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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0452.PDF
APRIL 22, 1920 . WHEN the Navy, Army and Air Force Royal Tournamentopens at Olympia on May 20 under the active patronage of the King, new features of military and aerial life will beshown by drafts sent by the Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry, Overseas troops being represented. _-...——.-•.. . IN their revised iorm, the rules governing the Air Ministrycompetitions, which we are able to publish this week, meet several of the objections raised by prospective competitorsin regard to the original draft. An endeavour has bcwii made to rule out freak machines, and the sub-division of the'planes into two classes for small machines with seating capacity up to six persons and for a larger type carryingseven or more in each case exclusive of the crew, is an im- provement. The system of marking is also to be commended,as it provides encouragement to designers to obtain the maximum efficiency for practical work. . ., ANOTHER important publication issued this week is the annual report of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, of which a brief summary is given elsewhere. The tables of performance are facts of a most encouraging nature, and in the concluding remarks of the Committee, prefacing more detailed data associated with progress attained, the Committee state that they " feel that it is appropriate to conclude this review of their activities during the War by urging and insisting once again on the essential and immediate importance of greatly increased activity in the investigation of the new problem of flight, which is undoubtedly destined to exercise an ever-increasing influence on the future history of the world. Knowledge of the fundamental principles of the science of flight is still at the beginning, the develop- ments which have taken place in their application, even during the last five years, are relatively small. The ex- penditure now incurred in scientific and industrial research in aeronautics is utterly insignificant in comparison with the sums expended, and which will be required, in the manu- facture of aircraft for the purposes of civilian flying and for defence. Wise forethought, an instructed economy, demand that greatly increased facilities be provided without delay for the study of the scientific and technical questions awaiting solution, to minimise wasted effort, and to lay down a sure foundation on which succeeding generations may build with security." THAT the Felthamites, headed by the Council's 75-year-oldChairman Mr. J. A. Parker, were in deadly earnest in their detennination to assert the public right to the usage of the bridle-path across Hanworth Park, so arbitrarily closed by the Air Ministry for aircraft construction and aerodrome purposes, during the War, was demonstrated last Saturday afternoon. A determined " army " of some thousands sallied forth, and with the aid of a scaffolding pole and other " weapons " forced a passage by battering down a portion of the brick wall which had been erected, barring access to the path. The scene is described by an onlooker, who states that a huge crowd mustered on the village green, and, led by Mr. Parker and the vicar, the Rev. F. J. Browell, with most of the public men of the neighbourhood, they made a detour of Hanworth Park. The procession entered the bridle- path on the Hanworth side, and, reinforced by a large con- tingent from the village of Hanworth, traversed the disputed route for about half a mile to the Feltham exit, where the lofty brick wall barred a passage. At a given signal, a party of men armed with scaffold poles charged the obstruction, and, in less than half an hour, demolished it amid the cheering of the crowd. All then passed through and made their way back to the village green, where they were addressed by their leaders amid a scene of enthusiasm. Names and addresses of the councillors and others who took part in the battering down the wall were taken by the police, of whom a strong force, mounted and on foot, were in attend- ance. THIS is direct action for the abolition of Dora's pranks with a vengeance. WHO will be the first to get through a " special corre- spondent " interview with Mars ? Signor Marconi is probably, in spite of half-hearted denials, an entrant for the honour, whilst Professor David Todd, former head of the Astrono- mical Department of Amherst College (U.S.A.), is an open competitor for testing the possibility of communicating with Mars or any other old planet which happens to be in the line of resistance. This week, when Mars is the mere bagatelle of 55 million miles from the earth, the Professor proposes to ascend from Fort Omaha, Nebraska, to an altitude of 50,000 ft. in a specially constructed balloon, piloted by Leo Stevens, and accompanied by Col. Jacob West, commanding officer at Fort Omaha, one of the War Department's most dis- tinguished experts. The plan, for which preparations have been made for five years, is to use the balloon as a relay station for wireless impulses sent out from earth. At the altitude the balloon"is expected to attain it is be- , ljeved there will be no atmospheric interferences, and that Sir Ross Smith at Richmond, N.S.W., getting ready Photo, by courtesy of the Palmer Tyre Co.) 452
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