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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0528.PDF
the theoretical economic speed is zero, and with a head wind the theoretical economic speed is given by the formula ;— WN .•-•-.•• •... N - I where E = economic speed. W • speed of the wind. N — the power at which the petrol consumption increases with speed. The figure N for ships of the 33 class is in the order of 2-6, owing to loss of propeller efficiency at low speeds. (3) Practical Economic Speed.—This speed is generally greater than the theoretical speed, owing to temperature effects tending to make the ship light or heavy and to the fact that most winds are of a comparatively local nature. If reasonable meteorological information is available, it is generally possible, by flying at high speed for a few hours, to get into a more favourable wind area, which, in practice, generally gives greater fuel economy than if the ship had been flown for the whole time at the theoretical economic speed. (4) Standard speeds : Four speeds have been laid down as standard for convenience in preparing performance tables. MAY 13, 1920 (a) Maximum speed : The greatest speed the ship canmaintain for a short period with all engines running at full throttle.(b) Normal full speed = 90 per cent, maximum speed. Having regard to the prime movers available during the nextfew years, normal full speed is assumed to be the highest speed at which the ship can run continuously on all engines. (c) Cruising speed = 80 per cent, maximum speed. Thisspeed is assumed to be the normal speed at which the ship would fly with engines giving the same revolutions as fornormal full speed, but having regard to the necessity for stopping various engines for small repairs and adjustments,also the possibility of one or more engines breaking down. (d) Comparison speed = 45 m.p.h. This figure has been arbitrarily assumed for the purpose of comparing high and low speed ships on a uniform basis. It has been purposely taken at a low figure in order to estimate the greatest distance it is reasonable to assume a rigid can fly under normal •circumstances in still air, and also to give the longest number of hours a rigid can remain on patrol under normal conditions. (To be continued.) \_ . TRIBUTE TO CAIRO-CAPE PIONEERS PRINCE ALBERT was present, in the uniform of a Squadron-Leader of the R.A.F., on Wednesday, May 5, at. a luncheon given at the Connaught Rooms under the_-auspices of theImperial Air Fleet Committee, as a tribute to the courage and endurance shown by the two South African officersof the Royal Air Force—Wing-Corn. H. A. Van Ryneveld, D.S.O., M.C., and Flight-Lieut. C. I. Q. Brand,' D.S.O.,D.F.C., M.C.—who were the first to complete the London- Cairo-Cape flight. Lord Desborough, chairman of the committee, presided,and amongst the guests invited were the Marquis of London- derry (Under-Secretary of State for Air), Lord Morris, theHon. R. A. Blankenberg (Acting High Commissioner for South Africa), Air-Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard, Bart.,D.S.O., Maj.-Gen. Sir F. H. Sykes, Sir George Perley (High Commissioner for Canada), Sir Thomas Mackenzie (HighCommissioner for New Zealand), Air-Vice-Marshal Sir J. M. Salmond, Sir Edgar Bowring, Air-Commodore C. L. Lambe,D.S.O., Air-Commodore E. M. Maitland, D.S.O., Mr. E. Manville, M.P., Mr. Stanley Machin (chairman of the LondonChamber of Commerce), Maj.-Gen. E. D. Swinton, D.S.O., Wing-Com. Louis Greig, Mr. C. J. Fairfax Scott (hon. organ-ising secretary), Maj. D. R. Maclaren, D.S.O., D.F.C., M.C., Brig.-Gen. W. B. Caddell, Maj. G. H. Scott, A.F.C., Com-mander H. Perrin, Mr. Alfred Docker, Col. J. Dickson, and Capt. S. Cockerell and Capt. F. C. Broome, two of the otherpilots who had also made attempts to accomplish the African flight. The Chairman, in giving the toast of " The Queen, QueenAlexandra, the Prince of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family," spoke of the double pleasure they felt inhaving present a representative of the House of Windsor, who was himself connected with the purposes of thatgathering. Prince Albert, who responded, expressed his pleasure atbeing present at a function in honour of two distinguished men who had added lustre to the name of South Africa inparticular and the British Empire in general. He wel- comed them home to England, and congratulated them mostheartily on their achievement. Their dogged pertinacity and courage and the wonderful spirit they had shown werewell worthy of the traditions of British exploration. It was a great pleasure to be the guest of a society which hefelt was going to do much for the air power of the British Empire. Apart from its usefulness as an advocate of Britishaerial supremacy, he felt that its work in forging a new link Of Empire was its strongest recommendation. It openedup a new vision of unity, and it was a new bond of union to our widespread commonwealth of nations. They werevery fortunate indeed in having a society whose objects were so wide and far-seeing. He wished the Imperial AirFleet Committee every success in its useful national and imperial work. The Chairman, in proposing the toast of the two chief guests and " their great imperial flight," remarked that it was three years ago to the very day when General Smuts in that room acoepted on behalf of the South African Govern- ment the aeroplane " South Africa," which was presented by the Imperial Air Fleet Committee. He recalled that after he accepted the presidency of the Committee the first thing they did was to inaugurate the flight of the late Mr. Gustav Hamel from Dover to Cologne, a feat which occasioned great surprise to the Germans. Little was it thought then that seven years afterwards two South African aeronauts would mark out on the air that route from England via Cairo to the Cape which was the lifelong dream of Cecil Rhodes. Their guests had shown the most grim determination from the start of their flight to overcome any obstacle they might encounter. They congratulated these " flying Dutchmen." Both of them were born in South Africa, and their services had been brilliant and of great advantage to the British Empire. Lord Weir, who was unable to be present, had written to him congratulating Commander Ryneveld and Flight-Lieut. Brand on their pluck, resourcefulness and courageous enterprise, and adding :—- " Civil aviation must be given its chance of showing what is in it. War taught us much in aviation, but little as to its value as a new system of transport in the cold and hard world of competition. The Imperial Air Fleet Committee helped to a wonderful extent in creating and maintaining a general interest in air matters during the war. Any links which it can now forge between air development as constituted by the Royal Air Force and the new industry of civil aerial transport will have a genuine imperial value, because a healthy Royal Air Force can best be assured by a healthy mercantile air force. The strength of the Royal Navy is in no small measure due to the supreme British mercantile marine and the private shipbuilding industry of our country, and so must it be with the aircraft industry both in its transport and manu- facturing spheres of activity." Air-Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard, who supported the toast, said that neither South Africa nor any other of the Dominions could have sent us more doughty or determined champions. Their determination was, and is, the outstanding trait in their characters. Though he believed they were not thinking of competition, the determination they showed to get to the Cape first was the same determination that inspired them in battle. Van Ryneveld was quite rightly taking up a post of great importance in South Africa. Brand remained, he hoped, with us. They had linked England and the Cape by air—we could rely upon them to see that the chain held true. Wing-Com. Van Ryneveld, replying to the toast, acknow- ledged the wonderful encouragement and support given to himself and his colleague by the committee and the assistance given them throughout by the Royal Air Force. The machine on which the last stage of the flight was accomplished was one of the hundred given to South Africa by the Imperial Government. Wing - Commander Van Ryneveld extended sympathy to the other pilots who had not been so fortunate as he and his colleague in getting relay machines when they crashed. " We have had the adventure of our lives," he added, " and I hope that the lessons that we and the others learnt will be of use in future to pilots who fly under similar conditions." Flight.-Lieut. Brand also replied, and said they set out to do the flight in the shortest possible time, and they did their best. They were indeed glad that their efforts were apparently so much appreciated. : . •£28
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