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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0541.PDF
Flight, September 13, 1923 AIRCRAFTBNGINEEFL First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER A Jouraal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 768. (No. 37, Vol. XV.) SEPTEMBER 13, 1923 rWeekly, Price 6d.L Post free, 7d. Flight The Aircraft Engineer and Airships Editorial Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2 Telegrams : Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828 Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free : United Kingdom .. 30s. id. Abroad .. .. 33s. 0d* These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormalconditions and to increases in postage rates • European subscriptions must be remitted in British currency CONTENTS Editorial Comment PAGE Safety in Flying 541 Long Distance Aircraft .. .. .. .. .. .. 542 The Albatros Sporting Aeroplane 543 Royal Aero Club Official Notices 4 Papers at the International Air Congress.. .. .. .. 545 London Terminal Aerodrome .. .. .. .. .. .. 547 Light 'Plane and Glider Notes 548 The Schneider Cup Seaplane Race .. .. 549 The Herbert Pendulum Hardness Tester " 550 Institution of Aeronautical Engineers .. .. .. .. .. 551 Celastoid and Celanese .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 552 The Royal Air Force 553 Noticet to Airmen . 553 Air Post Stamps 4 Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers 554 DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the datesof important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in the following list :— Sept. 23... Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, Belgium Sept. 28.... Schneider Cup Seaplane Race at Cowes Oct. 4 .... R.Ae.S. Inaugural Lecture Oct. 8-13 Light ' Plane and Glider Competitions, Lympne Oct. 12 .... " Some Aspects of an Attempt to Fly Round the World," by Maj. W. T. Blake, before I.Ae.E. Oct. 14 .... Beaumont Cup Race at Istres, France Oct. 18 .... "The Manoeuvres of Inverted Flight," by Sq.-Leader R. M. Hill, before R.Ae.S. Oct 26 .... "Three-Ply in Aircraft Construction," by Capt. R. N. Liptrot, B.A., before I.Ae.E. NOT. 1 .... " Present Developments in Aircraft Instru- ments," by Major Wimperis, before R.Ae.S. Hov. 9 ... "Soaring Flight," by Dr. E. H. Hankin, before I.Ae.E. Nov. 15 .... "The Thermodynamics of Aircraft Engines," by Mr. H. R. Ricardo, before R.Ae.S. Nov. 29 .... ?' Airmanship at Sea,'' by Sqd.-Ldr. Mayoock Nov. 30.... "The Result of Twelve Years' Welded Tube .. , Construction and the Development of ;..:••.-"''"•'-••' Cantilever Wings," by A. H. G. Fokker, _-<•"':'•••• -.•••••;••-.• before, I.Ae.E. „ >. * >- Safety in Flying EDITORIAL COMMENT. is becoming increasingly evident that, broadly speaking, but two things are required to make flying as reliable and safe as are other means of transport. The one thing required above all else is absolute engine reliability, and the other is controllability at all speeds, even at speeds below the stalling speed of a machine. There are numerous other problems, certainly, but we are quite convinced that if the absolute confidence of the public can be established and maintained, the resulting amount of . traffic will enable those other problems to be solved in due course. When we say the absolute confidence of the public, we mean confidence to such an extent that travelling by air and sending goods and mails by air will be done as a matter of course, and with no more wonder and speculation than in the case of travelling or sending goods and mails by train or steamer. That confidence can be established only after a long period of freedom from accident, and in this connection the daily press could do a vast amount of good if it could be persuaded to point out whenever an accident happens to a military or racing machine that these are no more comparable with a commercial aeroplane than is a submarine with a liner, or a racing car on Brooklands track with a London omnibus. Once the public has been brought to view commercial aviation in this perspective, confi- dence will follow as a matter of course. Until that confidence has been established nothing that the aircraft designer and the aircraft-operating firm can do will result in attaining for commercial aviation that extensive use which alone can make aviation a paying proposition. L The question then arises: How are we to attain the necessary engine reliability ? In modern times the reliability of an aero engine is mainly dependent upon engine accessories and engine installation, rather than upon the engine itself, which has now reached a stage where it is very unusual for any part of the engine proper to fail. Ignition and petrol systems appear to be the worst offenders, particularly the latter, but with the method of using direct-gravity feed from the main tanks which is now becoming • '•*-• \
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