FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0497.PDF
. \ • •»•*:„••• JULY 21, 1921 THE AIRSHIP PROBLEM IN a statement just issued by Ik Air Ministry upon ths Further, in considering the question of future development, future of our airships, it is notified that the opportunity has . it has to be remembered that the necessary ground organisa- been taken of the presence in London of the Dominion Prime tion must be established overseas and improved at home. Ministers to lay before the special Conference the full facts Whereas, during the War, ground stations for aeroplanes regarding the position of airships, with special reference to were naturally developed to a large extent overseas, the their utilisation m connection with the speeding up of nature of sea warfare was such as to cause a concentration communications with the Dominions. of activities after the first few months mainly in the neigh- This Conference, after having had under review the whole bourhood of the British Isles, with the result that ground question, and especially the submission of the above pro- organisation for airships was developed in this country only posals, has decided to appoint a technical and expert com- and no stations were erected overseas which would' be ofp pp pet com mittee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of State for Air (consisting of Lord Gorell, M.C., U.S. of S. for Air ; Air-Marshal Sir H. M. Trenchard, Bt., K.C.B., D.S.O. ; Maj.-Gen. Sir F. H. Sykes, C.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G. (repre- senting the Air Ministry) ; Sir G. L. Barstow, K.C.B., repre- ti th Tr Si J St B use now. Moreover, before demonstration flights or com- mercial services to any station overseas can be brought into operation, it is necessary that the organisation required must be carefully prepared. Such opportunities as the airship has had for undertaking long-distance flights—for it th f th G ihi L" f Blsentmg the Treasury ; Sir James Stevenson, Bt., representing instance, the voyage of the German airship " L.59" from Bul-the Colonial Office ; Sir Ross Smith, K.B.E., representing -..--- • Australia and New Zealand ; Col. the Hon. H. Mentz, repre"- senting South Africa, and representatives of Canada and India ; L. V. Meadowcroft, Esq., secretary) to report :— (1) On the cost of erecting masts, providing bases, and fuel supplies, upkeep; commissioning, and operating the existing fleet of airships for the purposes of Imperial air communica- tions, with special reference to the routes between England, India, Africa, Australia and New Zealand ; and (2) on services by means of aeroplanes. This Committee will meet immediately, and their report will be presented to the Imperial Conference before it comes to an end. It is the intention that, in the light of the figures thereby obtained, the Dominions should be invited to say upon what conditions and to what amount they would make a contribution ; and that with this knowledge the British Government should decide whether they are prepared to ask Parliament for a subscription from the British Exchequer. yg p 5 garia to the Sudan and back and the historic journey of " R.34 " to and from America—have proved their capability under certain conditions. If airship communication is to be developed within the Empire, a chain of stations consisting of two or three bases and a certain number of mooring masts will require to be formed, and proof given that regularity approximately equal to that of existing means of transport can be obtained on long-distance flights. A definite period will be required for the progressive development of routes on a clearly defined policy ; this period would, it is considered, cover several years. It has, in brief, yet to be ascertained whether an airship service can be established on commercially successful lines, and it has still to be decided whether, if this be resolved in the negative, the Governments concerned would be justified in the interests of Imperial communications in subsidising such a service. ROYAL AIR FORCE MEMORIAL FUND A MEETING of the Executive Committee was held on June 29, Lord Hugh Cecil, P.C., M.P., in the Chair. The members of the Committee present were ;—Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, Mrs. Barrington-Kennett, Sir Charles McLeod, Maj.-Gen. Sir Sefton Brancker, Air Vice-Marshal A. V. Vyvyan, Air- Commodore H. R. M. Brooke-Popham, H. E. Perrin, Esq., F. E. Rosher, Esq., and W. S. Field, Esq. Grants amounting to ^359 14s. 8d. since June 2 were approved. The Memorial to those who fell in the Great War was ad- vanced a considerable stage by the constitution of a sub- committee to deal with the whole matter, to select the archi- tect, and if necessary, a sculptor, and to cause designs, plans, etc., to be submitted to the Executive Committee at a future early date. The sub-committee was constituted as follows :— Lord Hugh Cecil ex-officio), Mrs. Barrington-Kennett, Sir John Salmond, Air-Commodore H. R. M. Brooke-Popham, and Mr. F. E. Rosher. It was decided that the Boys' Home at Vanbrugh Castle, Blackheath, S.E., should be opened for the reception of boys selected for admission towards the latter end of August, and it was decided, further, that the ceremonial opening of the Boys' Home (which it was hoped would be carried out by the President, H.R.H. The Duke of York, K.G.) should be tentatively fixed for some date in October next. The Committee considered various proposals for dealing with assistance to the post-War R.A.F. (officers, N.C.Os. and airmen and their dependents), but it was felt that at the present time the only form of assistance which the Committee were prepared to undertake was that they would financially assist any" special case of distress (arising from sickness only) occurring to all ranks of ?he post-War R.A.F., but it is hoped in course of time that such assistance may be considerably enlarged ; but in view of the Memorial being essentially for the assistance of those who served and suffered during the Great War, the Committee consider they would not be justified in giving further assistance to those now serving. THE LONDON-CONTINENTAL SERVICES FLIGHTS BETWEEN JULY 10 AND JULY 16, INCLUSIVE RouteJ be5 d 2 a a, No. of flights carrying ii ••-> Cu •si 00 a Fastest time made by Type and No. (in brackets) of Machines Flying Croydon-Paris ... Paris-Croydon ... Croydon-Brussels Brussels-Croydon Croydon-Amsterdam Amsterdam-Croydon 43 40 11 9 9 9 224 17 27 17 17 15 Totals for week ...121 477 ' 53 31 6 6 7 7 80 39 40 10 9 IX5 h. m. 2 50 2 4; 2 30 2 50 3 44 3 44 Breguet F-ADAI (2h. 20m. Goliath F-FHMY (2I1. 12 m. D.H.4 G-EAXN (ih. 52m.) D.H.4 O-BATO (2h. 32m.) . . D.H.9 G-EAXG (2h. 34m). • D.H.9 G-EAXG (2b. B. (6), (2), Sp. (2),' Sp. D.H.4 D.H.4 D.H.9 D.H.9 Bt. G. (5), Bt. G. (2), (5). (3). (1). (1). (1 (5) V. (1) (4) V. D. D, F. F. )• t)-, H. (!)•, D. , H. (1). H.9 .H.9 (5). (6). H.9 (?): P- (3), H.9 (2), •P- (3). (1). G. (1), G. , D.H Sa. | D.H Sa. | (1). .18 .18 477 5 • Not including « private" flights. t Including certain journeys when stops were made en route,e certain diverted journeys. 497 . , ;>•,'
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
