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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0096.PDF
FEBRUARY 15, 1923 In considering an airfleet organised as a fighting unit it is difficult to separate the functions of the two classes of air machines, as each is the complement of the other. The aeroplane may be termed the gun or torpedo tube of the airship, and the greatest air-striking power is undoubtedly the largest airship carrying aeroplanes ; the planes themselves carrying torpedoes, bombs or poison gas. The aeroplane, although not protected with armour, can attack with a good prospect of success, by virtue of its very high speed and three dimensional movement, but it suffers from the defect of its limited radius of action. The airship remedies this defect by giving to the aeroplane a speed and range of action in excess of any floating vessel. The airship, on the other hand, presents a target larger than a battleship and is, therefore, an unsuitable vessel to attack by itself. The aeroplane removes this defect by increasing the gun range of the airship by the radius of action of the aeroplane it carries. Referring to the Battleship. controversy Comdr. Burney pointed out that, whilst the two new battleships now being built are to be protected from torpedoes by extra bulkheads, saddle tanks, internal armour and other improvements of a technical character, and it is suggested that they will be enabled thereby to withstand the attack of four or five torpedoes before destruction occurs, was it not possible that the answer will be to construct torpedoes of five times the destructive power of those now made ? Bearing this situation in mind, it seems essential to analyse the basic conditions of sea power, if the real effect of air power on sea communications is to be evaluated. Comdr. Burney then outlined the main functions a navy has to perform, showing that whilst he did not suggest, as did one school of thought in the Battleship v. Aircraft controversy that we should concentrate entirely upon aircraft, it did not follow that the opposite school—sea trade, etc., must be defended by sea-power—was the correct solution. He did contend, however, that aircraft would have a very consider- able influence on naval development. He supported this argument by giving some figures as to the comparative reliability and costs of airships. The air-keeping qualities of an airship depend mainly upon speed, and if her speed is high enough she will be enabled not only to maintain any assigned position, but also to make progress in the face of a heavy gale. Statistics show that the modern Zeppelin has flown comfortably in an 80 m.p.h. gale, and as the average gale does not exceed about 50 m.p.h., it necessarily follows that the modern airship once it is in the air, has as good air-keeping qualities as the battleship has sea-keeping qualities. As regards cost, assuming a battleship to cost as little as £4,000,000 and an airship as much as £250,000 it follows that 16 airships can be produced as cheaply as one battleship. It is estimated that 16 airships would carry between them as many as 32 torpedo carrying planes and 48 fighting planes. I think it will be readily conceded that if such a force of aircraft was to attack one battleship, it is more than probable that the battleship would succumb. The essential condition is that the planes must be brought to the point of attack. In considering reconnaissance duties we have the fact that during the war one of the " R " class airships maintained wireless touch with the Azores from the North Sea. How then does such a vessel compare for these duties with a light cruiser ? An airship detailed for reconnaissance duties only can carry extra fuel in the place of fighting equipment ; and when so equipped, would have a range of action of 20,000 miles. It would, of course, be necessary for her to carry a couple of fighting planes to defend herself from planes sent up from a single vessel. A rough estimate, neglecting repairs, interest on capital, depreciation, etc., of the comparative cost of an airship and a light cruiser in searching 1,000 square miles of sea shows that the cost by airship is £1 5s. per square mile and by light cruiser £77. As regards capital cost the same work would be done by a fleet of nine airships as by a fleet of 60 cruisers. The saving in capital cost being £51,750,000. Since armaments must be reduced to a monetary basis, as money is the life-blood of the fighting services, it is evident that no navy can afford to neglect a cheap scouting force which may develop into a powerful fighting unit. Comdr. Burney concluded his paper with some remarks on the development of the Royal Navy, showing how the lessons of history pointed to the necessity of developing on a commercial basis. Mr. Holt Thomas's Resolution ON the last day of the Air Conference Mr. G. Holt Thomas proposed the following resolution : "In view of the necessity to increase rapidity of communication within the Empire, and in view of the progress made by other nations in civil aviation, the Conference calls on the Government to give due and immediate consideration to the foundation of an air mail throughout the Empire." The motion was seconded by Admiral Mark Kerr, and was carried unanimously. ... - LONDON TERMINAL AERODROME Monday evening, February 12. The aerodrome has been a scene of activity each night during the week, and if nothing else has been done, the bill for lighting has certainly assumed larger proportions. The weather during the week has again been unkind to aviation, and, apart from the effect on the services, the continual rain is again flooding the country, giving passengers on machines which get through a new aerial view-point of the countryside. Mr. Rogers, who piloted one of the Handley Page machines from Le Bourget to Croydon during the week- end, reports that Ton bridge has become an "island," being entirely surrounded by flood-water **^ The weather fortunately cleared for Friday, when the Harle- quin Rugby XV were booked to fly to Cologne by the Instone Air Line in order to play a match with a team from the Army of Occupation on Saturday. With the ordinary passengers, this meant sending no fewer than three machines to Cologne, and as the Instone fleet has been depleted by an accident to one of their machines at St Inglevert earlier in the week, one of the Daimler machines was diverted from the Man- chester-London-Amsterdam route, and sent to Cologne. After beating the Army of Occupation by something like 52 points to 3, the Harlequins flew back on Sunday in the same their machines. One of the Instone D.H.34's has now been fitted with larger petrol tanks, and was able to make the non-stop flight to and from Cologne, thereby saving about half-an-hour on the journey. On Friday, the Daimler Airway had all their machines in the air together. One was flying from Manchester to London, one from London to Amsterdam, another from Amsterdam to London, and the other from London to Cologne. Incidentally all their pilots were also engaged. I understand that the Fokker V, the new eight-seater Rolls-Royce engined monoplane which Mr. Fokker has built for service with the Royal Dutch Air Service, is now completed, and has undergone its tests successfully, and will shortly be put on the Amsterdam-London service. Its.. first flight to Croydon is eagerly awaited at the air-station. A Smart Piece of Engine Work. A REMARKABLY quick feat of engine-changing was performed by the Daimler staff, when one of their machines was forced to alight with engine trouble near Rugby. It is, of course, an unusual event for this company to have engine trouble, but there are exceptions to every rule. When the news of the forced-landing came through and it was realised that a new engine would be needed, one was immediately loaded onto a lorry and set out—with a staff of mechanics and a good stout pole—for the scene of the forced-landing. Within 36 hours of the machine having descended it was in the air again with a new engine, which had been installed in the field. When it is realised that the engine weighs something like half-a-ton, this would appear no mean feat. Despite the rain and storms of the week-end, quite a number of sightseers turned up at the aerodrome and the Surrey Flying Services were able to collect several joy-riders—quite enough, in fact, to make it worth their while bringing round one of their Avros. :" A military " Goliath " visited the air-station during the week, and its occupants, with their French uniforms, have given quite a splash of colour to the Trust House while they have been waiting for the weather to become good enough for Service aviation. Needless to say, there were several days before this occurred when the weather was considered O.K. for civil aviation. 96
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