FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0099.PDF
FEBRUARY IO, 192 I THE N.A.V. 6 LIMOUSINE: Three-quarter rear view. The weight of the machine empty is given as 2,640 lbs., and the useful load as I.IOO lbs. It is expected that the speed will be about 100 m.p.h. The area of the machine is 395 sq. ft., which therefore gives a wing loading of about 9J lbs./sq. ft. The power loading is 17 lbs. per h.p. Sufficient fuel is carried for a flight of five hours' duration (at cruising speed, probably), or a range of approximately 400 to 450 miles. It is possible that one of these machines may pay a visit to this country before long. PHOTOGRAPHIC MAPPING OF AIR ROUTES America to Make a Practical Start ALTHOUGH it has long been recognised that photographic maps of air routes may be of great assistance to pilots, little practical use has been made of such maps up to the present time. It now appears that America is to take the lead in this direction, as the new Civil Affairs Division of the United States Air Service has undertaken to produce aerial photo- graphs of all the main air routes. A beginning will be made with the air route between Washington, D.C., and Dayton, Ohio, this route having >been chosen partly because it is a difficult one, crossing large industrial centres where visibility is often bad, and partly because aviation headquarters are in Washington, while Dayton, Ohio, is an aircraft manufacturing centre. The scheme provides for a series of air route files, aerial photographs to be taken of all the important towns on the routes and of the aerodromes of each town, with information relating to the condition of the aerodrome, obstacles to avoid, etc., printed at the foot of the photographs. Each town and aerodrome will be photographed from both sides of approach so as to give the pilot as near as possible the identical view which he himself will obtain. It is hoped to secure the co-operation of towns, so that marked in some prominent place on the roof of or on ground adjoining railway stations will be the number of the town, followed by the initial letter of the state in which the town is situated. For instance, Richmond, Virginia, might show the number 12-Va. The maps will be so arranged as to take in a strip of country each side of the route, and information will be given of towns somewhat outside this band, so that if a pilot loses his way through fog, etc., he will be able, by coming down low and following the first railway, to pick up the number and initial letter of the station, and hence be able to ascertain his position and set his course accordingly. The idea appears to be a most excellent one, and might with advantage be taken up in a practical way in this country also. The main routes to the Continent would form a good subject for a beginning, and would give quite a lot of useful work to R.A.F. pilots and observers who are now, through no desire of their own, kicking their heels at various air stations. In this manner very direct assistance would be given to civil aviation, while at the same time the personnel would be prevented from getting stale. Later on some of the inland air routes could be similarly treated, but as these are scarcely in running order yet there is less need for them at the moment. To the pilots who know the London-Paris route inside out there would not be any great necessity for such photographic maps, but to pilots who are more or less unfamiliar with the route they would undoubtedly prove a great boon, and in years to come no doubt many flights will be made by pilots who are not familiar with the air routes from London to the Continent. AIR PHOTO.-MAPS : These two photographs when pasted back to back by a special process, form a thin " card '' of the aviator's index. The illustration above shows a town as seen by the aviator from the direction of approach, and the arrow indicates the location of the landing-field. The illustration below is the reverse of the " card," and shows view of the landing-field as seen by the aviator. 99 4
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
