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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0232.PDF
APRIL 26, 1923 LONDON TERMINAL AERODROME •"--"• Monday evening, April 23, 1923 THE Handley Page Transport are making successful and determined efforts to capture the bulk of the passenger traffic between London and Paris. During the past week they have run two machines a day in each direction and have carried several hundred passengers, in addition large quantities of freight. They are altering their machines—as rapidly as possible under the circumstances—to accommodate 14 passengers, and on several occasions have had full loads of 14 travellers in machines already converted. The traffic between London and Paris continues to increase by leaps and bounds. There is much speculation as to what it will grow to in the height of the season. The Air Union continue to run their early morning paper service from Lympne to Paris with persistent regularity, and London newspapers are now often on sale in Paris before 9 a.m. On the return journey from Paris to London this French air combination are handling very large quantities of goods, and their Customs clerks are kept working practically every day until a later hour dealing with this air-borne merchandise. Air Week-enders BEWTEEN London and Cologne the Instone Air Line are experiencing a steady increase in passenger traffic, and also in special consigments of freight which—though they do not undertake the ordinary freight service—are sometimes a paying proposition. It is remarkable the number of people who wish to go to Cologne for the week-end, leaving London on Saturday and returning on Monday, and in this respect there is, fortunately, an equally heavy passenger list from the return direction, this being probably due to the officers in the Army of Occupation taking a flying week-end in London. This past week-end, both on Saturday and today, the service in each direction had to be run in duplicate to accommodate these air week-enders, and on Saturday all the machines made successful journeys, although there was such a strong wind that the cross-channel steamers were blown back into Dover Harbour. On this day Mr. P. D. Robins, piloting one of the Napier's 34's from Cologne to " London with seven passengers, set up a new record by covering the journey in 2 hrs. 40 mins. During the week-end no fewer than six motor-cycles have been transported by air from London to Cologne, and I am informed that, judging from the number of enquiries received from motor-cycle firms, this traffic will eventully grow to 'quite formidable dimensions. The Croydon police-sergeants' mess had their revenge for their defeat at billiards by an aerodrome team when, on Friday evening last, a party from the aerodrome visited the Croydon police headquarters and played their return game. The police scored a victory by 15 points, the score being police 600, aerodrome 585. The aerodrome representatives— Messrs. Shaw, Muir, Lloyd, Herne, Marchmont and Kirk- land—were treated with great cordiality, and I understand this is to be the initial stage of a billiards league between airmen, soldiers, policeman and firemen in South London, a cup for competition having already been promised. Tea Gardens and Palm Court for the 'Drome THE Trust House has commenced alterations on a large scale to the old officers' mess on the south side of the main entrance to the aerodrome. This they are converting into a tea-room and tea-gardens, where there will also be accommoda- tion for the serving of cold luncheons. I am given to under- stand that the courtyard between these buildings is to be roofed over and converted into a palm-court. It is hoped to have the alterations in such an advanced stage that, at any rate, a part can be opened by Whit-Monday. All the local schools are to be circulated, calling their attention to the educational value of Croydon aerodrome to the rising generation and pointing out these new catering facilities. The Daimler Airway have started upon a scheme of altera- tion and enlargement of their engine repair-sheds, and are building a new wing on to their existing erections. Their service continues to run with the usual Daimler regularity and their machines are still piling up mileage. It is un- fortunate that at present the London-Amsterdam route does not appear to be so well-patronised as the other two routes covered by British companies, but the enquiries and advance bookings for the extension to Berlin give every indication that xthis state of affairs will cease with the opening on April 30 ofthe through connections with Copenhagen, Hamburg and Berlin. , _, The New Speed Cup THE Coupe Deutsch, having been won twice by a Nieuport machine, has become the property of that firm, and for some time there has been speculation as to what would take its place. The Aero Club de France now announces that a new international speed" contest has been instituted by the American Commander Louis D. Beaumont, who offers a prize of 200,000 francs. The organisation of the race for the Beaumont Cup has been entrusted to the Aero Club de France, and will take place at Istres on October 14, over a 300 kilometres course. The Beaumont donation takes the form of two objets d'art valued at 25,000 francs each, and two cash prizes of 75,000 francs each. The winner of the first race will receive, provided he has' exceeded a speed of 290 kilometres (180 miles) per hour, the first prize of 75,000 francs. The second 75,000 francs will be awarded to next year's winner. With regard to the two objets d'art, the Aero Club de France announces, rather amusingly, that these will be awarded as follows : One to the constructor, and one to the pilot who shall have attained the greatest speed in the two contests. (We look forward to seeing, for instance, Mr. Folland and M. Delage running a cross-country race at Istres.) Entries must be. made before 6 p.m. on August 1, 1923, to the Commission d'Aviation de l'Aero Club de FFance, 35 Rue Francois Ier) Paris, from whom all further information can be obtained. THIRTY-SIX HOURS IN THE AIR: On April 18 Lieuts. J.A. Macready and Oakley C. Kelly, of the U.S. Army Air Service, established a world-record endurance flight at Dayton, Ohio, when, flying over a triangular course of about 31 miles, they remained aloft for 36 hrs. 5 mins. 20 sees., and covered 2,541.2 miles The machine they used, shown above, is the same Fokker F.N. with 400 h.p. high-compression Liberty on which they flew for 35 hrs. last year. Fuel for 44 hrs. weighing 10,500 lbs. was carried. ' •' ^:;vy-; .232 :
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