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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0302.PDF
and it is no longer denied that German firms have huge contracts for the establishment of factories in Russia. The situation is one fraught with the gravest dangers, and, as we have repeatedly pointed out. ra these columns, it would have been far better to have allowed Germany a reasonably free hand in developing her civil aviation—and even her .military aviation within limits—than to impose restrictions which have had the result of forcing her constructors to go abroad, there to establish factories over which the Allies cannot exercise any sort of supervision. However the mistake has been made, and the resulting situation must be faced. It is not yet too late for this country to secure comparative safety in the air, but action must be taken very speedily to attain the one-Power standard which must, at least, be the goal to be aimed at. • • • • The Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture, Research deijvered before the Royal Aeronautical Design Society by Professor Joseph Ames, was of more than passing interest, and showed how vigorously America is carrying on her aeronautical research policy. As Sir Richard Glaze- brook pointed out, it is sad to think that we in this country have had to reduce to a minimum research along the lines indicated in Dr. Ames's paper. Not only have we no funds for a compressed air wind tunnel like that designed by Dr. Max Munk for the American National Advisory Committee for Aero- nautics, but the use of our existing tunnels has had to be kept down to a minimum owing to the expenses involved, notably in running the large Duplex tunnel. Experiments in towing large models under an aero- plane in free flight, and thus avoiding the so-called " scale effect," and, what is, perhaps, even more important, the influence of the wind tunnel walls, form another line of research which has not, up to the present, been explored in this country. The extremely poor attendance at the ,t,^ t? Royal Aeronautical Society's Wilburthe Matter ,TT J. , , , , , . J with the VVright lecture must have come as a R.Ae.S. ? painful surprise to the lecturer. Dr. Ames had come a matter of close upon JUNE 7, 1923 3,000 miles to deliver this lecture personally, and was confronted with an audience numbering less than 40. We had expected the theatre of the Society of Arts to be packed, and instead we found a few odd seats occupied. When the leading American aeronautical authority takes the trouble to spend (we might almost have said waste) at least two weeks of his valuable time in coming to this country to give a lecture before our leading aeronautical body, it is to be expected that all who can possibly do so will make a point of being present, even if at some inconvenience, as a .mere matter of courtesy. That the members of the Royal Aeronautical Society should, individually, have so far forgotten themselves as to allow so dis- tinguished a lecturer as Dr. Ames to speak to empty benches is a matter for regret, not only for the dis- courtesy which the action implies, but equally for the lack of interest displayed. The Royal Aeronautical Society is acclaimed as the governing body in matters relating to aeronautical science, and as such one might be forgiven for expect- ing its members to have some small interest in aeronautical subjects. If such interest is lacking among members of the R.Ae.S., it is small wonder that the interest of the general public is apt to flag. It is not as if the members of the R.Ae.S. had not been informed of the lecture. We understand that a • reminder was sent to each of the Society's technical members, repeating the date of the lecture. Conse- quently they cannot plead ignorance, and the only other explanation possible seems capable of being summed up in one word, indifference. It is no manner of good pleading that these lectures are held at an inconvenient time of the day, or that it is somewhat, late in the season for lectures. Nothing can excuse the lack of attendance at a lecture like Dr. Ames's, and if the members of the R.Ae.S. do not wake up there appears to be considerable danger of the status of the Society being jeopardised, and of it deserving the title which some wag suggested for it : The Royal Apathetic Society. We take it upon ourselves to apologise to Dr. Ames, and although after the reception he was given on this occasion he might be forgiven for not coming again, we hope that he will not so penalise us, and that on the next occasion he will speak to a crowded meeting. The King's Levee AT the Levee held by His Majesty the King at St. James's Palace on June 4, the following were amongst those present: Air Marshal Sir Hugh M. Trenchard, Principal Air Aide-de- Camp (in attendance upon H.M. the King), Wing-Commander L. Greig (in attendance upon H.R.H. the Duke of York), Capt. Egardo von Schroeders, Chilean Naval and Air Attache, Sir Samuel Instone, Mr. Mervyn O' Gorman, Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey H. Salmond, Air Vice-Marshal A. V. Vyvyan, Air Commodore Charles A. Longcroft, Air Commodore D. le G. Pitcher, Air Commodore J. M. Steel, Group Capt. F. V. Holt, Flight-Lieut. R. F. Leslie, etc. Amongst those presented to the King were : Flight-Lieut. W. R. Acland, D.F.C., A.F.C., Squadron-Leader A. R. Arnold, D.S.C., D.F.C., Squadron- Leader R. Graham, D.S.O., D.S.C., D.F.C., Flight-Lieut. F. Grave, M.B.E., Flight-Lieut. T. S. Ivens, Lieut.-Col. Frank McClean, A.F.C., Lieut. E. A. Packe, M.B.E., D.F.C., Wing- Commander L. A. Pattinson, D..S.O., M.C., D.F.C., Lieut. H. Puckle, D.F.C., Squadron-Leader J. L. Robertson, Flying Officer F. C. Savile, Flying Officer G. R. Spencer, Flight-Lieut. W. Sutherland, M.B.E., etc. The King's Birthday Honours IN a supplement to the London Gazette dated June 1, the following honours are announced :— The King has approved the promotion of Air Vice-Marshal Sir John Maitland Salmond, K.C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S O., to the rank of Ail Marshal in the Royal Air Force, in recog- nition of his distinguished seivice in Command of the Forces in Iraq. To date June 2, 1923. Order of the Bath K.C.B. (Military Division). Vyvyan, Air Vice-Marsbal Arthur Vyell, C.B., D.S.O., R.A.F C.B. (Military Division). Longcroft, Air Commodore Charles Alexander Holcombe, C.M.G., D.S.O., A.F.C., R.A.F. " C.B.E. (Military Division). Air Commodore Frederick Crosby Halahan, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.V.O., R.A.F. fl.B.E. (Military Division). Squadron Leader Lionel Douglas Dalzell McKean, R.A.F Flight Lieut. Francis John Linnell, R.A.F. Flight Lieut. Christopher Thomas O'Neill, M.B., R.A.F. M.B.E. (Military Division). Flying 'Officer Rowland John Divers, R.A.F'. Flying Officer Leslie Hamilton, D.F.C., R.A.F. . Observer Officer Louis James Chandlei, R.A.F. No. 531 Sergeant-Majoi, 1st Class, Claience Herbert Baker, R.A.F. Air Force Cross Squadron Leader John Kilner Wells and Squadron Leader Harold James Payn. WKftf Air Force Medal 248043 Corp. Herbert Valentine Hughes. 302
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