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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1073.PDF
OCTOBER 14, 1920 aviation would be dependent on the widespread development of civil aviation The Government intended to assist aviation by every means in its power. Our resources, however, were limited, but he trusted the day had now come when it would be possible for the Government tp inciease to some extent the resources which were available for the development of civil aviation. In the main civil aviation must fly by itself, and the function of the Government would be to facilitate, stimulate and encourage its action. He did not think three years should be too much to reconstruct the air service, so that our fathers of every grade of national life would be glad to send their sons into it with the feeling that they were giving them a good start in life with the possibility of a fine career. More than half the great air forces which had been raised had been engaged in the operations now going on in the Far East, and this interfered with the develop- ment of civil aviation. The Air Estimates for this year would shortly have to be considered and he excluded any GHT1 solution which would be likely to help us through those two or three difficult years which lie in front of us. To suppose that the world, having got into the air, was ever going to get out of the air, was as absurd as to suppose that the world, having taken to steamships, was going back to schooners and sailing ships. They were there to drive away pessimism, and to assert their view and contention that a great and bright future was opening for British aviation. He hoped in future years the Air Parliament would not be upon a selected basis, but rather upon a nominated repre- sentative basis, a body which would carry with it the authority of the whole air world. In conclusion he wished success to the Air Parliament. Lord Montagu, in proposing the toast of Mr. Churchill, said that an Air Parliament should be of immense help in influencing both the Government and Parliament. Much as we all appreciated what the Secretary of State for War had done for aviation, most of us still looked towards the time when we should have a separate Air Ministry. SYNOPSES OF THE PAPERS READ. "CIVIL AVIATION AND AIR SERVICES" By MAJOR-GENERAL SIR FREDERICK H. SYKES, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., Controller-General of Civil Aviation INTRODUCTION I. The Growth and Present Position of Air Mail, Goods, and Passenger Services (a) United Kingdom—Internal, (b) United Kingdom—Con- tinent.—London-Paris service. London-Brussels. London- Amsterdam. Statistical tables illustrating the development of British Civil Aviation. Amount and type of general traffic. Number of arrivals and departures at and from the United Kingdom. Number of letters carried. Customs returns. Accidents. (c) Foreign.—French, Belgian, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Danish, and United States air services, with special reference to :— (i) The projected service from Paris to Prague, Warsaw and the Balkan capitals, (ii) The North European Service— Copenhagen, Hamburg, Bremen, London, (iii) The United States Post Office air mail system. (d) British Dominions and Colonies.—No services yet existing, but future success depends on sound preliminary work. Composition and work of the Canadian, Indian and Kew Zealand Air Boards. Aviation in Bermuda and the West Indian Islands. The position with regard to the Imperial air routes. II. Factors Contributing to Successful Air Services (a) Improvements in design and construction so as to secure safety, reliability, regularity, speed and comfort. Results of the Air Ministry competitions. Safety devices and testiug. All metal machines. Effect of climate. Speed versus weight - carrying capacity. The human element. (b) Use of different types of aircraft. Combination on relay system of aeroplanes, seaplanes, amphibians and airships. (c) General organisation of aerodromes and seaplane stations. Organisation for night flying. Progress in the use of wireless especially for navigation, direction finding, and wireless telephony. Flying in mist and fog. (d) Meteorology. Methods of issuing information. Value of upper air observa tion. Economic aspect of meteorology, (c) Economic and financial factors. Subsidies. French and British schemes compared. Insurance : the French " Consortium " and the Scandinavian " Pool." (/) Carriage of mails. Considera- tions of speed. Night flying. Co-ordination of air and ordinary mails. The United States air mail service con- sidered. III. SugqesHons for Future Development of Air SerAces Influence of geographical conditions. Future development of European and American trunk lines. The Imperial problem. Air communication between British possessions. THE OPERATION OF CIVIL AIRCRAFT IN RELATION TO THE CONSTRUCTOR " BY MR. H. WHITE-SMITH, C.B.E., Chairman of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors INTRODUCTORY I. The Present Lack of Financial Success in Operating Air Services and its Main Causes II. The Air Travel Habit and Safety III. Reliability of Air Services IV. Costs of Operating Commercial Aeroplane Services V. Future Demands of the Transport Operators on the VI. Present Position of Seaplanes, Flying Boats and Amphibians. Commercial Services VII. Aircraft Engines VIII. Aircraft and Engine Maintenance and Repairs in Service IX. Special Requirement and Opportunities for Aircraft in Foreign Countriess X. ConclusionAircraft Constructor [This paper is reproduced practically in full on p.'ges 1079-1088.— ED.] »' THE PRESENT POSITION OF AIRCRAFT RESEARCH AND CONTEMPLATED DEVELOPMENTS " BY AIR VICE-MARSHAL SIR E. L. ELLINGTON, K.C.B., During the War the impetus was entirely military, the all- important factor in research being speed of progress in the development of fighting machines. There was no time to devote to lines of research which did not promise practical results almost immediately in view of the prospective end of the War. with the result that aircraft and engines produced during the War were almost entirely developments of pre-War types. The progress made in armament, navigational instruments and other accessories, with little or no pre-War experience avail- able, was more fundamental. Generally speaking, develop- ment might be described as conventional rather than radical. Such an opportunist policy as the War demanded is, however, quite unsuitable for times of peace. It is no longer a sound poljcy to sacrifice everything to immediate results and accept the risks involved in decisions based upon insufficient tech- nical data ; the principles of scientific research must once more be rigidly applied, and progress only sought along a line of C.M.G., C.B.E., Director-General of Supply and Research advancement upon which each successive stage is thoroughly explored and understood before the next is attempted. PRESENT POSITION AND CONTEMPLATED DEVELOPMENTS N. The main developments now in progress or under contempla- tion for military and civil aricraft are dealt with under the following heads :-— (a) Aeroplanes and seaplanes, and engines, (b) Airships and kite balloons, (r) Navigational instruments and appara- tus, (d) Accessory developments to increase the comfort, safety, and efficiency of the passengers and crew. (a) Aeroplanes 1 nd Seaplanes, and Engines The main requirements for aeroplanes and seaplanes are stated to be, broadly :— (i) Reliability, (ii) Controllability, (iii) Capacity to take off or land in a restricted area, (iv) Performance, (v) Safety and comfort, (vi) Cheapness. 1075
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