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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1245.PDF
Flight, December 9, 1920 AIRCIZAFTENGINEEFL First Aero Weekly in the World Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 624 (No. 50, Vol. XII.) DECEMBER 9, 1920 rWeekly, Price 6d.L Post free, 7d. The Aircraft Engineer and Airships Editorial Offttes: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2 Telegrams: Truditur, Wettcent, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828 AnnBal Subscription Rates, Post Free :United Kingdom .. 305.41*. Abroad.. . .. 33s. oi* These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormalconditions and to increases in postage rates • European tuburiptions must be remitud in British currency CONTENTS Editorial Comment PAGEAircraft or Battleships ? .. .. '.. 1247 British and French Air Policy 1248The London-Paris Services .. .. .. .. .. .. 1248 Camera and the 'Plane : An Aerial View of Ghent * .. .. .. 1249London-Continental Services .. .. .. .. .. .. 1250 The Albatros Commercial Machine .. .. .. .. .. 1251The Stout " Bat-Wing " Monoplane .. .. .. .. .. 1252 Royal Air Force Memorial Fund .. .. .. .. .. .« 1253Notices to Airmen .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1253 Airship Piloting. By Major G. H. Scott .. .. .. .. .. 1254Airisms from the Four Winds .. .. .. .. .. .. 1250 In Parliament .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1261The Royal Air Force • .. .. 1262 Model Aeroplanes .. .. .. .. ..- .. .. .. 1263Sidewinds .. .. ., .. .. .. .. .. 1264 DIABT OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS. Club Secretarits and others desirous of announcing the dates of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in ike following list: Dec. 16 Lectures, " Possible Developments of Aircraft Engines," by Mr. H. Ricardo, and " The Instalment of Aeroplane Engines," by Mr. A. J. Rowledg-e, before R.Ae.S., at Royal Society of Arts1921 Jan. 20 Lecture, "The Cost of Air-Ton-Miles, com- pared with other Forms of Transport," by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, before R.Ae.S. HE question of the moment among the naval experts is that of aircraft and submarines versus the battleship and battle-cruiser. At the present moment we are faced with the doubtless un- pleasant fact that within the next three, or certainly five, years our old- time naval supremacy will have passed to the United States, with Japan running a close race with us for second place. That is, if naval armaments are still to be judged by Aircraft ^e number and power of the capital Battleships ? ships possessed by the several countries in competition for the lead. As an island Power, and particularly in view of the far- flung character of the Empire, naval supremacy has hitherto been the beginning and end of our safety. Once the trident passed from our hands to those of another Power we could only look forward to existence by sufferance of the leading naval Power.. - This remains as true as ever it has been, but the question which is now being debated is whether or not the standard of comparison has completely changed ? If it has not, and the capital ship re- mains the unit of comparison, then we must make up our minds to a building programme which, impoverished and over-taxed as we are, will strain our resources to the utmost. There is no way out —we must build to retain our supremacy at sea or live at the mercy of America and ultimately even of Japan. It is not at all certain, however, that the capital ship still holds pride of place in the assessment of naval power. There is a very powerful school of naval thought which holds that it has in fact passed into obsolescence, and its place been taken by the submarine and aircraft. Without the slightest desire to pose as judges in so highly technical a question- as this, we cannot refrain from venturing the opinion that those who think thus seem to have a good deal of reason on their side. Before the War, Sir Percy Scott created a sensation by laying down that the submarine was destined to drive the battleship from the seas. Lord Fisher, shortly before he died, went farther than this and said : " We've reached thej epoch—prodigious in its advent—when positively the Air commands and dominates both Land and Sea." If Lord Fisher was right—and he is a bold man who would say without enquiry that he was wrong—it is quite clear that all our standards of naval power must be drastically revised. Indeed,. it is not revision they require so much as complete revolution. We have in FLIGHT said the same thing in other words for years past, but then it may be advanced that we are prejudiced. This could hardly be laid to the credit of Lord Fisher. There are some naval critics who actually look forward to the time-—and that within the near future —when the navies of the world will be able to dive, to float and to fly. Lord Fisher did not go as far as this. He seems to have believed that the present battleship would be replaced by giant submersibles, assisted by clouds of aircraft. In the light of present knowledge it appears that he was nearer
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