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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0776.PDF
I 3i in various parts of the British Empire, although doubtless the time will come when the metal machine will supplant the wooden one. In other words, if the change is to be made during the next few years, as we have little doubt it will, it will not be on account of the unsuitability of the wood machine, but because of the shortage of suitable timber in sufficient quantities. To the crews of the three D.H.9A machines— Sqdn.-Ldr. Arthur Coningham, Flight-Lieut. H. W. Baggs, Flight-Lieut. H. V. Rowley, Flight-Sergt. Evans, Sergt. Kennedy, and Sergt. Grant—we offer heartiest congratulations on a most meritorious performance. The flight from Cairo to Kano and back is one of which they and the Royal Air Force may well be proud, and it has served, apart from the valuable lessons which it has doubtless taught the R.A.F., to demonstrate that, given the opportunity, the British Royal Air Force is capable of performances quite equal to anything accomplished by the airmen of other nations. As regards the utility of a flight such as that just accomplished—which is, we are told, viewed by the Air Ministry as a " service cruise "—we think some- thing much more than that should be read into it. It has linked up Nigeria with Egypt by air, and must thus have done a great deal of good in causing the white population of that outpost of Empire to feel less isolated and much closer in touch with the rest of the world—a fact the importance of which cannot readily be assessed. To those who believe in the future of the air, the flight has welded another link in the chain which shall one day—of that we have not the slightest doubt—bind together the far- flung parts of the British Empire. Already one can foresee the time when British air lines will spread their net the length and breadth of Africa, linking up Egypt and Nigeria, with connections to the French air terminus at Dakar and the Belgian air lines in the Congo, not to mention the line from Cairo to the Cape. If the flight upon which Mr. Cobham and his companions are at present engaged is successful, and there is no reason to doubt that it will be, the day when British aircraft will fly regularly from the Mediterranean to the Cape will have been brought appreciably nearer. • • • Aeroplanes This week we publish a brief account *? *|je of the regular air services operated in ongo Belgian Congo by the Sabena Company, using Handley-Page " Hamiltons " built in Belgium un- der licence by the S.A.B.C.A. company, and fitted with RoU^-Royce " Eagle " and Siddeley " Puma " engines. As far as can be gathered, the machines and engines have stood up extremely well to the trying climatic conditions, and we understand that the operating company has nothing but praise for its equipment. The service, which is at present a three-weekly one, has operated regularly since April, and there has been -a most gratifying increase in the mails carried, which on the last flight of which statistics are available reached the imposing figure of 2,026 kilos. (4,500 lbs.). This was on the flight made by two of the machines from Leopoldville to Luebo on August 7. As the carrying capacity of one machine has been found insufficient, the last few trips have been made by two machines each way. In addition to the quantity of mails making this necessary, there is extra safety in the simultaneous flying of two machines, since in the very remote event of one being forced to land NOVEMBER 26, 1925 the other can either alight and give assistance, or if that be impossible, it can "proceed to the nearest aerodrome with exact information as to the where- abouts of the other machine. So far, we under- stand, there has not been a single forced landing on the Kinshasa-Luebo route. It might be argued that it is rathTfr uhec6n"oTfncarto send the two machines on the same day, and that a better arrangement would be to send the two machines at 10 days' intervals. The answer to that is that the machines make connection with. the steamers to and from Belgium, whose sailings occur at intervals of three weeks, and that it is, therefore, at those times that the greatest demand for the air mail occurs. The trip from Leopoldville to Luebo by river takes some- thing like 12 days. By air it is made in one day, so that a saving of no less than 11 days is effected. As an instance of demonstrating real utility of air travel, the Congo service would be difficult to beat and it can be taken as auguring well for the time when British air lines extend beyond their present con- fined limits. That British machines and engines are used is cause for satisfaction, and we are extremely glad to be able to record that Belgium and Great Britain are working together in such happy fashion in a phase of pioneer work that seems likely to have very important results. We understand that there is considerable possibility of the Congo services being extended northwards to Stanleyville, when at some future date the linking up with a British line between Egypt and Nigeria would be greatly facilitated. Doubtless also, if and when we establish a Cairo-Cape air line, the Belgian service will be linked up with that. •0- •» *• To-night, November 26, should prove "b a red"letter daY in the history of the Meetings R°Ya^ Aero Club, since the first of a series of monthly House Dinners followed by a. discussion is being held. In the past a discussion of aviation matters has been mainly confined to the meetings of the Royal Aero- nautical Society and the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers. That the Royal Aero Club, the body responsible for the sporting side of aviation in Great Britain, should also hold discussions does not appear hitherto to have occurred to anyone. We do not know with whom the idea originated, but it is, we think, a very excellent one, and should provide considerable interest, not to say entertainment. The informal character of the dinners should attract many who may not care for the more formal and always technical debates at the other two societies, and if the Royal Aero Club decides, as we hope it will, to discuss mainly non-technical subjects, a sphere should be covered which has not in the past received much attention. The sporting side of aviation, the side with which the Club is chiefly concerned, should provide excellent subjects, and for a start various problems of the light 'plane club movement might be suggested. There are probably few subjects on which there is a greater variety of opinions, and some interesting views might be put forward. To-night Mr. C. R. Fairey will start the ball rolling by opening a debate on " American Aviation." The subject is very much to the fore at the moment, and a discussion of it can scarcely fail to be of more than passing interest. The Duke of Sutherland, Chairman of the Royal Aero Club, will preside. 776
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