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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0338.PDF
IfiEM effort on their own part, and they may be assumed to have drawn comparisons between this mode of travel and that employed by Amundsen when he visited the South Pole. There can be very little doubt, however, that the trip by air can hardly have afforded the same opportunity for intimate study as did the old fashioned dashes with sleds and dog teams, and it would seem likely that unless and until an airship can be moored or anchored, and its crew descend on to the ice, spending hours, and perhaps days, in one locality, taking soundings, measuring temperatures, ascertaining the rate at which the ice is drifting, and the thousand and one other things which constitute real scientific exploration, the airship can at best afford only a means of surveying, in a somewhat sketchy manner, regions otherwise difficult or impossible of access. And after all, that in itself is no small accomplishment, and should be as much as the supporters of aviation could expect. Concerning the lessons, from an aeronautical point of view, to be learned from the cruise of the Xorge, doubtless there will be several when the full story of the flight comes to be told. Already it emerges that the flight has demonstrated the capacity of an airship of the semi-rigid type to make a very pro- tracted cruise under extremely unfavourable (as compared with conditions in Europe) climatic con- ditions. It has almost come to be regarded as gospel that for really " serious " work there is but one type, the rigid, and accordingly during the last few years the non-rigid and semi-rigid types have not been developed as they might have been. When looking to the future, it would seem that there has been a tendency to disregard altogether these types, and to regard the word " airship" as being synonymous with " rigid airship." It may well be therefore that the cruise of the Xorge will cause a revival of the semi- rigid type. A few enthusiasts, notably Commander F. L. M. Boothby in this country, still maintain their faith in the semi-rigid, and they are justified in taking the Xorge achievement as a definite proof of the correctness of their contentions. It will be observed in the brief accounts which have so far reached this country, that the main trouble during the flight, which occurred towards the end of the trip, was due to ice being flung off by the pro- pellers and causing punctures of the ballonets and fabric covering. It would appear that a similar trouble in the case of a rigid airship, bristling with girders, might easily have resulted in very serious structural damage. In the " Norge," however, all that happened was that a number of holes required patching, and it is worth noting that it was not until no more materials were available for patching, that the airship was compelled to descend, some 90 miles short of her destination, at Teller. After the descent, another feature of the semi-rigid type came prominently to the front : the airship was MAY 20, 1926 deflated on the ice at Teller, and it is being packed in cases, to be sent home to Italy. A rigid which had been compelled to land under similar conditions might quite conceivably have become a total wreck, even if the crew could have been saved, and certainly there would have been no possibility of dismantling it and sending it home. Altogether the flight, apart from- the very gallant effort which it represents, and which reflects the very greatest credit upon the crew and upon all who were connected with the undertaking, may be said to have formed the complete vindication of the semi-rigid airship, at any rate, up to the size of the " Norge." We believe we are correct in saying that the designer of the airship, who was on board throughout the trip, the famous Italian engineer Nobile, is a believer in the practicability of considerably larger airships of similar type, and, as far as can be gathered at the moment, nothing occurred on the polar flight to give cause to alter that view. Our very heartiest congratulations to all concerned. The effort was an international one, the countries taking the greater part being Norway, Italy and the United States of America. The It will be recollected that one of the reasons for the formation and Govern- nient subsidising of the light 'plane clubs was the desire to form a small reserve of pilots. During the great strike just terminated, the light 'plane clubs were given an opportunity to prove themselves deserving of this Government support, and, let it be said at once, they rose to the occasion right nobly. We are fortunate in having been able to persuade Commander Perrin, Secretary of the Royal Aero Club and of its light 'plane London section, the London Aeroplane Club, to write the story of the strike activities of the southern section. As Commander Perrin was in charge of the organisation, he is in a unique position to know the whole of the facts, and in this week's issue he gives what we think will be found to be a very fascinating account of the work done. The amazing capabilities of the de Havilland " Moths," with their " Cirrus " engines," to go anywhere at any time in any weather has been demonstrated over and over again, although in this connection one should not forget the pilots who flew the machines, and to whose determination to " get through," a very great deal of the success is, of course, due. In next week's issue of FLIGHT Commander Perrin will, it is hoped, give a more statistical account of the work accomplished, such as mileages flown, hours of flying, etc., which, taken in conjunction with his account in the present issue, should serve to give readers a convincing picture of the manner in which the club came to the assistance of the country in a time of great stress. NOTICE. Owing to the General Strike, delay in the printing of " Flight " each week necessarily follows. Each issue weekly will, however, be completed, thus forming an unbroken weekly aeronautical record, and each issue will be distributed as speedily as the unprecedented circumstances will permit.—The Publishers. 292
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