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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0526.PDF
SEPTEMBER 6, 1923 Committee has a sense of humour, and that the passage refers to the offer by the Government of £50,000 for a helicopter ? Frankly we cannot read into the sen- tence any other interpretation, and if that be indeed what the Committee has in mind, we think it augurs well for the future of research in this country. Our own opinion of the helicopter has been stated frankly and frequently, and the passage quoted appears to us to indicate that the Aeronautical Research Committee possibly shares these views. The question of airship research is again referred to, and the opinion, expressed previously, that before we can make further progress in airship design further full-scale experiments are necessary, is still held by the Committee. We referred to this question some weeks ago, expressing doubt as to the feasibility of building, without further experiment, very large airships without introducing experimental features of doubtful merit. On the subject of accidents it is gratifying to find that the Committee has recommended that the Air Ministry should appoint a group of technicians to spend their whole time in investigating the various power plant stoppages which occur from time to time at different air stations. It is thought that the resulting saving in aeroplanes and engines written off would more than make up for the cost of maintaining such a body. A tabulated analysis of returns by the various squadrons of the R.A.F. of power plant failures for a six months' period is interesting, but is rather dis- counted by a statement in the Report to the effect that the information supplied is derived from reports tnade by officers who, in many cases, are not in a position to give such technical details as are necessary to determine the true causes of the stoppage. Evi- dently it is due to this opinion that the Committee has recommended the formation of a group of technicians. One of the most important problems awaiting solution at the present time is that of control at low speeds. The Report refers to the subject, and it is stated that two new suggestions bearing on this problem are now the subject of experiment. One of these is in the form of a variable opening on the suction side of a wing, connecting with an opening on the pressure side, the lift on the higher wing being reduced by increasing the opening. This arrangement has the advantage that the yawing moment is reduced, instead of being increased as it is with the usual type of aileron control. The second form of control that has been suggested consists of a hinged flap, mounted behind the leading edge of the wing and opening downwards. It is stated that wind channel experi- ments indicate that the second arrangement appears to be slightly better than the first, and that both have been found to give their maximum effect at the stalling angle. While we appreciate that a very great deal of valuable work on controllability has been done by the Government establishments, notably at the R.A.E., we think a certain amount of credit might have been given to the private firms who have been experiment- ing on the same problem, and who have obtained results which, to say the least, promise well for the future solution of this highly important problem. Italy's Air Attaches SIGNORI SCATONI and Calderara have been appointed Air Attaches.to the Italian Embassies in London and Washington respectively. First Chicago-New York Night Flight A FEW particulars are now to hand of the first night flightfrom Chicago to New York, which was carried out on July 26-27. The machine used was a J.L.6 (otherwise Junkers),and the pilot was Eddie Stinson, who carried as passengers Mr. Charles Dickinson, President of the Aero Club of Illinois,and Mr. Arthur Gray, a mechanic. The start of the non-stop flight was made from Chicago at midnight (eastern standardtime), and the distance of 750 miles was covered at an average speed of 88 m.p.h., the machine alighting at Curtiss Field,Garden City, L.I., at 7.30 a.m. the following morning. As far as Cleveland a full moon made course-keeping fairly easy, butafterwards it was obscured by clouds, and from Cleveland until the machine was well over Pennsylvania, when daylightbroke, the aviators had to fly in total darkness. American Round-World Attempt FROM New York it is reported that six aeroplanes are now under construction at the College Point, L.I., works of the L.W.F. Company. These machines, it is stated, are intended for an American attempt to fly round the world. The flight will be made from west to east, starting from New York and proceeding by way of Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, England, France, and along the Mediter- ranean to Egypt. From there the route will follow the Cairo- Baghdad air line, and onward by India, Bangkok, Saigon, the China coast, Hongkong, Tokyo. The return journey will then be made across the Pacific by way of the Kurile Islands, the Aleutians, and Alaska. ...•-.-~ > ~ •*Speeding Up Our U.S. Mails '•' '• - SOME little time back, it will be remenAered, experimentswere carried out by the Air Ministry and the Instone Air Line with the object of ascertaining if it were possible to interceptmails from America at Plymouth and hurry them on to London by air. A further similar series of tests are to be carried outshortly, extending over a period of about four weeks. This time, however, the Air Ministry has obtained the services ofthe De Havilland Aircraft Company, of Stag Lane, Edgware, who have allotted three D.H.9 machines, fitted with 240 h.p.Siddeley " Puma " engines. The experiments will be carried out as follows : Twenty-four hours' notice will be given by incoming liners from U.S.A. as they approach Plymouth. The steamer will be met on arrival by a post office launch, which will collect the mail bags intended for the North of England and Ulster, and will, on returning to port, hand them over to the waiting aeroplane. The latter will then proceed immediately to Manchester, where the mails will be handed over to trie post office ; those destined for Ulster will be immediately dispatched by air to Belfast, where they will-be handed over to the postal authorities there. • On the return journey the same procedure will be followed as far as Birming- ham. Here the experiments will, at present, finish, but it is intended, under actual conditions, that the mails should proceed by air to Southampton, where they would be picked up by the outgoing steamers. It is hoped that the data obtained from the tests described above will be sufficient to demonstrate the possibilities of the service. In these tests dummy bags will be employed. The Joint Committee of the Air Ministry and the Post Office, which is now (the Wrights first flew in 1903 !) considering the possibilities of air transport for mails, should obtain some useful information from these experiments. However, the committee consists of the right men : Major-General Brancker, Brig.-General Williamson (Director of Postal Services) and Lieut.-Col. Moore-Brabazon, M.P., as chairman. ^ • Private Secretary to Sir Samuel Hoare • SIR SAMUEL HOARE, Secretary of State for Air, has appointed Mr. C. LI. Bullock to be his Principal Private Secretary in succession to Air-Commodore E. R. Ludlow- Hewitt, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.C., Royal Air Force, Air Secretary and Principal Private Secretary, who has been transferred to other duties on promotion. Wireless Station at Zurich Aerodrome IN connection with the extension of the Handley Page London-Paris air service to Zurich, a temporary wireless telephone station was established at the Zurich aerodrome by Marconi's Wireless Telephone Company at very short notice. Within six days of the order being received in London the station was in operation at Zurich. It consists of a Marconi standard A.D.2 aircraft transmitter and receiver, with sub- control attachment. Marconi aerodrome stations are now in operation at Croydon, Haren, Ostend, Cologne, Geneva, and several aerodromes in Spain. 526
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