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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0404.PDF
_T . ROYAL AIR FORCE APDTAT out that in the matter of new types of service aircraft this year's Pageant looks like being a disappointment. So far as we have been able to ascertain, not a single aeroplane that can truly be termed a new type will be present at the Pageant. Most of the machines taking part in the various displays are at least three or four years old, while even in the " fly-past " there will not, it seems, be anything which has not taken part for at least two years, if we except the Parnall " Pixie " and de Havilland 53 light 'planes, neither of which are service machines, and the Gloucester shire "Grebe II," Hawker '' Wo o d - cock " and de Havil land " Dormouse." The "Grebe II" is presumably a de velopment of the " Grebe I " which took part last year and which flew to Gothenburg. This is, therefore, a long way from being a novelty. The Haw ker " Woodcock" is undoubtedly a new type, with, it is believed, quite a startling perform ance. Had the Air Ministry so chosen, there is, however, no reason why this machine should not have taken part in at least one previous Pageant. The de Havilland "Dor mouse " is at least a year old as regards its original inception. There is not the slightest doubt that if those responsible for deciding upon the choice and ac ceptance of new types could be per suaded to make up their minds a little more rapidly, and the technical depart ments leave it more to individual private de signers to produce the right machines, Saturday's " fly-past" would have been a vastly more in teresting demonstration than it is now Ukely to be. However, the position in this respect is gradually get ting so bad that the present system is bound sooner or later to bring about its own demise, and then, it is to be hoped, our designers may be given the opportunity for which they have been waiting to show what they really can do. Apart from the various displays, and the bombing of an armed cruiser, the " feature " of next Saturday's Pageant will be the participation, for the first time in history, by a French escadrille of Nieuport-Delage single-seaters, type 29 C. 1. These machines, although 404 The R.A.F. Pageant Poster, by Victor Fitzgerald. The poster depicts the principal "set-piece" of the R.A.F. Pageant, the aerial torpedoing of an enemy armed-merchant cruiser. Some details of the Pageant programme are given on p. 405, et seq. the type is now several years old, are still among the finest single-seaters in the world for their power (they are fitted with 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engines), and the " aces " who will pilot them may be relied upon to show off the machines to the best advantage. That arrangements should have been made for a French escadrille to take part is not, it is understood, unconnected with the visit recently paid to French air stations and establishments by a British mission. This mission went to France at the invita tion of the French Air Minister, and we believe we are cor rect in stating that the chief object of the French was to convince representa tives of the British air service that France's aerial pre parations were cer tainly not directed against this country. It would appear that the visit by the French pilots may be taken as an indica tion that the British mission came away with an impression of perfectly good faith on the part of France, and the par ticipation by the French escadrille is bound to bring closer together the air ser vices of the two great allied nations. We congratulate the Air Ministry7 on hav ing been able to arrange this visit. and we feel sure that a reception worthy of the occasion will be given the French pilots and their me chanics, not only by the Royal Air Force, but by the general public. Finally, may we remind our readers that the proceeds of the Royal Air Force Pageant are devoted to various charities in connection with the R.A.F., and that therefore, it behoves every one who can beg, borrow, or steal a conveyance of some sort to fill the enclosures at Hendon to overflowing. The " show" is the finest aerial display in the world, and the benefits oi it are devoted to the worthiest of purposes. Therefore, let all the world and his wife make a point of going to the Pageant on June 28. MX** One-Day Flight Across America Lieut. R. L. Maughan, U.S. Army Air Service, on June 23 flew from New York to San Francisco, in 2' hrs. 49 mins. (18 hrs. 26 mins flying time) on a Curtiss " Pursuit " 'plane.
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