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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0208.PDF
MARCH 24, 1921 AVIATION AND AIR TRANSPORT By Maj.-Gen. Sir F. H. SYKES, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., Controller-General of Civil Aviation A PAPER under above, title was read by Sir Frederick Sykes before the Institute of Transport, at the hall of the Institu- tion of Civil Engineers, on March 14, 1921. Sir Frederick, to a great extent, covered the same ground as on previous occasions, dealing with the reasons for supporting civil aviation, and pointing out its value to national security. In referring to the question of aircraft operating with the navy, he expressed the opinion that there is every indication that torpedo attack by aircraft may reach a point where the very existence of opposing fleets, consisting of the giant capital ships of the present day, may be jeopardised. For the cost of one battleship, he stated, a thousand torpedo- carrying seaplanes could be built, and it is already question- able whether a battleship could survive an attack launched by even a small force of this mobile arm. Sir Frederick pointed out the modern tendency in war towards the " Nation in Arms," and said that, whereas in 1914 it was some twenty days between the declaration of war and the exchange of the first shot, in the next war, aircraft will be ready for action before the signature of the declaration of war is dry. On the question of ensuring an adequate aerial reserve and maintaining our capacity for expansion to meet emer- gencies, Sir Frederick stated that it was his firm belief that the solution of this problem lies in the development of civil aviation. The vital importance of commercial aviation, he said, is that it will keep in existence an aircraft industry, with its research, designing, technical, constructional and experimental staffs, capable of quick and wide expansion in emergency. There is one way, he said, and one way only , of sustaining commercial aviation through the experimental period, and that is some form of State subsidy. As to the ways and means to be adopted, Sir Frederick mentioned that it has been suggested that the Air Ministry should expend a certain sum on the purchase of a number of up-to-date machines, which should be let out to one or more approved transport companies. This has the disadvantages attending Government ownership, and prevents the purchase of machines by companies which, from operational experience, are in a better position to select the most suitable types. " A second, and more likely scheme," the lecturer said, " is the formation of a National Air Transport Company guaranteed against loss by the State, which should, in turn, receive a fixed proportion of the profits, as soon as profit is shown. Such a company should be kept entirely distinct from any constructional company, so that it could place its orders for machines where it wished, thus encouraging healthy competition in design and construction. It would probably have temporarily to hold a monopoly, since other- wise the small suirf at our disposal would be frittered away among a number of companies none of which, at the present stage, would command sufficient traffic to pay. The details of the scheme and the method 01 allocating the subsidy have not yet been worked out, but I am confident a company of this character, free from the control of vested interests and placed on a sound State-assisted financial basis, will be able to pull through the experimental period of Civil Aviation." RESUMPTION OF LONDON-PARIS AIR SERVICE As a first result of the Committee of three and its consulta- tions with representatives of the aircraft industry and trans- port firms, a temporary resumption of the British air services to the Continent was madeon Saturday last, when Messrs. Handley Page and, on Monday, Messrs. Instone Air Line recommenced operations. On the Monday, Lord Londonderry, with several Air Ministry officials, visited the London Terminal Aerodrome at Croydon to witness the re-starting at 12.30 p.m. of Messrs. Instone's Vicker-Vimy-Rolls 'plane (the "City of London ") for Paris. Capt. F. L. Barnard, who was the pilot on this Occasion, brought his total of cross-Channel "flips" to 352 with this trip. In addition to passengers—one of whom was Mrs. Barnard—the " City of London" carried rrails. In conversation afterwards to members of the Press, Lord Londonderry said : I hope this inaugurates a new era in civil aviation and that Great Britain will take a leading and foremost place in it. I trust this will be the beginning cf services that will radiate from this country through Europe and to the British Dominions overseas." The Handley Page machine, which left Cricklewood aero- drome on Saturday for Paris, returned on Monday to London with seven passengers and luggage. No British Air Service has been running, it will be remembered, since the end of February, when Messrs. Handley Page had to close down their services, owing to the " cut " in fares due to the French Government subsidy to French services, which resulted in a reduction of fares to six guineas. The machines to be used for a start will be Vickers Vimy-Commercials (Rolls-Royce engines), Handley Pages (Rolls-Royce engines), and D.H. 18's (Napier Lion engines). The latter type of machine is fully described elsewhere in this issue. On figures given by Mr. H. White Smith at the Air Conference at the Guildhall last year this machine, it may be remembered, proved the most economical to run on a service like the London-Paris. We understand that the Air Ministry have purchased two of these machines from the liquidators of Aircraft Transport and Travel, and a third, which is now nearing completion (and which has formed the subject of our descriptive article in this issue) at the Stag Lane works of the de Havilland Aircraft Co. at Edgware, from that firm. These machines, it is under- stood, will be hired out to firms which will run them on the Continental Service. The new fares on the resumed British services will be as follows: London-Paris, single fare, £6 6s.; return, ^12; goods, 15. per lb. up to 100 lbs., lod. per lb. for each lb. over 100 lbs. The air mails, which were temporarily sur- rendered to the French services, will be returned to the British services, and we understand that Messrs. Handley Page and Messrs. the Instone Air Line will carry the mails alternately. The arrangement just outlined is only a temporary one, subject to the establishment of a more permanent scheme. In the meantime it is very gratifying to know that British firms are not to be allowed to die owing to lack of Govern- ment support. What the final arrangements will be is at present impossible to say, as no definite scheme has yet been found which entirely satisfies both the Air Ministry and the firms of constructors and operational companies involved. It is hoped, however, that a scheme which is satisfactory to all will quickly be found. U.S. Air Mail Service Accidents IN a summary of fatal accidents which have happened in connection with the U.S. air-mail service since May, 1918, given recently in the New York Herald, it is gratifying to British design and construction to note that, as a result of three accidents attributed to defective aircraft, the type of machine known as the German Junker was discontinued in the service. There were eight of these machines originally ; four of them were destroyed, three with accidents causing seven deaths. The other machines, 90 per cent, of which are of the D.H. 4 type, have not been blamed for any of the accidents. Of 19 crashes, two were due to test flights by airmen qualifying for the service, six to miscalculation on the part of the pilots, three to misjudgment of the pilot following failure of the engine, five to weather conditions, and the three referred to above to defective petrol and engine connec- tions. The five accidents attributed to weather conditions could, it is said, have been avoided. It was the rashness of the pilots in continuing flight in impossible conditions which brought about their death. Some Jump • * » SERGEANT EASEL CHAMBERS, 135th Aero Squadron (U.S.), is reported to have made a parachute jump of 22,000 ft. from an airship piloted by Lieut. Wagner during an aerial circus at Post Field. Casale After Records LONDON-PARIS and vice versa is sure to be a route over which record times will be sought. Casale, who had already put up a 2-hours' time from Paris and 2 h. 10 m. on the return journey, is stated last week to have arrived at Waddon 1 h. 45 m. after leaving Bourget. 208 t
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