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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0690.PDF
OCTOBER 20, 1921 LONDON TERMINAL AERODROME Monday Evening, October 17. CONSIDERING that winter services are now in operation, the two British companies have done good business this week, but the French companies have not been so fortunate. The number of passengers carried by both Grands Express and Messageries Aeriennes has been in the twenties ; but the Instone Air Line have carried 66, an average of 5^ per trip, or well over 50 per cent, load on each journey," without counting goods. As the majority of other forms of transport calculate on a 50 per cent, average load, this is extremely good, and should show a big average when trie 100 per cent, loads of the summer are taken into account. Handley Page Transport have done even better. They had, in fact, to duplicate their service to Paris on Saturday, having no fewer than 14 passengers, and today the\ have again full loads in both directions. The Instone Air Line had 11 passengers also on the outward journey at 12.15 p.m. today. There is little doubt- that had the British companies pos- sessed the requisite flying stock this summer, they would have carried a much larger percentage of the traffic, because it is evident that, for sorn^. reason, passengers both to and from Paris prefer to travel in British machines. With four British, companies running next year, using improved and increased flying stock, the figures should become even more significant. Mr. Handley Page and Mr. Cogni arrived back from Paris on Thursday, well satisfied with the working" of the new passenger arrangements at the Hotel Crillon. During the week a cargo consisting of platinum, gold, and silver to the value of £8,000 was carried to Paris in one of the " H.P.'s," and on Sunday the Handley Page D.H.4 made a special journey from Paris to Croydon with an American business- man, who, landing from America on Saturday, wished to transact some urgent business in Paris and arrive in London at the earliest possible moment Rumours as to Machines and Combines IT is reported persistently on the aerodrome that the Grands Express are to run Napier-engined " Vimys " next spring. This machine is said to have a larger fuselage than the Rolls " Vimy." and to be capable of carrying many more passengers. Mr. Bouderie informs me that he has no official knowledge of any change " as yet." One might expect, in this regard, that there would be some trouble about the French subsidy if British machines and engines were used by a French firm. But perhaps, after all, there is some truth in the rumours of international amalgamation which have been rife for some time. Mr. A. S. Butler, who " garages " his private Bristol tourer at the aerodrome, reappeared on Sunday afternoon. It is so long since he visited the aerodrome that it was thought he had forgotten he owned an aeroplane ! He arrived, however, and flew over to Eton, announcing his intention of returning the same evening. In anticipation of his landing, all the aerodrome lights were put on at dark, but when he had not arrived by about 6.30 p.m. the order was given to " shut down." Mr. O. P. Jones, of the Berkshire Aviation Company, set off from Croydon with a passenger for Ostend in his Avro during the week. The passenger wished to catch at Ostend a train for Prague, and had engaged Mr. Jones through the De Havilland Aircraft Company. Unfortunately, soon after Mr. Jones had left Lympne, where he had landed for petrol, his engine " cut out," and he was obliged to land. In his descent he carried away a line of telephone wires, but managed . to land his machine and passenger without damage. The passenger returned to London by train, and Mr. Jones returned to Croydon, with his engine " O.K. " again, the following day. Captain Muir (Surrey Flying Services) tells me that he is bus\ erecting the first of his dual-controlled Avros for school purposes, and hopes to b ave the school in working order shortly. Jov-riding was fairly good during the week-end, the con- tinued fine weather bringing quite a crowd to the aerodrome. Mr. Young, of the K.L.M., was back at work from his honeymoon today. A romance which began with the open- ing of the London-Amsterdam service in the spring has thus progressed along happy lines, Mr. Young having married Miss D. Colle, who has been Captain Leverton's secretary since the opening of the K.L.M. service and who was pre- viously with " Airco." Both are well-known on the aero- drome, and were the recipients of a wedding present from members of the aerodrome staffs. FROM THE FIRST PRAGUE AVIATION MEETING : The first Czecho-Slovakian air competition was heldfrom September 11 to 18, and is reported to have been a great success. Our photos, show: Top, the Sm. machine of the military factory, Prague. This machine, which has a 230 h.p. Hiero engine, did a circuit of about 850 kilo-metres in 8 hrs. 29 mins. 37 sees., piloted by M. Smahel. The photo, on the left shows the Avia monoplane,'which, piloted by B. Munzar, covered the same distance in 9 hrs. 37 mins. 53 sees. It is fitted with a 50 h.p. Gnome.The right-hand photo, shows the chaser " A.E.04 '' of the Avia Works, Prague. This machine, which has a 185 h.p. B.M.W. engine, was first in the altitude competition and third in the speed contest over one kilometre, its speed being 136 m.p.h. It was piloted by R. Polanecky. 690
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