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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0196.PDF
past experience and without further tests would be one of about 150,000 cub. m. (5,290,000 cub. ft.). He inferred that a larger ship could not be built without introducing experimental features. Now Dr. Eckener speaks as a representative of the Zeppelin Works of Friedrichshafen, a firm with vastly greater experience in rigid airship construction than any other firm in the world ; and if a ship but very little larger than those we propose to build marks the limits of what such an experienced firm considers safe, in the light of their present knowledge, it would appear to stand to reason that we should be very wary, with our limited experience, and should defer, if necessary, the actual construction of our large airships for a period in order that the fullest degree of research and experiment may be undertaken. This is a subject to which we have repeatedly called attention, and this week, on the threshold, so to speak, of the new airship era, we would again put forward our plea for the fullest and most detailed research of which our estab- lishments are capable. At the same time, we sincerely trust that the Government will see to it that the closest possible touch is kept with the Zeppelin Company, whose assistance and advice should be invaluable. Fortunately, we believe that those responsible for our future airship development are fully alive to the large amount of knowledge still lacking before we can confidently commence the construction of 5,000,000-cub. ft. ships, and that there is every inten- tion to make haste slowly. The R.33 is being re- conditioned at the suggestion of the Accidents Investigation Sub-Committee of the Aeronautical Research Committee and of the Airship Stressing Panel, as it was realised that our knowledge of magni- tude and points of application of the forces to which an airship can be subjected was incomplete. R.33 was chosen because, for one thing, she is considered a sturdily built ship, being a copy of the German L.33, and, secondly, because a series of wind-tunnel tests have already been made of a scale model of this airship. Thus, a comparison of model and full-scale results should become possible, and should assist materially in indicating how far model figures can be applied to the full-scale airship. Special apparatus has, we understand, been devised for the purpose of the tests, and R.33 has been fitted 2, 1925 up with about 200 orifices, the pressures on which during various manoeuvres will be measured and recorded simultaneously by electrical means on a number of special manometers. Another series of tests that are planned for R.33 relate to ascertaining the mass of air which is moved with the airship, and for this test R.33 has been equipped with pointers showing the helmsman the angle on his rudders, etc. The resulting motion of the airship in space will be obtained by photographing simultaneously with a cine camera a number of instruments fitted in the control car, the reading thus obtained being further checked by flying the airship over a camera obscura on the ground on the table of which its motion is recorded. IL is thought that these various tests will go a long way towards supplying that technical informa- tion which has been lacking in the past. The R.33, it may be remembered, was built in 1918-19 by Armstrong Whitworth and Co., at Barlow, near Selby, Yorkshire. Her overall length is 640 ft., and maximum diameter 79 ft. The capacity is 2,000,000 cub. ft., and the disposable lift is 26£ tons. It is of interest to note that a very careful examination of the Duralumin girders revealed the fact that but a very small number of parts had suffered deterioration and had to be replaced, so that apparently an airship structure is considerably more durable than generally believed. At Pulham, which airship station is R.33's destina- tion from Cardington, the experimental flights and tests indicated above are to be carried out, including further mooring tests. The old mooring mast has been reconditioned, and the ground gear been brought up to date, so that the mast should now be suitable for the experiments, although its low height (100 ft.) will not allow of using it for the large airships to be built, which will require a much taller mast to prevent the tail of the airships hitting the ground. To sum up, a great deal of information is still required before we can undertake with any degree of certainty the construction of the new giants, but it appears that every effort is being made to obtain this information, and, provided the research side is not hampered by lack of funds, there should, we think, be a good chance of overcoming all difficulties and of making our new rigids a success. Women's Royal Air Force THE second annual reunion dinner of the Women's Royal Air Force will take place on April 4 at the Victoria Mansions Restaurant, Victoria Street, at 7.30 p.m. Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, who was Commandant of the W.R.A.F., will preside. Among the guests will be Air Commodore F. C. Halahan, Wing Commander Cordingly, Colonel Birch, the Matron-in-Chief of the R.A.F. Nursing Service, etc. Women who served with the W.R.A.F., should apply for tickets to the Genera] Secretary W.R.A.F. Old Comrades' Association, 5, Buckingham Gate, S.W.I. The Britannia Trophy THE Royal Aero Club have awarded to W ing Commander S. J. Goble, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.S.C., of the R.A.A.F., the Britannia Trophy for the most meritorious British flight of the year. Wing Commander Goble, with Flying Officer. I. E. Mclntyre, C.B.E., A.F.C., flew the entire circuit of Australia last year in 90 flying hours on a Fairey III.D seaplane, with a Rolls-Royce " Eagle VIII " engine, the same combination of machine and engine which a year previously crossed the Atlantic, piloted by the late Commander Sacadura Cabral. The flight took place without any forward organisation over unexplored territory and through great changes of climate. The machine was frequently overloaded 500 and 600 lbs., and took off in rough seas under very bad conditions. The purpose of the. flight was to explore the coast for landing places and for aircraft bases for the future coastal defence of Australia. The whole flight passed off without a hitch. In spite of the very bad weather conditions experienced and the extremes of climate passed through, the flight was carried out with the greatest promptitude and success. To-morrow, April 3, the Directors of the Fairey Aviation Co. are giving a luncheon to Wing-Commander Goble, on the occasion of the presentation to him by the Royal Aero Club of the Britannia Trophy, at the Savoy Hotel, London. Amundsen's Polar Flight CAPT. R. AMUNDSEN, who is to attempt a flight to the North Pole shortly, sailed from Oslo on March 30 for Spitzbergen, where the expedition starts. The two Dornier metal flying boats to be used in the attempt are also on their way to the base. Portuguese Flight to Africa CA.PT. PINHEIRO, who with Lieut. Sergio de Silva and Lieut. Manuel Gouvein had planned a flight from Lisbon to Portuguese Guinea in a Berguet, started on March 7, but was compelled to land in the province of Algarve and later returned to I jsbon. A fresh start was made on March 27, but unfortunately another aeroplane which was accompanying them crashed at Barcarena and the pilot, Lieut. Picarra, was killed and Lieut. Caldas and a passenger were seriously injured. 196
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