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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0957.PDF
SEPTEMBER 2, 1920 in decidedly unfavourable weather conditions, the wind velocity at .the time being 15 knots. The operation was, however, carried out safely by a large number of Messrs. Vickers' workmen, assisted by some seamen from H.M. submarines and some members bf the Royal Air Force. The general view of the vessel reproduced in Fig. 17, which was taken soon after the ship had left the shed, clearly showsv what a large amount of man-power is required for handling an airship under existing conditions. The ship left the grbund and rose to a height of 3,000 ft., afterwards proceeding out to sea, where various manoeuvres .were carried out to test the stability and control, and to ascertain her performance generally. No attempt was made to determine the maximum speed attainable, but the speeds actually reached were re- garded as quite satisfactory, as also were the stability and control. In turning, the " R. 80 " showed marked superiority over previous designs. The flight was continued for approxi- mately two hours, after which a landing was effected safely in a wind blowing at 17 knots, and the ship was replaced in its shed without difficulty. The final speed trials will not take place for some few weeks, as the landing and mooring gear, above referred to, is now being fitted. PARIS has decided not to hold her next InternationalAeronautical Exhibition until 1921. THERE are others, we are glad to note, who are sitting up and taking notice of the utterly senseless stunts which it is now thought essential to elaborate for the delectation of those quaint folk who more or less " live " at " the pictures." On August 5 the following airism appeared in FLIGHT • — " It is sad that such fearless men as Lieuts. Locklear and Elliott, the cinema aerial ' stunters,' should have passed in their checks whilst thus ' at work,' but what could have been reasonably expected from such utterly foolhardy monkey- tricks ? The pity of it is that public taste should be diagnosed by the cinema folk as requiring this outrageous sort of per- formance. There might be a good deal worse ' League ' started, than one to systematically hiss down films recording this type of suicide." THE " leaderette " below upon the same subject is from the Evening News of August 25 :— " FOOLISH TRICKS " There seems to be a growing tendency abroad to use the cinema screen for the exhibition of performances whose only interest is that the ' artist' who achieves them risks his or her life in the act. " In this country public performances involving undue risk to life are very rightly forbidden. " A picture today shows an American trick airman balancing on his hands en a chair at the edge ot a parapet— 200 feet from the ground. The moral is enforced by a state- ment that he is the successor of a man who met his death at his perilous trade. We do not want this kind of thing in England, either in actual fact or through the record on the cinema screen. At the best it is foolish ; at the worst it involves sooner or later a useless sacrifice of life." AGAIN in Australia the aeroplane is to be brought into practical politics. Mr. Fihelly, the acting Premier of Queens- , land, is arranging that he and Mr. Theodore, in conjunction at the coming general elections, will carry out an extensive campaign tour by aeroplane. At the last New South Wales elections Mr. Holman adopted a similar course, but was badly beaten, and the Ministry lostits majority. May so live a man. as Mr. Holman try again, and be more fortunate this time. BRITISH participation in the Schneider International Sea- plane Cup Race at Venice on September 19 looks like being a wash-out, as up to the present no entry has been secured oa behalf of this country. Things are a bit better for the Gordon- Bennett Aviation Cup at Etampes on September 28, as^hree Two views of the F.I.A.T. airship power unit. It consists of two 4-cyl. vertical engines placed side by sidein a channel-section frame. The cylinders are cast en bloc, with enclosed overhead valves, and have a bore and stroke of 110 mm. and 190 mm. respectively. An enclosed vertical shaft drives the overhead camshaftthrough bevel gearing. The starting leyer is also mounted on this shaft, which also drives the water pump and magneto. Each engine is fitted with a light flywheel and spring clutch, and from the latter the drive i&taken to the propellers through bevel gearing and an inclined shaft from each engine 959 1. .•'..,
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