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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0428.PDF
JULY 2, 1925. R. 38 MEMORIAL TABLET ON June 29, the American Ambassador, Mr. A. B. Houghton,unveiled a tablet, which has been placed, in the Library of the Royal Aeronautical Society, to the memory of the Britishand Americans who lost their lives in the disaster to the air- ship R. 38 (Z.R. 2) over the Humber on August 24, 1921.The R. 38 was originally designed in 1918 for war purposes with the British Navy, but when it was decided to close downall experimenting with airships early in 1921, the half-com- pleted airship was sold to the U.S. Navy, who renamed her" Z.R. 2." She was completed in June, 1921, when she made two trial flights from her constructional shed at Card-ington before proceeding to Howden in Yorkshire for final trials prior to acceptance by the American Government.On her fourth and last flight, she was manned by a mixed crew of Royal Air Force and U.S. Navy officers and men,and also carried civilian representatives of the design staff and of the research staff at the National Physical Laboratory.At 5.37 p.m., on August 24, she broke her back while carrying out rudder tests and fell into the Humber in two portions,only four of the occupants being saved. The Council of the Royal Aeronautical Society had viewedwith concern the stoppage of British airship development, and therefore decided to raise a fund with the dual purpose ofproviding a memorial tablet in the Library of the Society (which had numbered several of the crew among its members),and ot stimulating the continuance of interest in airship research and progress. The memorial tablet, designed by Mr. Paul Cooper, recordsthe names of all those lost, under the appropriate Shields of the Royal Air Force, U.S. Navy, Institute of British NavalArchitects and National Physical Laboratory, and bears the simple inscription : " To the Memory of those who died inH.M. Airship R. 38, which failed and fell August 24th, 1921." Lieut.-Col. Tizard, Chairman of the Royal AeronauticalSociety, referred to the fact that the loss of the R. 38 had seemed to destroy the faith of many people in airships, butthat the faith of members of the R.Ae.S. had remained un- shaken. Already public opinion was swinging back, and asmall body of experts had been entrusted with the task of regaining what was lost with the R. 38. The American Ambassador then unveiled the memorial,but made no speech. Professor L. Bairstow thanked the American Ambassadorfor unveiling the memorial, and said the men of the R. 38 were entitled to rank with Franklin and Scott as 'pioneers.He referred to the things which the airship promised to make possible, and said that although the tale of misfortune mightnot yet be all told, he believed that progress of research would guard against a repetition of an accident like thatwhich resulted in the loss of the R. 38. It is of interest to note that present at the unveiling of thememorial were the two survivors of the R. 38 disaster, i.e., Mr. H. Bateman, of the N.P.L., and Corporal W. A. Potter.Amongst those present were : Admiral McNamee (United States Navy), Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker (Directorof Civil Aviation and Chairman-elect of the Council of the Society) ; Major Davidson (United States Embassy's MilitaryStaff), and two of the survivors (H. Bateman, representative of the National Physical Laboratory, and Corporal W. A.Potter) ; Commander J. C. Hunsakerand Commander Towers (United States Embassy's Naval staff) ; Sir Eustace Tenny-son-d'Eyncourt; Sir Malcolm Fraser ; and Major C. H. Scott (who piloted R. 34 to America and back). AIR POST STAMPS By DOUGLAS B. ARMSTRONG Anglo-Indian Survey Flights A LIMITED number of letters were carried by Alan Cobhamon various stages of his notable flight from London to Ran- goon, and return, and as in many cases these numbered only30 or 40, some are calculated to prove scarce. The stages Calcutta-Akyab ; Akyab-Rangoon, and Rangoon-Akyab-Calcutta are denoted by dated postmarks only, in addition to the initials of the pilot, but on the return flight from Cal-cutta to Karachi a triangular cachet in reddish purple -was applied to the 68 letters and 32 cards carried, which containedthe following wording : " Anglo-Indian Air Survey— Calcutta to Karachi by Aeroplane D.N. 50 1924-1925." Forthe final lap " London " replaced Karachi in the inscription, letters being postmarked on arrival at Waddon Aerodromeon March 17, 1925. For the foregoing particulars we are indebted to the Air Post Bulletin. SOCIETY OF MODEL AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS (London Aero-Models Association) ON Saturday, July 4, the following competitions will be held on Wimbledon Common at 3.30 p.m. :— 1. Gamage Cup (Open Competition for any type of model). Formula : Duration x v^loading. 2. Sir John Shelley Cup (Duration Competition for power-models, excluding rubber). A. E. JONES, Hon. Secretary. m mPUBLICATIONS RECEIVED Luft-Hansa Luftpolitische Moglichkeiten. By Fischer v.Poturzyn. Werner Lehmann Verlag, Leipzig. Rendiconti Tecnici della Direzione Superiore del Genio edelle Costruzioni Aeronautiche. May 15, 1925.—Commis- sariato dell' Aeronautica, Via della Lungara 9-10, Rome.Price L. it. 40. Caratteristiche Aerodinamiche di Alt. Fascicolo II. Sup-plemento ai Rendiconti Tecnici. May 15, 1925.—Commis- sariato dell' Aeronautica, Via della Lungara 9-10, Rome. Notiziario di Aeronautica. No. 5. May, 1925.—Commis-sariato dell' Aeronautica, Via della Lungara 9-10, Rome. Price, L. it. 50. Official Guide to the British Empire Exhibition, 1925.—Fleetway Press, Ltd., Dane Street, High Holborn, W.C. Price Is. How to Drive a Car. By the Editor of The Motor.—TemplePress, Ltd., 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C. Price 2s. 6d. net. The Air Pilot Monthly Supplement. No. 8. June, 1925.—H.M. Stationery Office, Kingsway, London, W.C. 2. Le Rotor, Instrument a Progres. En Marge du " Flettner-Rotor." By B. A. Chait. " Anvers-Bourse," 85, Marche Saint-Jacques, Antwerp. Cambridge Automatic Temperature Regulators. CambridgeInstrument Co., Ltd., 45, Grosvenor Place, London, S.W. 1. L'Annee Aeronautique, 1924-1925. By L. Hirschauer andCh. Dollfus. Dunod, 92, Rue Bonaparte, Paris. Department of Overseas Trade. Report on the EconomicSituation of Denmark, January, 1925. By R. M. A. Turner. H.M. Stationery Office, Kingsway, London, W.C. PriceIs. 6d. net. mm m m AERONAUTICAL PATENT SPECIFICATIONS Abbrtviations : Cyl. = cylinder ; i.e. = internal combustion ; m. = motor.The numbers in brackets are those under which the Specifications will be printed and abridged, etc. APPLIED FOR IN 1934 4,748.5,121. 5,592. 6,788. 14,070.23,282. 29,559. D. J. MOONEY. Ribs, cros D. J. MOONEY. Structure A. H. R. FEDDEN, L. F. Published July 2, 1925 cross members, etc. (234,878.)uctural members. (234,881.) G. BUTLER and BRISTOL AEROPLANE CO.,LTD. Valve-gear of i.e. engines. (234,900.) D. NAPIER AND SON, LTD., and G. S. WILKINSON. Variable-pitchpropellers. (234,937.) G. RIETTI. Aircraft. (217,588.) W. BEARDMORE AND CO., LTD., and J. H. HURST. Production of metal wheels. (235,065.) CIE. D'APPLICATIONS MECANIQUES. Brakes. (226,524.) FLIGHT The Aircraft Engineer and Airships 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2.Telegraphic address : Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828. SUBSCRIPTION RATES " FLIGHT " will be forwarded, post free, at the following ratts i— UNITED KINGDOM s. d. 3 Months, Post Free.. 7 7 6 15 2 12 „ „ ..30 4 ABROAD* s. d. 3 Months, Post Free.. 8 3 6 „ „ ..16 6 12 „ „ ..33 0 • Forrign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency. Cheques and Post Office Orders should be made payable to the Proprietors of " FLIGHT," 36, Great Queen Street, Kingsway, W.C.2, and crossed London County and Westminster Bank, otherwise no responsibility will be accepted. Should any difficulty be experienced in procuring " FLIGHT "from local newsvendors, intending readers can obtain each issue direct from the Publishing Office, by forwarding remittance asabove. 428
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