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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0141.PDF
Flight, February 5, 1920 CHT AIRCRAFTBNGINEEFL First Aero Weekly in the World Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER A Journal devoted to (he Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 580 (No. 6, Vol. XII.) FEBRUARY 5, 1920 fWeekly, Price 6d.L Post Free, 7d. The Aircraft Engineer and Airships Editorial Office: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2. Telegrams: Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free: United Kingdom .. 281. ad. Abroad.. .. .. 33s. od* These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormal conditions * European subscriptions mi st be remitted in British currency CONTENTS Editorial Comment -• PAGB The Lond n-Cape Flight 141 Whv Dees the Post Ottice Hesitate? 142 Modem Aii Power.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 142 How to Get It 144 The Paris Aero Show .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 145 Imperial \ir Ro-tes .. .. .. ., .. .. .. .. 150 The Cairo-Cape R>u'e 154 The Roval "eioCl b- OfFcial Notires 158 The Priiici|les "i Ri id Mrship Construction. By A. P. Cole .. .. 159 Air sms from the Fo r Winds 160 Aircrit Undercarriages. By J. D. North I61 The Royal Air I-orce .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 164 MoJels .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 166 Company Doings .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 168 DIART OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS. Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the date of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in the following list: - Feb. 28 ... Lecture by Mr. Handley Page, C.B.E., at King's -College, Strand, at 11 p.m. Seaplane Competition at MonacoApril 18 to May 2 May 22 and 23 June 1 ... Aviation Competition at Juvisy in connection with Fetes de Paris Air Ministry Competition (Small Type Aero- planes), Martlesham Heath July ... B.B.A.C. International Aero Exhibition at Olympia July (mid.) Seaplane Contests at Antwerp Aug. 1 ... Air Ministry Competition (Seaplanes) Felix- stowe Aug. (end of) Schneider International Race, Venice. Sept. 1 ... Air Ministry Competition 'Large Type Aero- planes), Martlesham Heath Sept. (end of) Gordon-Bennett Aviation Cup, France. ' HEN the Air Ministry first announced the survey of the Cairo-Cape air route, all who are interested in the future of aviation naturally began to wonder who would be the first to attempt to put to a practical test the route explored and sur- veyed in spite of so many obstacles, and in some instances with the greatest difficulty. The task is one of such a magnitude that T j The^ its organisation could only be un- London-Cape , , , ° , ,,, J £Flight dertaken by very wealthy firms or individuals, and in the circum- stances it would have been natural if the feat had been made a National, or Imperial, undertaking. It is very certain, as we have so often pointed out in these columns, that the future of the British Empire will depend largely upon our strength in the air, while no better aid could be given to the knitting together of our far-flung Empire than rapid com- munication between its individual parts. For Im- perial reasons, therefore, we could have wished that the Government had undertaken the first Cairo-Cape flight, but again it has been left to private enterprise to come forward and, so to speak, fight the Govern- ment's battles. And, also again, it has been left to Lord Northcliffe personally to step in and suggest the undertaking of the flight. Much as Lord North- cliffe has already done for the development of aviation, this latest magnificent assistance which he has given by putting forward the suggestion that The Times should arrange for a flight from Cairo to Cape Town will go far to surpass in immediate practical utility any of his previous generous gifts. The flight is, it should be remembered, not a race but a flight of exploration, and as such may well have the greatest influence upon the future development of civil aviation. Of the dangers of the trip, and of the romantic element in which it abounds,, there is little need to speak here. The gallant men who are making the attempt are facing numerous perils, many of which entirely unknown, and are doing so with their eyes open and in no foolhardy spirit, simply prompted by the desire to prove to the world that the aeroplane is today a practical vehicle for crossing a continent in which landing grounds are few and far between, and in the crossing of which the most trying climatic conditions may have, will almost certainly have to be, contended with. From a technical point of view, therefore, the proposed flight is of surpassing interest in that it will offer a severe test of the machine and engines. Not only will very wide ranges of temperatures be met with, but also extreme differences in humidity, from very dry, such as the rainless Nile Valley, to the other extreme of heavy rain, tropical rain at that. If the Vickers-Vimy-Rolls Commercial succeeds in making the flight, and we do not doubt that it will, --. • D 2 .,>-••/±-
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