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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0139.PDF
FEBRUARY 24, 1921 THE great photographic map of London, as seen on D.H.machines from the air, is a stage nearer realisation. It is an ambitious scheme, and requires great technical skill in thecarrying out. When the result is seen, it should rank as a wonder of the world. Arrangements should be made for itsexhibition when it should attract the public in thousands. As a first real effort to map a great city out by this method,it will be unique, although before many years are past it should be difficult to name any town of importance which has notreceived similar treatment. IT is quite fashionable now for notabilities of various gradesto have aerial escorts by way of honour. Thus Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly upon arrival in the Toloa at New York last week,where he is being feted as a guest of honour, was escorted down the bay to the dock by a squadron of five seaplanes anddirigible C. 10. In another direction we find Georges Carpentier, who was a French pilot during the war, and who is giving boxingexhibitions in the Scandinavian capitals, having an escort of Danish aviators meeting him on the ferry bringing him fromSweden to Elsinore, and accompanying overhead his train to Copenhagen. ADMIRAL VON TIRPITZ'S expressed views in the GermanGaz-'tt' upon the parts to be played by airships and aeroplanes in the next war are that Zeppelins are unsuited craft forscouting owing to their size, vulnerability and dependence on the wind. He thinks, however, that there is a great future forthe aeroplane. It did little at sea, he says, during the late War. and as at the outbreak it was in its iniancy, and theproblem of transporting it on sea had not been developed. He prefers to reserve his opinion as to its value in attack, whilerecognising that it has already become a serious factor. IN the Official Roll, containing the names of more than40,000 officers of the British armies killed in the Great War, now available to the public, the total casualties in the R.A.I7.(to March, 1918) are given as 2,506. This publication can be obtained through the usual channels for js. 6d. TARDY recognition of " services rendered " has been madeto M. Boiteux, a French gamekeeper, in connection with the Great Zeppelin raid over England in 1917, when so many of theZepps. came to grief in France during their vain endeavours to return to the Vaterland. It will be remembered one of thedirigibles landed at Serqueeux (Haute-Marne) for the purpose of rectifying some slight engine trouble, the commander think-ing that in such a quiet country he would have no difficulty in taking the air again.But the fact that it was a country district proved his undoing, for though for several miles around there was only one man,our friend the gamekeeper, he happened to be armed with a shot-gun. Resenting German Zeppelins coming down in hisfield he walked straight up to the commander of the great airship and demanded the surrender of the vessel and itscrew, meanwhile covering the commander with his gun, and remained in possession of his capture until the arrival of thetroops some time later. Now at long last M. Boiteux's exploit has been officiallyrecognised by being cited in last week's Army Orders. MR. W. BARNARD FARADAY, LL.B., one-time Secretary ofthe Royal Aeronautical Society, has been adopted by the Central Council of the Combined Universities Conservativeand Unionist Association as one of the prospective candidates for the Combined English University Constituency at the nextGeneral F.lection. KEY INDUSTRIES protection is very far-reaching in its in-terest. Many are not alive to how closely the maintenance of our war-time established dye industry is concerned withmatters aerial. Mr. Percy C. C. Isherwood, in advocating the protection of this industry in a letter, points out that the'' importance of synthetic drugs and photographic chemicals is obvious, both in times of war and peace, but it may not beclear at first sight how the position of, for example, the syn- thetic peVfume industry is so essential to the security of thecountry. Few probably realised when enemy Zeppelins or aeroplanes were overhead that the British synthetic perfumeindustry was an essential factor in the production of the aeroplanes which went up to attack them. In fact, it is nottoo much to say that at a critical period of the War our whole aeroplane programme depended upon the production of a chemical which up to that time had only been manufacturedfor perfumery purposes. Fortunately the plant and the experience in the manufacture of this chemical were there, butthis example should serve as an object-lesson and a warning." MR. MONTAGU S. NAPIER, whose portrait we reproduce onthis page, is a man who has made history by his contributions to the development of the internal combustion engine. Mr.Napier was one of the pioneers of motoring ; the first Napier car was designed by him and produced as far back as 1900,and the first successful six-cylindered car—the Napier— was also the result of his ingenuity. It is hardly surprisingthat a man of Mr. Napier's engineering capacity should have turned his mind in the direction of aeronautical engineering.Having regard to his health, Mr. Napier has to reside in the South of France, but, although so far from the works, he takesa keen interest in the business. The new Napier aero engine was designed out there under his supervision, Mr. Rowledge,the Napier chief designer, and some of the drawing office staff going out to him in connection with this important work. AGAIN and again it has been alleged that hydrophobia hasbeen re-started in this country through dogs being smuggled via the air. It may or may not be so, but there are possibilitiesof its being a true bill. Now the Committee of the Society for the Prevention of Hydrophobia, in their annual report,make the definite claim that this has been the medium of the trouble and affirm that " the air service affords ample oppor-tunity for this deplorable practice. Fines," they say, " have no deterrent effect, and it is hoped that the Government willmake the offence punishable by imprisonment." Mr. Montagu S. Napier, Chairman of Napiers, Ltd.,the makers of the 1,000 h.p. "Cub" aero engine which developed 1,057 on its bench test. 139
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