition Flying Officers' Training College (for the preliminary training of direct entry Officers). No increase. As for 1921^22. No increase. No increase. 7 Squadrons. 1 Dep6t. 1 Training Wing. 1 School of Air Pilotage. 1 School of Gunnery. No increase. No increase. No increase- No increase. EI H H EI CIVIL AVIATION ABROAD. THE following synopsis of the progress of civil aviation in foreign countries up to 31st October, 1919, prepared by the Air Ministry, was issued as a White paper on Monday :— I. INTRODUCTION la connection with the Command paper dated ist November, entitled " Synopsis of Progress of Work in the Department of Civil Aviation," and also with the " Report of the Advisory Committee on Civil Aviation," dated 30th October, 1919, it is thought that it may be useful briefly to summarise the progress in civil aviation made by the more important foreign countries. It should be borne in mind that, with the exception of Great Britain, no country has as yet a separate Air Ministry or a department corresponding to our Civil Aviation Department, and it has not been easy in the majority of instances clearly to distinguish Service operations from Civil enterprise. Missions manned by Service personnel have been despatched by France and Italy to foreign countries in order to inculcate a taste for products which it is hoped may be difficult to eradicate, even if the goods subsequently offered by others may be superior. Aircraft and agents have been despatched by British firms to various parts of the globe, but hitherto no official foreign missions have been despatched by the British Government owing to :•— (a) a shortage of available Service personnel and a reluctance to confuse Civil and Service enterprise, and— (b) the traditional British policy that an industry should be left to develop, as far as possible, on its merits. II. ALLIED AND ASSOCIATED POWERS (a) France.—The French are fully alive to the possibilities of aviation, and are making every endeavour both to secure foreign markets and assist internal development. The control of civil aviation has been placed under a branch of the Department of Aviation, which is in itself directly under the Ministry of War. With regard to civil aviation, the French have followed their usual policy for the encouragement of new industries, and have adopted the principle of subsidy. A sum of 18,000,000 francs out of a total of 37,000,000 francs voted for civil aviation this year has been earmarked for this purpose. The subsidies are paid subject to the proviso that the nationality of the enterprises so assisted is entirely French as to ownership, management, material used, and personnel employed. They take the following form:— (a) Bonuses on distances flown (including flights by machines used for purely private purposes). (ft) Bonuses to pilots and crew for good work. (c) Premium on tonnage carried. (d) Special bonus up to 25 per cent, per annum of the total value of machines of military type immediately available in emergency for use by the State. Various contracts for carrying mails have been granted, and an agreement has been signed with the British General Post Office for the transport of mails by air between England and France. The principal mail routes in operation are :— Paris—London (in conjunction with a British firm). Paris—Lille—Brussels. Toulouse—Rabat. Various other internal civil aviation routes in respect of which mail contracts have not as yet been granted are in operation, and an ambitious programme of projected routes is under preparation. In the Near East, France is neglecting no effort to achieve aerial predomi nance, and military machines have been carrying civil mails on the following routes:— Athens—Salonika (weekly service). Constantinople—Salonika (irregular). Constantinople—Bukarest (bi-weekly). Bukarest—Galatz—Kichenef (irregular). These routes were primarily military communications, but are gradually assuming the character of civil aerial mail services. Apart from the Near East, energetic pioneer work is being carried out in Spain and Czecho-Slovakia. Missions have been despatched to the Argentine and Japan. In the case of the former, it is estimated that the cost will amount to 100,000 francs, but this can hardly include the cost of the machines, which will presumably be allotted free, nor that of transport. In Japan, the French have established themselves firmly and are at present engaged "n instructing Japanese officers. Amongst other missions contemplated the principal are those to Brazil, China, Finland, Greece, Peru, Poland, Roumania, Siberia, Switzerland and Turkey. The most important Transport Companies are :•—The Compagnie de Messageries Aeriennes, which is working in conjunction-with Messrs. Handley- Page; the Compagnie Generale Trans-A&ienne, working in conjunction with Aircraft Transport and Travel Co. ; the Compagnie de Navigation Aerienne; and the Farman Company. Of these, the first-named is a com bination of various activities under the direction of M. Breguet. There are signs that, in order the better to meet foreign competition, endeavours are being made to bring certain of the more important firms into large working combines. The first two mentioned above have contracts for running mails, and it is probable that the third will also receive a contract. With regard to airships, it is understood that the present policy is^ for the Government to supply the material for a commercial airship service, the running of which will be carried out by a company under guarantee of a fixed minimum dividend. Contracts have been invited and tenders have already been received for the construction of four rigid airships of approximately 3,000,000 cub. ft. capacity, and for the erection of sheds at Paris, Marseilles and in Africa. The airship line or route contemplated will probably be Paris-Marseilk s and from Marseilles to Africa, and later to South America, via Dakar. It is understood that a sum sufficiently large to ensure the carrying out of this programme has already been voted. (b) Italy.—Aviation in Italy is divded into three separate organisations —Military, Naval and Civil. Military aviation is attached to the War Office, Naval aviation to the Admiralty, and Civil aviation to the Ministry ot Transport. Schemes for the organisation of internal routes have been drawn up, but, owing to the present financial strain, have not yet been put into effect. By a series of long demonstration flights, by the despatch of missions to— The Argentine, Brazil, Ecuador, Spain, Scandinavian countries, and by the gift of machines to various countries, Italy is endeavouring to press her aircraft products and to obtain a footing in the countries concerned. 1625
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