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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0714.PDF
m surplus war stocks, the general public cannot be assumed to be aware of this fact, and when it is stated, as in all fairness it must be, that the engines used were American, the impression is somewhat apt to be given that the particular engine chosen was the best available. Touching upon this point we have received from the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, Ltd., the following letter, signed by Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, as Chairman :— " Some comment has been made in the Press as to the use by the Royal Air Force of ' Liberty ' (American) engines on the Cairo-Kano flight now being undertaken. " We are informed by the Air Ministry that this is a purely Service exercise being carried out by the local Squadron stationed at Helouan, using its own equipment, which happens to include war-time ' Liberty ' engines. For a flight of this character, it would have been quite out of place to send out the latest types of British engines. " The important long-distance flight which the Royal Air Force propose to undertake next spring from Cairo to the Cape is, however, an operation of a different character, and we understand that for this flight only British engines will be used." From the above we are very glad to learn that for the flight from Cairo to the Cape, which is being planned for next spring, it is intended to use British engines only, and we fully appreciate the fact that the Cairo-Kano flight is regarded by the Air Ministry as a purely Service exercise, carried out by the Helouan Squadron, but we still think an effort might have been made to use British engines, although probably the matter is of rather less consequence than appeared at first. What does matter is that the first half of the flight has been successfully accom- plished, and thus a demonstration has been given which proves that the Royal Air Force, when given the opportunity, is capable of carrying out long- distance flights which are in every way as meri- torious as any made by foreign aviators. ! By way of showing that there is no lack of British I engines quite suitable for long-distance flights under i very varying climatic conditions, it may be as well j to recall briefly some of the long flights made by machines fitted with such engines as the Rolls-Royce " Eagk/' the Napier " Lion," the Siddeley " Puma," and the Bristol " Jupiter." Foremost among these were, of course, the flight across the Atlantic by the late Sir John Alcock, and the flight from England to Australia by the late Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith. Further instances are the flight from England tc South Africa, the flight around Australia, the flight from Holland to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies, the flight across the South Atlantic, the flight from Brussels to the Belgian Congo, the flight from Amster- dam to Tokyo, the flight from London to Rangoon and back, London to Africa in a day, and also from Toulon to Casablanca in one day. As comparatively little publicity has been given to the last-mentioned flight, it may be stated here that this was made by French service aviators, flying Farman " Goliaths," fitted with floats, and driven by Bristol " Jupiter " engines. The distance from Toulon to Casablanca is 2,800 km. (1,740 miles), so that it will be seen that to cover this distance in one day was a magnificent achievement. Add to this the fact that three Squadrons, each consisting of six machines, left Cuers-Pierrefeu, and that all NOVEMBER 5, 1925 arrived at their destination, and it will be %een that out of the 36 Bristol " Jupiters" used, none can have given serious trouble, or the machines would not all have been able to reach Casablanca. The engines were, of course, built under licence in France, but for all that we think that this country can still claim a very large share in the flight. Many more instances of long-distance flights carried out with British engines could be quoted, but sufficient has, we think, been said to indicate that if the Royal Air Force, or any individual civilian, is contemplating long-distance flights for the purpose of " blazing the trail," or " showing the flag," there is no scarcity of British engines which have proved themselves capable of doing the job. As regards the Cairo-Kano flight, the excuse that it is regarded by the Air Ministry mainly in the nature of a practice or training flight may perhaps be accepted as perfectly valid, but one might be justified in asking how it is that, in 1925, seven years after the cessation of hostilities, the Royal Air Force should still be equipped with surplus American engines ? *.->•<> In this week's issue of FLIGHT we present _ Jfbf, to our readers what is, we believe, theSchneider , , , . , c' ,Trophy Racemost comprehensive history of the Schneider Trophy seaplane race that has ever been published, and we feel sure that, in view of the extraordinary interest taken in this contest, not only by aviation circles but by the general public, our special coloured supplement will be welcomed by our readers. From a perusal of the supplement it should be possible to form a picture of the tremendous progress made since Prevost won the first Schneider Race in 1913 on a Deperdussin mono- plane at a speed of 45-75 m.p.h. In 12 years the speed has increased from this figure to 232-573 m.p.h., an average increase of slightly more than 15 m.p.h. per annum, if the war years 1914-18 are counted in, and an increase of more than 26 m.p.h. for each Schneider race held (the 1925 race being the seventh). Concerning the 1925 Schneider Trophy race, there appears to be an impression that the British machines were hopelessly outclassed. This is scarcely fair to the British designers, since the fact of the matter is that, although Lieut. Doolittle's speed was little short of marvellous, he scored tremendously in the race through his masterly handling of his machine. We do not mean to suggest that the British racers were as fast as Doolittle's. They were very definitely not, but they were by no means as hopelessly outclassed as some would have us believe. There can be very little doubt that the human element was responsible to a much greater extent than is generally realised. The British pilots had not had anything like as much practice as they should have had before the race, and it is becoming increasingly evident that if Great Britain is to have any chance of winning the Trophy next year, our machines must be finished at least three months before the ' leave this country, and the pilots must go into training, on the older machines if necessary, some considerable time before that. Cornering must be practised diligently, since obviously only pilots of exceptional physique are able to stand the strain of flying these fast machines. All these considerations point inevitably and inexorably to the fact that the Air Ministry must make up its mind at once, not next month or even next week, but now, whether or not Great Britain is to make a final bid for the Trophy in 1926. 714
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