FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0001.PDF
Flight, January 6, 1921 BNGINEEFL 6s - - 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. 628 (No. 1, Vol. XIII.) JANUARY 6, 1921 TWeekly, Price 6d.|_ Post free, 7d. Flight The A ircraft Engineer and A irships Editorial Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C.2 Telegrams : Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828 Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free : United Kingdom .. 30s. $d. Abroad .. .. 33s. od.* These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormal conditions and to increases in postage rates * European subscriptions must be remitted in British currency CONTENTS Editorial Comment PAGEThe Enco irauement of Civil Aviation .. •• .. ». .. 1 State Aid to be Given .. .. .. .. .. .. 2The Air Force Ensign .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 A Growing Air Traffic .. .. .. .. .. .. 2The Big Ship Controversy .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 The Vickers " V.I.M. " Shool Machine 4The R.A.F. Memorial Fund 5 The London—Continental Services .. .. .. • .. .. .. 5Imports and Exports by Air .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Correspondence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7Notices to Airmen .. .. - .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 Personals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8Airisms from the Four Winds .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 " Travelling of the Future " 10Aeroplane Design. By Capt. F. S. Barnwell .. .. .. .. 12 DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the dates of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in the following list: Jan. 10 ... Meeting of the Bureau of the Federation Ae'ronautiqne Internationale in Paris 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. "E have before us as we write an interesting document, a part 6f which is devoted to a discussion of the future policy to be pursued in relation to civil aviation and its encouragement. We propose to make a fairly lengthy excerpt from this document, in order to point once more a moral we have often emphasised. On this subject of civil aviation, with particular reference to its bearing on defence, it is laid down that: " In time of war aviation will probably be the first arm of offence ^.nd defence to come into action. For this there must be an established industry and a trained and active air service. Aerial supremacy at the outset of hostilities would be a tremendous Encourage-ment of Civil Aviation military advantage. Ultimate victory would un- questionably incline to the side that could establish and maintain supremacy in the air. Huge expendi- ture of money in time of danger and frantic efforts to train personnel and to develop hastily an aircraft industry from almost nothing will not do. There must be wise preparedness ; there must be in healthy . existence*1 at least a nucleus of an industry capable of adequate expansion ; there must exist civil and , commercial aeronautical activities in all parts of the country, which would be the main support of the industry in time of peace. In pure self-defence the Government must encourage the development of commercial aviation. The alternative proposition is the creation and maintenance of a powerful standing military air service, relatively self-reliant in time of war. We cannot, however, afford the ex- pense which such a policy would entail, and there would be no advantage in time of peace from such expenditure comparable in any way to the advantages to be gained from the support of civil aviation. We should maintain an active air service in time of peace, which should possess inherent strength, and be something more than a mere nucleus for expansion in time of war. In the final analysis, however, we must depend upon civil aviation to furnish a military reserve force. . . . The problem is to place our aircraft industry in a healthy condition, and to do this we must enter without delay upon a sane, sound policy for the development of civil aviation. - The relative cost of fostering an organised plan to develop commerical aviation would be much less than the waste that would inevitably result from v unprepared entry into war. Aside from military considerations, the fostering of commercial aviation would in time yield adequate return in itself in the form of promoting and strengthening our means of trans- portation, advancing the progress of civilisation and increasing the national wealth." This, we know, reads like a quotation from our own editorial columns, but it is simply an extract from the sixth annual report of the United States National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. It is significant to know that the views set forth have received the endorsement of the Secretaries of War, the Navy and Commerce, and also of the President himself. To comment upon them would be almost superfluous, but we cannot refrain from remarking upon the strikingly similar opinions which are held 1 •''• •-r.-''::^-- •-•:.:• ;- - *\ C 2
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
