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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1284.PDF
\ DECEMBER 23, 1920 detrimentally, because the people of the country its real home is at Cricklewood, so that what we thoroughly realise that flying has come to stay, have said regarding (Waddon stands. That, we submit, is the proper outlodk upon such accidents. We cannot but deplore that such hap- penings should be avidly seized upon by the sen- sational Press to be the subject of screaming headlines and lurid descriptive reports which only pander to the more morbid tastes of the multitude and do no good to anybody. The~ Cause of theFatalities The official inspection of the wrecked machine renders it beyond a doubt that no lives would have been lost in the accident had it not been for the bursting of the petrol tank and the firing of the spirit. Fire has recently been a diminishing factor in aerial fatalities. So much so that we had begun to hope that this cause of disaster had been practically eliminated by new safeguards which have been devised to prevent the catching fire of the petrol when, unfortunately, a crash does occur. Safety tanks and the isolation of pilot's and passengers' cabins from the power plant have gone a long way to counteract the undoubted danger from fire ; but this last accident seems to indicate that there still remains something to be done before we are able to say that no matter what may befall the - aeroplane itself, the fire danger has been completely '. eliminated. Exactly what measures will have to be taken we are not able to say at the moment. These require close investigation and doubtless experiment, so that it would be futile to become dogmatic and to say that this or that must be done. Nevertheless, it is possible to say that developments are in progress which will, we believe, have the ultimate effect of completely removing this most terrible danger of the air. There is no more fearful fate to be contemplated than that of death in the manner in which the victims of the Cricklewood accident lost their lives. To be killed outright in a fall is bad enough, but it is nothing in comparison to being slowly burnt to death in the midst of blazing wreckage. Protection against fire—absolute protection at that—is one of the very first essentials to the success of civil aviation, and we are glad to know that this is thoroughly well realised by designers and operating firms. TheAirco Stoppage Does the Government really intend to do anything for civil aviation or does it not ? We are getting very tired of the vague statements made by one member of the Government and another as to what may possibly be done at some future time. Mr. . Churchill, speaking on the Air Estimates recently, said that some kind of support would be given next year. The promise is perhaps better than nothing, but unfortunately the performance may come too late to save the industry from complete collapse and disappearance. A fortnight ago we had two services to Paris in being. Now we have but one. The moral is obvious. As we have so often insisted, and as The Future all the authorities are agreed, the Air Power future of air power is completely wrapped up in the encouragement of civil aviation. In the present state of the world's finances no single Power, not even America or Japan, can afford to maintain an active fighting air service on the scale which will be ~ necessary to command the air. There is only one way in which such aerial supremacy can be obtained, and that is by the organisation of a small, but very highly efficient, nucleus fighting service, backed up by large civilian reserves available for war purposes almost at a moment's notice. This is a fundamental fact which cannot be questioned for a moment. It has been agreed over and over again by all who have studied the question of air power in its relation to national defence. Accepting this premise, it becomes perfectly clear that the nation which most fully recognises it and applies the principles to action, will secure the unquestioned command of the air in the next great war. We speak of the next great war because we are most absolutely convinced that wars will continue to arise so long as the world is organised as it is. Leagues of Nations and arbitration treaties cannot alter the ultimate principle that the whole basis of order rests upon* the application of force. There- fore, war will remain the last resort for the settle- ment of disputes, and the nation which believes otherwise is doomed to a rude awakening from another which has better interpreted the universal principle. In this matter of air power it seems clear that other nations have a better appreciation of the needs of the future than we. Or, possibly, it would be more correct to say that they have been quicker to apply the principles which we admit to be correct but are neglecting. France recognises it, and by a well-calculated scheme of encouragement is setting out to obtain the lead in air transport, which means air power. No less than £3,200,000 is to be devoted The speculations of a fortnight ago have now become the facts of to-day, and the Airco service between London and Paris, which was the first daily service to start in August, 1919, has definitely closed down. The reasons assigned for this disastrous happening are the falling-off in winter traffic, the difficulties of the present financial situation, and the deferring of the long-promised Government support of civil aviation. The results of this closing down will certainly not help matters. The terminal to the encouragement of~aerial industry next year, air j>ort at Waddon will now be simply supporting Big grants are to be made to private enterprises. a number of Government controllers, ground men, Subsidies will be given to existing air lines conducting and wireless and meteorological experts—at the services between London and Paris, Brussels, Toulouse expense of the British taxpayer—mainly for the and Monaco, with extensions to Amsterdam, Stras- supervision of the subsidised French machines which, bourg and Warsaw. Large sheds are to be con- by the direct assistance they receive from their structed at Marseilles, Algiers, Casablanca and Tunis, Government, are still able to carry on. The Handley- so that a service of airships between France and Page service, which is left alone in the field as the North Africa may be put into regular operation. British representatives of cross-Channel air trans- Regular seaplane services between Antibes, Mar- port, uses the Waddon aerodrome sometimes, but seilles, Perpignan and Tunis, Algiers, Oran and „ - 1286
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