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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0075.PDF
FEBRUARY 8, 1923 SYNOPSES OF PAPERS READ AT AIR CONFERENCE TUESDAY and Wednesday of this week were the two days setaside for the third Air Conference '' called by the Air Ministry to provide an opportunity for the examination and discussion,by representative members of all sections of the community, of the problems associated with the development of air transport.''The first day, February 6, was devoted to the reading of five papers, a resumS of which follows, while on February 7 dis-cussions of the various papers took place. It has not been possible for us to include in this issue of FLIGHT a report ofthe discussions, but we hope to do so in next week's and sub- sequent issues. The five papers and their authors were asfollows :— " THE POSITION OF AIR TRANSPORT TODAY " By MAJOR-GENERAL SIR W. SEFTON BRANCKER, K.C.B., A.F.C., Director of Civil Aviation, Air Ministry.1. General Introduction. 2. Ratification of the Air Convention and Establishmentof the International Commission for Air Navigation. The opening meeting of the Commission in Paris. The meeting inLondon. Its achievements up to date. 3. History of Air Transport in England during the pastyear. (i) Services financially assisted by the Government.Opening of new subsidy system on April 1, 1922—three firms running to Paris and one to Brussels—failure of schemeowing to small volume of traffic and excessive competition— crisis during May, 1922—compensation to operating companiesfor losses sustained. Introduction of a new system of subsidies on October 1, 1922—no competition between British lines—British activities extended to Cologne, Amsterdam and Manchester. Difficulties arising in connection with servicesinto Germany—present situation. (ii) Unsubsidised undertakings.The de Havilland taxi service. The Savage sky-writing company. Joy riding. Air racing—The King's Cup.(iii) General resume of British progress in Europe. Carriage of letters and parcels—carriage of passengers—accidents—improvements in regularity—increase in work performed by each aircraft and engine—medical statistics.(iv) General progress of air transport in Europe. (v) Air transport in our Overseas Dominions.(vi) Airships—Commander Burney's scheme. 4. Consideration of Criticisms and Suggestions made atthe last Air Conference (by Colonel Armstrong, General Brancker and others).5. The Civil Aviation Advisory Board. (i) Its creation and work.(ii) The organisation of an air route to the East, (iii) The London terminal aerodrome.6. Relations between Civil and Military Aviation.—The creation of civilian flying schools—the value of air transportas a military reserve. 7. The Future.—When will air transport pay its way ?—factors in progress towards this end—technical improvements —administrative improvements.8. General Conclusions. " THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SELF-SUPPORTING AIRSHIP SERVICE " By COMMANDER C. DENNIS BURNEY, C.M.G., M.P. Introduction.—The establishment of a self-supportingairship service involves many difficulties of a financial, political and technical character, all of which require investi-gation. Value of an Airship Service.—The benefits that would accruefrom the successful establishment of an imperial airship service may be divided into three groups :—— (1) The imperial and political advantages of a safe and cheap form of transport that would provide for the BritishEmpire the equivalent of the through trunk railways of America, in so far as mails and passengers are concerned. (2) The value in war-time of a fleet of airships togetherL., with their fuelling bases all over the world. v (3) The value of a service operated on a profit-making basisby a commercial company with British capital Prospects of a Commercial Airship Company earningProfits.—Resumd of commercial work carried out—recent technical developments and their effect on revenue-earningcapacity of the airship—estimates for bi-weekly service to India.Financial and Political Difficulties.—These sides of the problem should be investigated on the basis that airships willeventually be self-supporting. ., _ ... ,;:,j ..,.».".„. The Financial Problem.—The necessity for a large initialoutlay, and the means by which this can be provided. A proposal to provide funds and form a commercial company tobuild a fleet of airships and operate them on a bi-weekly service to India with a weekly extension to Australia.The Political Problem.—The late Government's attitude to airships necessitates making out the case for State assistanceon the basis of the airship uses in naval warfare. The probable effect of an air fleet organised as a fightingunit—the aeroplane the gun of the airship—the greatest striking power is the large airship carrying aeroplanes—thelimited radius of action of the aeroplane is remedied by the airship carrying aeroplanes. Battleship and Air Power—thetwo schools of thought—the function of the British Navy— the political object and the military method by which thatobject is attained. Method of Development.—Development of the Royal Navyshowing how the lessons of history point to the necessity of developing airships on a commercial basis.Conclusion.—Airships should be developed upon a com- mercial basis, and when the natural growth of scientificdevelopment renders a divergence of type between the reconnaissance or auxiliary vessel and the trading vesseldesirable and necessary, then that is the moment for the commencement of a State service or Navy of specialisedfighting airships. " THE PROGRESS OF RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENT " By AIR VICE-MARSHAL SIR W. GEOFFREY H. SALMOND, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., Air Member for Supply and Research, Air Ministry.1. General Considerations.—-Research on wing sections in connection with getting-off and landing speeds.Three classes of problem in design : (i) single-seater fighters ; (ii) amphibians, reconnaissance machines, etc. ; (iii) civilaeroplanes, night bombers, etc. Load factors—strength of materials and their bulk production. Fuel research.2. Aero Engines.—Requirements for Service and Civil aviation. Variable pitch propellers—Supercharging—Theconnecting rod big-end loading question—Use of Diesel cycle —Direct fuel injection—the Callendar electric air flowmeterfor testing aero-engines in flight—-Problems of the magneto. 3. Aeroplanes.—Low-speed landing of fast machines—-Control at low speeds. Wind-channel tests : correspondence with full-scale investigated in case of common biplane form.Airscrews in close tandem form—Position of fuel tanks— Metal propellers—Under-carriages—Metal Wheels—-Variablecamber gears—Metal construction. 4. Gliders and Gliding, etc. 5. Navigation and Instruments.—The magnetic compass(new types)—Measurement in flight of speed and direction of wind-—The Bubble sextant—-Landing in fog—-Aerial survey—Wireless. 6. Materials.—Weight and strength the important con-siderations—Study of fatigue limits—-Use of duralumin for instruments. 7. Inspection Methods.—Difficulty of obtaining suitablesteel—All-metal construction—Fuel specifications—Welded joints—Spectroscopic examination of metals. " GLIDERS AND THEIR VALUE TO AERONAUTICAL PROGRESS " By COLONEL ALEC OGILVIE, C.B.E., F.R.Ae.S.Early experiments with gliders—Essential difficulty of the . first step in flight—General aeronautical position in 1890—Experiments of Lilienthal, Chanute and Wright brothers— Development of practical flying—Progress during the lastfifteen years—Present position of aeronautical development —Recent gliders in Germany, France and Great Britain—•Their limitations and usefulness at the present day—-Efficiency —Control at low speeds—Other possible uses—-Value ofcompetition. THE fifth and last paper read before the Air Conference wasby Mr. C. R. Fairey, and as it dealt with a subject which is of the greatest importance to the Empire we are publishing italmost in full. A few sections of the paper have been sum- marised, but in the main it may be considered a verbatimreport except for certain references to illustrations, which •were not available. . •••.'- , : •• . > 75 . ,c;-.':•!!;• ••_"..
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