FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0351.PDF
MARCH 25, 1920 this week carried out by the naval seaplane stations in theToulon region. As soon as the machines return to their bases the pilots will present reports, which will at once becommunicated to fishermen, in order that the information obtained may at once be utilised. These experiments willbe carried out at Saint-Tropez, Saint-Raphael, Saint- Mandrier, etc. • In but a very short time, by good organisation in associa-tion with wireless, it should reduce the present uncertain roaming voyages of the fishing-fleets in search of catches,to a scientific certainty, and the general public may then be able to get nearer to the ideal fish diet " for the poor." Atpresent few but munitioners and profiteers can afford to indulge in the luxury of fish, beyond an occasional fresh (?)herring or ditto mackerel. HERR EBERT who made himself and his Governmentscarce when Dr. Kapp carried out his Berlin bloodless coup, was quickly alive to the ruses of the aeroplane under thenew conditions. To encourage the general strike which he had brought into operation by way of a counter-stroke tothe Kapp conspirators, Ebert sent aeroplanes over Berlin with proclamations urging the strikers to persevere. Thiswas, it appears his only weapon against the " new Govern- ment," but apparently it was so effective that having raisedthe hydra-headed strike monster, he has since found it to be a devouring sort of beast which seeks to dominate his ownGovernment or any other old regime which happens in the scramble to get to be top dog. Frankensteins are uglycustomers to regulate once they really get going. THERE is certainly nothing of the pessimist about Maj.Rudolf Schroeder, the American pilot, whose amazing descent after his 36,000 ft. altitude record we made note of last week.Although he is still very weak from that experience, when his eyes became frozen, he hopes to be soon physically fit tomake another great effort. He has already decided to make another attempt to reach the altitude of 50,000 ft., in thehope of finding trade winds blowing west and east at between 200 and 300 miles an hour. Maj. Schroeder believes that thefuture of aerial rapid transit lies in taking advantage of the high velocity breezes and the rarefied atmosphere seven milesabove the earth's surface. He contemplates for his next altitude flight enclosing himself in a glass case with oxygen tanks in his 'plane, convinced that he will reach a height of 50,000 ft. WE sincerely wish him luck in his bold missionary workin the cause of aviation, which recalls work of a similar character in the past, before the advent of the internal com-bustion engine, when air-travelling enthusiasts had to content themselves with " sailing " or rather drifting with any oldwinds they could catch. In fact, the achievement of Maj. Schroeder was even surpassed in those days as to .height,by the late Mr. James Glaisher, F.R.S., who with Mr. Coxwell on September 5, 1862, ascended in a balloon from Wolver-hampton, and reached the height of 37,000 ft., or fully seven miles. In referring to this event, Mr. P. H. Ditchfield writesthat " On that occasion Mr. Glaisher was reduced to un- consciousness, and his companion lost the use of his hands,and only just succeeded in seizing the cord of the valve with his teeth, releasing the gas and causing the balloon to descend.In the days of my youth I often heard Mr. Glaisher, who was an old friend, describe this thrilling experience and excitingadventure, and an account is given in ' Travels in the Air,' a book written by Mr. Glaisher and the French aeronauts,Camille Flammarion, W. de Fonerelle, and Gaston Tissandier, edited by Mr. Glaisher and published in 1871. While honour-ing the bravery and brilliant achievement of this gallant American, Maj. Schroeder, it is well that the heroism of thepioneers of the conquest of the air should not be forgotten." As an immediate result of Major Schroeder's adventure, and the possibility of taking advantage of the East to West " trade winds," blowing at the 36,000-ft. level at the rate of from 100 m.p.h. to 300 m.p.h., prophets as to the future are already busy. It is claimed by " American Air Service officials " that in the near future the distance of 2,400 miles between New York and San Francisco, will be covered in 10 hours. In this connection, tests are to be made shortly with a semi-rigid balloon, which the New York World announces is already perfected to withstand great pressure at high altitudes. Major Schroeder's flight is said to have removed the last obstacle to a successful test by proving the value of a device designed to keep the engines running long enough to drive the balloon to the necessary altitude. The new balloon is 686 ft. long, its envelope being drawn over a frame of aluminium steel, with a capacity of 1,000,000 cub. ft. of helium gas. It is fitted with four engines of 400 h.p. each. F; iKi! rnmrn Hi! You there—Put that Handley Page down ! ! " 351
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
