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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1186.PDF
between Croydon and Le Bourget. Six of these would be in England, and nine between the French coast and the terminal air-port. Each light is to flash its own distinctive Morse signal to inform the passing airman of his position on the route, while the terminal ports will also, as now, be efficiently indicated. One point to which attention has been directed is the necessity for so placing these inter- mediate lights as to indicate safe landing grounds in case of engine failure at night. It is seldom nowadays that forced landings have to be made on this account, but there must always remain the possibility of such failures, and it is thus very essential that pilots should know that in the vicinity of these landmarks there is open, unobstructed ground available for landing. Obviously, the very worst place for these lights would be in the neighbourhood of inhabited districts, and great care will have to be taken in choosing the most suitable sites. This, of course, applies generally, and not alone to the London-Paris airway. As a matter of fact, we understand that careful thought is being given to the selection of sites \ '.;''• NOVEMBER 18, 1920 for the lighthouses it is proposed to erect on this route, with a particular view to the contingency we are discussing. In every way the question of lighting the airways is just as important as the lighting of coasts for the assistance of the mariner. In fact, it is even more important, for the reason that ground lights must be the guide to the aerial navigator in the way that the celestial bodies are used for navigation at sea. It is only when the mariner has made his landfall that coastwise lights come into the calculation at all. The airman, on the contrary, must navigate all the time by means of his landmarks, except in the case of trans-oceanic services. Even then, he will be more dependent upon the character and efficiency of lights and landmarks, because of the greater difficulties of navigating precisely by solar and stellar observations. Directional wireless will go far to assist him, but it will nevertheless remain true for a long time to come that the aerial navigator must rely mainly on the assistance that can be given him from the ground. The R.A.F. and the Unknown Warrior As was natural, the Royal Air Force took its part in the bearing to its last resting-place, in Westminster Abbey, of the body of "The Unknown Warrior" on November 11. One of the pall-bearers was Air-Marshal Sir Hugh M. Trenchard, Chief of the Air Staff, and in the procession, representative of the fighting forces, was a party of 31 officers and 60 other ranks of the R.A.F. Also, in the guard, in Westminster Abbey, of those who had won the Victoria Cross, or who distinguished themselves by special valour during the War were the following members of the Royal Air Force :—Wing Commander I.. W. B. Rees, V.C., O.B.E., M.C., A.I< .C. ; Squadron Leader G. S. M. Insall, V.C., M.C. ; Flight-Lieut. F. M. F. West, V.C., M.C. ; Flight- Lieut. C. J. Q. Brand, D.S.O., M.C., D.F.C. ; Flight-Lieut. C. J. Hazell, D.S.O., M.C., D.S.C. ; Sergt.-Major J. C. Jones, D.C.M., M.M. ; Sergt.-Major G. Scarffe, M.C. ; Flight-Sergt. J. Cartwright, D.C.^.; Sergt. S. L. Lee, D.S.M. Lectures to Aircraft Students Two full-time courses—one dealing with design and engineering and the other with meteorology and navigation— have been arranged for the 1920-1921 session by the Depart- ment of Aeronautics of the Imperial College of Science and Technology, South Kensington. Lectures will be given on the following subjects :—Aerodynamics, mathematics for students of aerodynamics, designs, construction and strength of aircraft, engine design, thermodynamics, meteorology and navigation, and airships. Air Work in Mesopotamia IN the communique issued by the War Office on November 3 it was stated :— " Middle Euphrates.—Hostile concentrations south-east of Hillah were bombed by our aeroplanes on the 31st. Our machines were fired on, but no-damage was done." The following was in the communigut issued on November 5: " Middle Euphrates.—Several hostile gatherings in the area south-east of Kufa were dispersed by aeroplane attack on Nov. 1 and 2. On the 1st one of our aeroplanes on recon- naissance was forced to land nine miles south-east of Hillah. Another aeroplane, observing that an Arab band was approach- ing, landed and brought away the pilot and observer. The abandoned machine was burnt by the Arabs." The communique issued on November 8 stated :— " Middle Euphrates.—Our aeroplanes have continued active against hostile gatherings south-east of Kufa. One pilot has been wounded." The communique issued on November 10 stated :— " Lower Euphrates.—A column from Samawa, carrying out punitive operations on both banks of the Euphrates around Khidr, met with stubborn resistance on the 6th from an insurgent band concealed in the nullahs and broken country on the left bank of the river. Our infantry, assisted by aeroplanes, forced the Arabs from their positions. " Diyala Area.—Nineteen Ford vans, moving from Shahraban, were attacked in the pass of the Jebel Hamrin range on the 4th .... Aerial reconnaissance over the area on the 5th reported no sign of any hostile concentra- tion." The communiqui of November 17 stated :— " Lower Euphrates.—A column from Samawa, assisted by aeroplanes, has carried out punitive measures north of Khidr (south-east of Samawa)." Japan's Share of German Aircraft JAPAN is to receive about 50 machines of recent design, seized in Germany by the Inter-Allied Commission. A con- siderable sum has been voted by the Japanese Government for the construction of hangars at the military aerodromes of Tokorozawa and Kagamigahora ; and two airship sheds at Juterbog, near Berlin, are to be taken down, sent to Japan and re-erected with the aid of German engineers. Japan is also expecting to receive one of the Zeppelins at Seddin, Pomerania. To Reconnoitre Mount Everest READING a paper before the Royal Geographical Society on November 8 on the proposed attempt to climb Mount Everest, Brig.-Gen. the Hon. Charles Bruce said it was hoped that the Government of India would place aeroplanes, for reconnaissance purposes, at the disposal of the next party to make the attempt. Reconnaissance, camping grounds, and the establishment of depots could not be the only difficul- ties. Teams would have to be trained and men tested. The Alpine Club members were tox>rganise and carry out the actual climbing of the mountain, and the Geographical Society would undertake the scientific side of the work, in which they hoped for the co-operation of the Survey of India. Air Supremacy at Cambridge AT a meeting organised by the Air League in conjunc- tion with the Cambridge University Aeronautical Society on November 10, Major-General J. E. B. Seely, M.P., gave a lecture on " Air Supremacy." After pointing out the import- ance of aviation to a scattered Empire like the British one, he said that for generations we must carry our foodstuffs on the sea, and must therefore maintain our care of the surface of the sea. Our Navy, without aircraft, would be helpless against an enemy that had powerful aircraft co-operating with its Navy. He went on to emphasise the need for research work with the object of producing all-metal aeroplanes and machines capable of landing in restricted spaces. In work such as this he felt certain Cambridge University would play a great part. He also felt sure that the Government would take all possible steps to ensure the success of civil aviation. Lieut.-Colonel Moore-Brabazon, M.P., said he believed the Government were sympathetic towards aviation, but owing to the period of economy they were in, the Government dared not spend a penny for aviation till they were pushed into it. Some years ago they had a Blue Water School; they had come to jalead for a Blue Sky School, and he hoped that night was the beginning of that school. TI88
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