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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0630.PDF
OCTOBER 11, 1923 miles, and some of them have been so certain of their courseas to assert that all intermediate lights were unnecessary. Arc lights of similar power are used at each of the main fieldsmentioned, for flood lighting when landings are actually taking place. The Sperry beacons have three-foot lenses, andthey are similar to the anti-aircraft search-lights employed in London and Paris during the War. The source of light for these beacons is an electric arcconsuming 150 amperes at 110 volts (d.c). The tremendous intensity of the light is obtained from a gas which is generatedand confined in a small deep crater of the positive carbon—a discovery of great value made by Elmer A. Sperry. Thequality of light and its intensity are, in proportion, about the same as that given off by the noon sun on a clear day, thevolume of the light, of course, being infinitely less. It is the quality of the light, being rich in the blue-white rays, thataccounts for its remarkable penetration, especially upon very dark or misty nights. AIRCRAFT AND THE NAVY ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET SIR F. C. D. STURDEE last week,lecturing before the Royal United Service Institution upon naval matters, naturally had some remarks to make uponthe much-discussed subject of aircraft in association with the Navy. He said he would like to ask the extreme air andsubmarine advocates how, if in the future a fleet came round Cape Horn, we could adequately take care of our beef andwheat ships from the Argentine. Turning to the two new menaces to the surface vessel—the submarine and aircraft—he denied that against a properly protected moving fleet the submarine could attack with success, and added that anti-submarine devices were becoming increasingly effective, while the " bulges " now being fitted to battleships were proved to bemost siiccessful, enabling such ships to keep in the line even after several hits from torpedoes. Safe anchorages, however,were" essential. Aircraft had great potentialities, but for ocean use theyhad their limitations, due to the comparatively short radius of action. Aircraft-carriers became necessary, and thesevessels were largely unprotected ships, vulnerable to attack from the air, the surface, and from the sub-surface. Thegreater importance the enemy attached to their destruction the more difficult became the problem of their protection,therefore powerful vessels and efficient screening vessels were required to keep them afloat. Aircraft increased therange of vision of a fleet in clear weather and daylight, and, further, increased the effective range of the gunfire,of the powerfully armed vessel ; but this required well- trained and experienced observers—seamen, in short. Thelecturer did not conceal his doubts as to the efficiency of relationship of the Navy and the Air Force as recently decidedby the Cabinet. Bombing of large ships from the air had not, he thought, reached a high degree of accuracy from heightssuitable to secure penetration, but the possible mining effects from close misses must not be lost sight of. Anti-aircraftguns on modern ships, however, were developing an intensity of fire many times greater than the most intense fire on anypart of the western front during the War. With long communications such as the British Empirepossessed cruisers were most important, and the lecturer expressed doubt as to whether aeroplanes could replace them,and though airships might be of great use their vulnerability to aeroplane attack was a great disadvantage. In his con-clusions Admiral Sturdee stated that because the United Kingdom was becoming yearly less self-contained and ourEmpire was vastly widespread it was peculiarly vulnerable to attack ; therefore it was of vital importance to our Common-wealth of nations that all reasonable means should be taken to ensure that those communications should not ever besevered. Cruisers were as necessary as ever in our .naval history, and to ensure our security we must possess morecruisers than any other single Power. The air weapon and the submarine were menaces to every type of surface vessel,therefore they must be closely studied, for the war in the future would be in three planes—surfatt sub smface andin the air. FRENCH AIRSHIP'S RECORD VOYAGE THE French rigid airship " Dixmude " — the ex-ZeppelinL.72—in her remarkable flight during the last week in September has created a world's record for endurance, beatingthe previous record of 108 hrs. 12 mins. made by the R.34 on the occasion of its Atlantic trip. The " Dixmude " remainedin the air for 118 hrs. 41 mins., and covered a distance of about 4,400 miles. Leaving Cuers-Pierrefeu, near Toulon, at7.55 a.m. on September 25, the " Dixmude " flew to Toulon and Marseilles, and then, leaving the French coast, made forthe Balearic Islands. Thence the journey was continued to Algiers, and along the northern coast of Africa to Bizerta.Continuing the next day the airship turned inland as far as Tuggurt in the Sahara desert, by way of Sousse, Sfax andGabes on the coast. On Thursday the return flight across the Mediterraneanwas commenced, but over Sardinia a severe storm was encountered, and the " Dixmude " was forced to returntowards Bizerta. A second attempt was made the following day and successfully accomplished, this time the airshippassing over Sardinia and Corsica to Marseilles. From here the journey was continued to Bordeaux, and Pariswas reached at sunrise on the Saturday. She then circled round about Paris, flying over the " Re-publique " memorial—which had been unveiled by M. Laurent Eynac the previous day — in honour of thevictims of this sister craft. (The " Republique " was destroyed on September 25, 1909.) By this time fuel wasbecoming exhausted, so the " Dixmude " turned towards her base at Cuers-Pierrefeu, which was reached at 8 o'clock inthe evening. There still being sufficient fuel left, an immediate landing was not made, however, and after a quick visit toNice and back, the " Dixmude " eventually landed at 6.30 on Sunday morning. The " Dixmude " was commanded byNaval Lieut. Plessis de Granadan. The " Dixmude " was built in 1918, with a length of 743 ft.and a capacity of 2,250,000 cub. ft. Its useful lift is 36 tons, the speed 70 m.p.h., and it has six engines of 260 h.p. each.It is reported that towards the end of November another big cruise will be attempted; when the "Dixmude" will makea flight of 6,000 miles across Morocco, the Sahara, and Algeria. PARIS ) too 200 Joo , - Miles TOUGOURT FRENCH AIRSHIP'S RECORD FLIGHT : Sketch- map showing the course taken by the "Dixmude" during her 4,400 mile trip, lasting 118 hrs. 41 mins. 630
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