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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0279.PDF
Flight, March 11, 1920 CWT AIRCRAFT ENGINEEFL First Aero Weekly in the World Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 585 (NO. 11, Vol. XII.) MARCH II, 1920 TWeekly, Price 6d.|_ Post Free, 7d. The Aircraft Engineer and Airships Editorial Offic*: %6, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2 Telegram*: Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free : United Kingdom .. 281. id. Abroad 33s. od* These rate* are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormal conditions * European subscriptions must be remitted in British currency CONTENTS Editorial Comment PAGE The African Adventure .. .. .. .. .. .. ..279 A Customs Handicap .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 280 Aerial Services in the French Strike .. .. .. .. .. 280 Trading with Germany . . .. . . .. .. .. .. 282 The Air Estimates.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 282 Cantilever Wings 283 The Air Service Estimates 3 The Case for the Cantilever Wing : By " Marci Polo " .. .. .. 285 The Flight to the Cape 287 Report on the Junker Armoured 2-Seater Biplane.. .. .. .. 290 Correspondence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 794 Aeronautical Society Notices.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 295 Airisms from the Four Winds 296 Flying Over the Clouds in Relation to Commercial Aeronautics.. .. 298 Flying Boats .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 299 Side-Winds .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 302 Models .. .. .. .. • • .. .. .. .. .. 303 DIABT OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS. Club Sccretarus and others desirous of announcing the date of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in the following list: April7 ... Lecture by Mr. J. L. Cope, "Aerial Survey in the Antarctic," at Central Hall, Westminster, 8 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 ... S.B.A.C. International Aero Exhibition at Olympia July (mid.) Seaplane Contests at Antwerp Aug. 1 ... Air Ministry Competition (Seaplanes). Feliz- stowe Aug. (end of) Schneider International Race, Venice. ' Sept. 1 ... Air Ministry Competition (Large Type Aero- planes), Martlesham Heath Sept. ... International aviation week (with competi- tions) at Brescia, Italy Sept. (end of) Oordoa-Bennett Aviation Cup, France. The African Adventure EDITORIAL COMMENT, ITH the crashing of Col. van Ryne- veld's machine when taking off at Bulawayo—only 1,300 miles from its goal—the last of the attempts to cross Africa from Cairo to the Cape has, for the time being, come to an end. It is possible that Col. van Ryneveld may still reach Cape Town by air, but in a machine which is being sent to him from South Africa, so that in the meantime the attempt to make a single-machine journey from England to the Cape has definitely failed. What happened to cause this unfortunate accident we do not actually know yet; but in the case of The Times adventure the failure encountered was mainly due to engine trouble. Certainly there is no better engine made than those with which Dr. Chalmers Mitchell and his companions essayed their end-to-end flight, and the repeated failures of the best there is would seem to teach that we have not gone far enough in engine construction yet, and that something is still wanting in reliability to enable such a voyage as the one we are discussing to be made in safety. In this connection it must be remembered that this flight is more severe in its conditions than even the England-Australia adventure, even though the latter be the longer in point of distance. The climatic conditions which have to be encountered on the Cairo- Cape route are peculiar to the Dark Continent. They are not reproduced anywhere, with the possible exception of the valley of the Amazon. Variations between the ground temperature and that of the upper air are tremendous, and it seems to have been this question of extremes which has had most to do with the failure of engines which have proved their almost super-reliability in other flights. In actual com- mercial practice the single machine will not be required to make the whole journey, which will be accomplished in relays, so that the difficulties we are discussing now will hardly arise because of the fact that it will be possible to adapt engines and machines to areas, so to say, and there will be an adequate supply of spare parts and repair facilities to hand at every aerodrome and landing ground along the route.
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