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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1036.PDF
SEPTEMBER 30, 1920 THE GORDON-BENNETT RACE IT had been anticipated that this year's race for the Gordon- Bennett Aviation Trophy would have been a much better contest than any of the five previous competitions. Great Britain and the United States had challenged France, and the teams of each of the three countries comprised very fast machines. But disappointment followed on disappoint- ment, and in the end only one competitor—Sadi Lecointe, on a French Nieuport—completed the full course of 300 kiloms. without trouble, and he thereby won the .trophy for France for the third time. During the early morning of Tuesday a thick mist hung over the ground, and it was not until 1.36 p.m. that the first competitor got away, this being Kirsch on one of the French Nieuports. He was followed by de Romanet on a Spad, and the third member of the French team—the favourite—Sadi Lecointe. The American team—Rinehardt on the Dayton-Wright and Major Schroeder on the Army machine—followed a few minutes after, and then there was a long wait before Ra3Tiham, on the Martinsyde " Semi- quaver," the only British representative, got away. Kirsch did the first 100 kiloms. in 21 mins. 29 sees., while de Romanet took 22 mins. 52A sees., but both had to come down soon after they had completed the second lap, and Kirsch retired. The Americans did not survive long, Rinehardt having to come down after a quarter of an hour, having had difficulty with his steering, while Schroeder was put out of the contest by engine trouble at the end of the first round. Raynham was unable to complete one lap, apparently being in trouble with the engine of his machine. This left Sadi Lecointe, whose time for 100 Mioms. was 2X mins. 36 sees., for 200 kiloms. 43 mins. 42-3- sees., and for the full course of 300 kiloms. 1 hr. 6 mins. 17-5- sees., his average speed working out to 270 kiloms. (168 miles) per hour. De Romanet completed the course in 1 hr. 39 mins. 5o£ sees. The Trophy remains in France, and as she has won it three times it stays there permanently. Sadi Lecointe also won the cash prize of 10,000 francs offered by the Aero Club of France, and a similar prize offered by the Aero Club of America. The French team had been chosen in an eliminating trial on Sunday, when the three pilots mentioned above were selected. Barault, on a Borel-Hispano, would probably have secured the third place if he had only flown the course as it was arranged. The American team was reduced by one owing to. the accident to Rholfs on the Gurtiss. In landing at Villa- coublay the chassis collapsed, and the pilot was injured, but not very seriously. .. v . .. _-„ ^ BIRTH OF THE "BLIMP" A CORRESPONDENT writes: " To your interesting article by ' Rafex,' in the issue of September 16, I may be permitted perhaps to add, by way of a footnote, a little ' secret history ' of which I happen to have direct and personal knowledge. " It was some time before the War that Mr. Holt Thomas saw a field of utility, from a naval point of view, for a very small dirigible balloon ; but at that time the Admiralty were not prepared to go into the matter. " Then, however, in the early stages of the War, when the question arose of scouting for submarines, and also of coastal patrol, Sir Charles Otley, of Armstrong's, found an opportunity of mentioning personally to Lord Fisher this scheme for a small airship. " His Lordship took up the idea •with characteristic energy. Mr. E. T. Willows, who was then working for Mr. Holt Thomas, was asked to call at the Admiralty ; and, at the same time, the lengthy correspondence between Mr. Holt Thomas and the Naval authorities being looked through again, he himself was asked to see Lord Fisher. " The result was a conference at the Admiralty, Lord Fisher himself taking the chair. " Mr. Holt Thomas, arguing the case for the ' Blimp,' discovered that—at any rate at that particular time—there were certain strong Air Department prejudices against any such machine. An objection was raised that it only had one motor. ' So has the aeroplane,' replied Mr. Holt Thomas, who found it necessary also to combat any suggestion that these little ' Blimp ' airships should be compared in any way with bigger craft of the lighter-than-air type. " The meeting promised, indeed, to become a little con- tentious. Suddenly, however, Lord Fisher intervened. " ' How much would a machine cost to build ? ' he^asked Mr. Holt Thomas. " The latter replied that it was difficult to say off-hand. " ' Well, give a guess,' urged Lord Fisher. " Whereupon Mr. Holt Thomas guessed about £2,500. " At which Lord Fisher turned upon the conference with the words, ' Then what are we conferring about ? ' And in ten minutes Mr. Holt Thomas had a contract requiring him to produce a ship as'quickly as he could. " • Can you build one in a'week ? ' asked Lord Fisher." \ " Mr. Holt Thomas answered that he was afraid he could not, but he promised to try and complete one in a month. There was no proper fabric available, and a doped aeroplane fabric had to be used. This leaked, but at the same time it enabled the idea to be demonstrated ; and once this had been done, and Lord Fisher's interest secured, the Air Department went ' full steam ahead.' Nor did matters stop at the ' Blimp.' For the ' Coastal' type, which followed, Mr. Holt Thomas supplied the first envelope; and both, this machine and the ' North Sea ' type were on the Astra- Torres principles, the rights of which belonged to his com- pany, Airships, Ltd. - " Not long before his lamented death Lord Fisher intro- duced Mr. Holt Thomas to a friend as ' the originator of the " Blimp," ' adding the typical observation—' the man .who produced an airship in three weeks when some experts told me it would take years.' " AIR WORK IN MESOPOTAMIA THE War Office communiqub of September 20 stated: " Aerial reconnaissance over Kufa [beleaguered garrison] observed a request for tobacco and cigarettes painted on a roof, from which it can be inferred that supplies of neces- saries and ammunition are satisfactory. " It was reported that Sheikh Dhari, the truculent Sheikh of the Zoba tribe, was located 2 5 miles north-west of Baghdad with a following and 1,000 camels. We inflicted a considerable number of casualties both in men and camels by means of aerial attack. " A reconnoitring air raid was carried out on September 16 against two villages east of Tuz Khurmatli, where insurgents have been harboured who are continually damaging tele- graph lines. " N.W. Persia.—Persian Cossacks report that a Bolshevist aeroplane on September 17 dropped four bombs on Imamza." The communiqui of September 21 stated : " Aeroplanes fired on and dispersed a hostile concen- tration 16 miles1 south of Samarra." The communique of September 23 stated : " On the Middle Euphrates the pilot and observer of an aeroplane who fell into the hands of tribesmen after a forced landing were brought into Feluja, where there is a British garrison. These tribesmen had refused to hand them over to a Sheikh hostile to us who had demanded their surrender." The communiqui of September 24 stated : " Two intensive air raids on Samarra town appear to have produced a demoralising effect on the hostile inhabitants, who are said to be withdrawing in large numbers eastward.1?*' " Ramadie-Feluja Area.—The hostile sections of the Zoba tribe have been forced by our air attacks to move northward and to clear the Baghdad-Feluja railway. "... the area on both sides of the line of communication between Baghdad and Mosul is still disturbed, despite the dispersal of small gatherings by bombing. \ " Diala division.—The main remaining centre of the trouble is at Deltawa, where a body of 500 tribesmen have advanced to the right" bank of the Diala just above Bakuba. Aerial action against this band has inflicted some casualties on them." The communiqui of September 25 stated : F~ " One of our aeroplanes dropping stores on the defence vessel Greenfly, which is aground in the Euphrates, was shot down in the river by tribesmen, who carried off its occupants on their reaching the river bank." The communique of September 27 stated : " A hostile concentration reported near Kut el-Hai (25 miles south-east of Kut el-Amara) was effectively attacked on the 23rd by aeroplanes, who bombed the fort and camps near that place. The machines were fired on, but returned undamaged." IO38
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