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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0248.PDF
APRIL 27, 1922 and allow unloading rapidly A without losing gas. (See illustration.) The other particular of this design is the provision made for using helium in a series of compartments located above the passengers' cabin and all other places subject to fire risks. In the illustration is given the transversal section of this balloon when helium compartments are used at the bottom. The surface separating the hydrogen and the helium shall consist of two light fabrics ; the lower one has some holes in it, the upper one is gas-tight and of a larger surface so as to allow for the expansion of the helium. The upper dotted line shown in the transversal section in Fig. 1 shows the position of this separating surface in the expanded position. The lower dotted line shows the position of the partition if, due to an accident, a helium compartment should break, letting the helium escape. Altogether the volume of the helium used in this design will be about one-tenth of the volume of hydrogen used. m s PERSONALS To be Married The engagement is announced between Capt. A. G. A. HODGES, Northamptons and R.A.F., elder son of the Rev. and Mrs. H. A. Hodges, of the Vicarage, Barrow-on-Trent, and EILEEN, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. JAMES STIRLING STEWART, of Ayrshire, and the Argentine. Death Lieut.-Col. FRANCIS MAUDE-ROXBY, whose death was briefly recorded last week, and who was .the fourth son of the late Rev. Henry Meux Roxby, Vicar of Buckden, Huntingdon shire, married, in 1912, Louise, second daughter of the late John Linton, of Stirtloe, Buckden. Col. Maude-Roxby had a distinguished and varied career in the War. He joined the British Expeditionary Force in France in April, 1915, when he was attached to the Suffolk Regt., with whom he served in the trenches. Later he was transferred to the Balloon Section of the R.A.F., taking out a section to France in March, 1916. He was promoted major (squadron-commander) in December, 1916, and lieutenant-colonel (wing-commander) in November, 1917. As wing-commander he was* able to render national service of the highest importance, for under Maj .-Gen. E. B. Ashmore he was directly responsible for the organisation and construction of the balloon defences of London. In this work he had approximately 3,500 officers and men under his command. In August, 1918, he again went out to France in command of a wing, and remained there till February, 1919. Col. Maude-Roxby was four times mentioned in dispatches, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Honour,, the last being given in recognition of important services rendered at the battle of Vimy Ridge. The funeral took place at All Saints' Church, Marlow, on Easter Eve, and at the same time a memorial service was held at St. Mary's Church, Buckden. Death of Mrs. C. J. Fairfax Scott WE regret to learn of the death of Mrs. Fairfax Scott, wife of the hon. organiser and secretary of the Imperial Air Fleet Committee, who died in London last week. She designed bronze mascots for all the different aeroplanes (13 in number), the presentations of which were organised by her husband, from eleven different towns of the United Kingdom to the six Dominions, including India. These designs are symbolic of the national sentiment of each of the Dominions. The King accepted a reproduction of the mascot of the Leicester- Canada aeroplane as a souvenir of the farewell flight of the machine to Leicester on the occasion of His Majesty's visit to the town. Mrs. Fairfax Scott also initiated and designed embroidery work for Dominion flags of all the Imperial Air Fleet aeroplanes. At Taplow Court hangs a Union Jack representing, in embroidered lines and figures, the record of all the Imperial Air Fleet presentation aeroplanes, which flag was presented to Lord and Lady Desborough by Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax Scott on October 27, 1918, on the occasion of the presentation of the City of Glasgow aeroplane to Canada. H a m m IN PARLIAMENT Airships' Gas, CAPTAIN BOWYER, on April 12, asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to the invention of a process for manufacturing a non-inflammable gas, of approximately the same lift as hydrogen, called currenium ; and, in view of the fact that it is reported that this gas can be produced much more cheaply than helium, will the Admiralty take the necessary steps to obtain full information, in view of the greatly increased value that the practical application of such a gas would make to airship development ? Mr. Amery : The Admiralty is watching progress in experiments with non-inflammable substitutes for hydrogen as a filling for airships, but the active pursuit of this question will, no doubt, be considered by the Secretary of State for Air should he decide to re-establish an airship service. Aircraft Carriers REAR-ADMIRAL SUETER asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is satisfied that the Air Ministry have provided for the requirements of the Navy suitable machines for flying on and off the decks of the aircraft carriers ; and whether a sufficient number of machines have been ordered by the Air Ministry to meet all reasonable naval require ments ? Mr. Amery : The problem of flying aircraft from and on to carriers is still in its infancy. Consequently, of the aircraft supplied up to the present by the Air Ministry, some types have been more successful than others. So far as the larger types are concerned, the matter is still in the experimental stage, but it is hoped that the new machines now under construction by the Air Ministry will prove suitable. With regard to the second part of the question, the provision of aircraft to meet naval needs which was originally agreed'on between the two Departments for this financial year, has recently been considerably reduced is the result of the further economies required of the Air Ministry by His Majesty's Government. _, Captain Viscount Curzon : -Will the Navy secure enough aeroplanes for the carriers now under construction ? Mr. Amery : That would come into the Estimates for subsequent years. Imperial Airship Service CAPTAIN BOWYER asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the projected airship service to Australia and the Far East ; and, in view of the value of such a fleet of air ships with bases throughout the Empire as'an auxiliary reconnaissance force in time of war, what is the attitude of the Admiralty to this scheme ? Mr. Amery : The Admiralty view on the question of the airship service has already been given in this House. We viewed with regret the decision, for financial reasons, to abandon the existing airship service. That airships, if available in sufficient numbers, would be of great value in naval warfare is undoubted, and the possession in any future war of a considerable number of these craft would certainly be of importance to the Empire. Any develop ment, therefore, of airships for commercial purposes would be welcomed by the Admiralty. The exact manner in which they would be used in war would depend on the circumstances. linn EI m H Continental Air Couriers THE latest development in aviation is contained in an announcement that an Air Courier Service has just been put into operation between London and Paris. Mr. Ransley S. Thacker, a barrister who has for several years been interested in aviation work, is the one responsible for this new enterprise. Mr. Thacker travels every other day by aeroplane to Paris, and returns in the same way next day. Shortly he may go to Paris and return on the same day. If the amount of business makes it necessary, and Mr. Thacker states that from his present experience it soon will be necessary, he will employ other couriers, who will be despatched by each of four daily services. Mr. Thacker is prepared to transact business or to execute commissions of any reasonable nature, and we can imagine many and varied will be the missions which he will be asked to undertake. Mr. Thacker's offices at Granville House, Arundel Street, Strand, are open day and night, so that instructions may for urgent reasons be made at any time during the night, and in order to develop this service to the full, special night flying services will, it is proposed, later on be in operation ; and in a short time it is hoped to have a Courier Air Service to Amsterdam, with connections to Berlin and Copenhagen, and also to Brussels, a direct service of couriers between London and Marseilles, and from Paris it will be possible to reach the most remote points by air. The personal nature of this service is its raison d'etre, and the commercial and legal experience and negotiating ability of its founder should be most valuable assets. Mr. Thacker's charges vary from six guineas to ten guineas according to the nature of the transaction involved, but in any case it is considerably lower than the cost of sending one's own messenger. It is shortly intended to open up offices in Paris, so that the business on that side may be developed also. 248
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