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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0081.PDF
FEBRUARY 8, 1923 GLIDING, SOARING AND AIR-SAILING Those wishing to get in touch with others interested in matters relating to gliding and the construction of gliders are invited to write to the Editor of FLIGHT, who will be pleased to publish such communications on this page, in order to bring together those who would like to co-operate, either in forming gliding clubs or in private collaboration. IT is now learned that the record established by Maneyrolon January 29, when he flew for 8 hrs. 6 mins. at Veauville, near Cherbourg, was officially observed, and that thereforeit will doubtless be homologated. Maneyrol was flying the Peyret tandem monoplane glider which he used at Itford,and as there was plenty of wind the machine was in its element. Controllability it possesses in an astonishingdegree, and given a sufficiently strong wind this machine should be able to remain up as long as the pilot can " stickit." * * * ••""'• IT begins to look as if 8-9 hours is about the limit of a pilot's endurance. At the Biskra meeting Barbot, on the Dewoitine glider which met with a regrettable accident at Itford, succeeded in beating ManeyroPs performance by remaining up for 8 hrs. 36 mins. 56 sees. It is a remarkable commentary on the organisation of the Biskra meeting that, although the flight by Barbot was made after the official opening of the meeting, no official observers were present. Thus poor Barbot has had all his trouble for nothing, and apparently he had a pretty rough time of it, as he was prostrate when he landed, and had to be lifted out of the machine. At Cherbourg Maneyrol had to battle against rain and snow, while at Biskra Barbot was greatly troubled by the glaring sun * * * ANOTHER interesting item concerning gliding is that in the flight made by Bossoutrot on the Farman " Moustique " recently near Etaples he was violently sea-sick. Nevertheless, he stuck to his task for 3 hrs. 42 mins. It thus appears that the sport of gliding is not necessarily as easy and comfortable as might be imagined. On the other hand, it should provide excellent training for pilots, both in the matter of controlling a machine, and also in getting used to fairly violent movements when in the air. Both qnalities are required in a pilot of power-driven aircraft. « • * HAVING proved that a glider can " sit " on a jet of air for a whole day, there is, as already pointed out in these columns, little scientific information to be gained by con- tinuing to increase duration. That it will be increased may be taken for granted. Probably the next step will be a two-seater dual-control machine, in which two pilots can relieve one another. Provided the wind holds there does not appear to be any reason why a machine should not stay up for 24 hours, or even more. But from a scientific point of view there is nothing in it. We shall now have to experiment with distance, altitude and similar flights in order to learn anything, and that is one reason why we welcome the competition for the Selfridge Prize of 1,000 Guineas, which is for a flight of 50 miles measured in a straight line between the point of departure and the point where the machine alights. Particulars were published last week. It would be well if several minor prizes were offered for other performances, such as altitude, controllability, etc. * * * Cot. ALEC OGILVIE, in a paper read before the Air Con- ference, draws attention to the painstaking care the Wright brothers took in getting their early gliders controllable before venturing to put an engine in a machine, and makes the deduction that the problem of aeroplane control might not have been solved at the present time had not the glider proved an inexpensive instrument for getting at the funda- mental problems of control. As it is admitted that aeroplane control is not yet all that it might be, especially at low speeds^ or rather at angles of incidence near the stalling angle, it would appear that here is a field for inexpensive full-scale research in the form of relatively inexpensive gliders. Col. Ogilvie appealed to business men to come forward and. offer prizes so that some of these problems might be attacked and, it is hoped, solved. We heartily support this appeal, and feel certain that in this manner not only would the new sport of gliding be greatly assisted, but, what is more important still, valuable information might be gained which could be applied, suitably adapted, to the conditions obtaining in commercial power-driven aircraft. * * * A COMPETITION for designs for a glider suitable for school work is being organised in Germany. A prize of 150,000 marks is being offered, to be known as the Paul Koechl Prize, and the organisers of the designing competition are the Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft fur Luftfahrt (Scientific Aero- nautical Society). The last date on which designs may be sent in is June 1, 1923. The competition is for German subjects only, so that no Briton need cast envious eyes at the dazzling prize of—at present rates—one pound sterling. • • • ORGANISED by the same society is another designing competition, i.e., for a low-power engine suitable for very light machines. This competition is to be known as the " Rhemag " designing competition. As in the case of the glider designing competition, it is confined to German subjects. The prizes are : 1st Prize, 400,000 marks ; 2nd Prize, 200,000 marks ; and 3rd Prize, 100,000 marks. The engine, which may be either four-stroke or two-stroke, must be able to develop 20 h.p. at the maximum number of revolutions, at which the mean pressure must reach 7 kg./sq. cm. (approxi- mately 96 lbs./sq. in.). WITH regard to our own designing competition, we hope to be able to announce the result in a fortnight's time. Both Mr. Handley Page and Mr. Fairey are very busy men, and it is a matter of some difficulty to arrange conferences. Nevertheless, we should soon reach a decision now, and we shall lose no time in announcing it once it has been made. It will be understood that all the designs have to be sub- mitted to the closest scrutiny, and that this necessarily takes considerable time. j<| ,J§ PERSONALS Married - • Flying Officer KENNETH ALEXANDER MEEK, M.B.E., R.A.F., was married at St. Thomas's, Portman Square, on January 20, to MARY VICTORIA BIRD PEARCE. Mr. Louis HERVE COATALEN, chief engineer of the Sunbeam Motor-Car Co., Ltd., and designer of the Sunbeam aero engines, was married on January 31, at the St. George's Register Office, Prince's Row, to Mrs. VAN RAALTE, daughter of the late Mr. JAMES GRAHAM and niece of Sir Richard and Lady Cynthia Graham. Group Capt. EDGAR RAINEY LUDLOW-HEWITT, R.A.F., was married on February 3 at St. Marylebone Church, to ALBINIA MARY, widow of CAPT. HENRY ASHLEY, Coldstream Guards. CHARLES R. STRUDWICK, R.A.F., second son of the late Rev. R. J. A. Strtidwick, was married on January 27, at St. Peter's Church, Brighton, to MARY ELIZABETH, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. ERNEST SANDEMAN, of Clarendon Mansions, Brighton. To be Married The engagement is announced, and the marriage will take place quietly in March, of Capt. EDWARD G. H. CLARKE, M.C., the East Surrey Regt., late R.A.F., younger son of the late Capt. Charles Clarke and Mrs. Clarke, and CORNELIA MARTIN, second daughter of General W. E. WILDER, United States Army (retired), of Newport, R.I., and the late Mrs. WILDER. The engagement is announced between Flight-Lieut^ E. J. WEBSTER, D.F.C, R.A.F., grandson of Mr. E. W. Martin, J.P., of The Manor House, Ewell, Surrey, and DOROTHY MARGUERITE, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. G. JONAS, of Wpod Lea, Woldingham, Surrey. Items Major CARLO GRAZIANI, Air Attache to the Italian Embassy, left by aeroplane on January 31 for The Hague, to attend the Conference on the laws of warfare. Lieut. Aviateur CHEVALIER WILLY COPPENS, Air Attach^ to the Belgian Embassy, returned to London on February 6, from St. Moritz. 81
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