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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0498.PDF
JULY 15, 1926. THE DANIEL GUGGENHEIM FUND An " Open International Aircraft Competition" to be Held READERS of FLIGHT will recollect that at one of the monthly house dinners of the Royal Aero Club there were present Mr. Harry Guggenheim and Admiral Cone, of the United States, and that it was humorously stated that Mr. Guggenheim was "the possessor of a hoard of gold," some of which he proposed to devote to the promotion 01 aeronautics. At the time Mr. Harry Guggenheim, son of Mr. Daniel Guggenheim, the donor of the sum of $2,500,000 towards promoting aero- nautics, was visiting Europe with Admiral Cone in order to Study aviation conditions. As a result of this visit the board of management, of which Mr. Harry Guggenheim is president and Admiral Cone vice-president, has now formulated a policy, according to which the development of safety in flying is to be the chief aim in allocating the fund, and one form which it is proposed this development should take is the holding of what is termed an " Open International Aircraft Competition." This competition, naturally enough, is to be held in the United States, and it is stated that experts from many countries will be consulted in framing the rules for such a competition. It is probable that SI50,000 to $200,000 will be appropriated for the purpose of this com- petition. In a statement authorised by Mr. Harry Guggenheim it is pointed out that the fund might have devoted its efforts to the development of aerodromes, sound policies of government control, development of meteorological and communication services, and the perfection of flying administration to the end that aerial transportation should be operated in the same orderly manner as rail and marine transportation. All of these are important matters, but are, for the most part, government functions and secondary, it is believed, to the development of safety. The primary reason for the slow commercial development of aviation in the United States and for its unsatisfactory financial status in those countries where, through government subsidies, air lines are established, would seem to be lack of public confidence in flying. The success of commercial aviation should be assured the day that the public can be convinced not by statistics, but by actual demonstration, that aeroplanes are inherently no more dangerous than steamships or railroads. From fundamental research work now in progress and from the construction of some new types of aeroplanes involving a number of radical aerodynamic departures from the con- ventional aeroplane, sufficient progress has already been made in the direction of safety to justify faith that a complete solution of this problem is possible and that it may even be very near at hand. Indeed, today flying is actually much safer than it is generally assumed to be. <$> <3> Major R. H. Mayo, who is consulting engineer and repre- sentative of the fund in England, has summarised as follows the essential characteristics cf the present-day aeroplane which make the development of the safety factor necessary :— " (1) The landing speed is far too high, and the length of run after landing is too groat. " (2) The gliding angle is too flat, making the approach to a given spot for landing too difficult. " (3) The length of run required before taking off is too great. " (4) The angle of ascent after taking off is not great enough. " (5) If the aeroplane is stalled, it becomes unstable and at the same time control is lost. ..." In spite of these difficulties, however, inquiry discloses the fact that great strides are being made in meeting them fundamentally. In England, for example, great progress has been made recently towards the solution of the problem of inherent stability and complete,control at low speeds. Prof. B. Melvill Jones at Cambridge has done, and is continuing to do. highly important fundamental work on this subject, the value of which is demonstrated in Mr. Handley Page's slot and aileron control. Capt. G. T. Hill's tailless aeroplane is another highly important step in the direction of inherent stability. Senor de la Cierva's extraordinary new development for flight, the Autogiro, also is being actively promoted in England. In addition to the International Competition, details of which will be announced from time to time, the trustees of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund have authorised its officers to make a careful investigation and prepare further specific recommendations working towards :— (1) The encouragement of the perfection of flying instru- ments and accessories with particular regard to the perfection of radio or other aids to navigation and the control for fog flying. (2) The encouragement oi research in aerology. (3) The encouragement of development of means to prevent collision. (4) The encouragement of development of aircraft with motor accessible in flight. (5) The encouragement of development of fire and splinter- proof fuselage. Flying is now entering upon a new era, and the world is on the verge of developments which will make it clear that, not only is flying over great distances mechanically feasible, but that the whole art and science can be made so nearly accident- proof as to place flying on a basis of safety comparable with travelling by rail, steamship or automobile. THE GERMAN SEAPLANE COMPETITION 13 Machines Entered FOR the German seaplane competition which commenced at Warnemunde on Sunday last, July 11, and which will continue until July 27, 13 machines have been entered. It is of interest to note that there are several British aero engines in this competition. The entries are as follows :—The Luftfahrzeug Gesellschaft of Stralsund has entered three machines, types L.F.G. V.59, V.60, and V.61, of which the first two are fitted with 240 h.p. BWM IV engines, and the third, the V.61, with Bristol " Jupiter." The Caspar Works have entered one machine, the type C.29 twin-float seaplane, but no information is available concerning the engine fitted. The Rohrbach Metalflugzeug Gesellschaft has entered two flying-boats, each fitted with two 230 h.p. BMW IV engines. Two machines have been entered by the Junkers Works, one, the W.33, being fitted with a 280/310 h.p. Junkers L.5 engine, and the other type W.34, with a Bristol " Jupiter." <$> <$> Cobham's Flight to Australia MR. COBHAM, whose flight to Australia was so tragically interrupted by the shooting of Mr. A. B. Elliott, has been able to resume his journey, having obtained the services of a R.A.F. mechanic, Sergt. Ward, at Basra. At first one of the Armstrong-Siddeley engineers, Mr. W. Moore, was being sent out to take Mr. Elliott's place, but as this meant a fortnight's The Heinkel WV>rks have entered no less than four machines, two H.E. 5's, of which one has a Napier " Lion," and the other a Gnome-Rhone " Jupiter." The other two are of the H.D.24 type, and both are fitted with 230-h.p. BMW IV engines. The last entry, with the "unlucky" number 13, is known as the type W.3, and has b^en entered by Ernst Gsrbrecht, Werden-Ruhr, a firm of which we do not remember having previously heard. This machine is stated to be fitted with three Thulin rotary engines of 110 h.p. each. The competition is being held in order to encourage the production of seaworthy, reliable and economic seaplanes suitable for carrying mails. The rules are rather compli- cated and difficult for outsiders to follow, although doubtles-; they are very " scientific," as is usually the casj with German competitors. <$> <$> delay, it was decided to take Sergt. Ward. They left Basra on the D.H.SOj seaplane on July 13, and made a good trip to Bushire. It is now reported that several arrests have been made in connection with the shooting of Mr. Elliott. Mr. Elliott was buried at the British cemetery at Basra with full military honours on July 7. 436
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