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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0665.PDF
Flight, September 16, 1926 OUT ENGINEER- First Aero Weekly in the World Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER A Journal devoted to tbe Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 925. (No. 37, Vol. XVIII.) SEPTEMBER 16, 1926 f Weekly, Price 6d.|_ Post free, 7d. Flight The Aircraft Engineer and Airships Editorial Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C.2. Telegrams : Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828.Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom .. 30s. id. Abroad .. .. 33s. 0d* These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormalconditions and to increases in postage rates. • Foreign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency. CONTENTS Editorial Comment PAGE Lympne 589 A Cost Basis 590 " And then there were Six " 590 All-Metal Construction at W'eybridge 591 Lympne Light 'Plane Meeting 592 Hare for Grosvenor Challenge Cup ... 603 Newcastle [-'lying Meeting ... 604 Light'Plane Club Doings 605 Royal Aeronautical Society Official Notices 605 Prague-Paris-Prague on Avia Light 'Plane 6 Royal Air Force 607 R.A.F. Flight Cadetships 607 Club DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the dates of important 1926 Sept. Sept. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. 2 NOT. Dec. 10-18 18 .... 2 .... 2 .... .... 24-28 ... 1-15 .... 3-19.... fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in the following list:— Two-Seater Light Aeroplane Competition, Lympne. Grogvenor Challenge Cap, at Lympne. Second Yorkshire Aeroplane Club Air Pageant, Sherburn. 28 Squadron (R.A.F.) Old Boys' Association Seventh Re-union Supper, " White Horse," Holborn, London, W.C.2. Schneider Cup Race at Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A. Stefanik Prize Race at Prague. Coppa del Mare, Italy. Coppa d'ltalia, Italy Paris Aero Snow Lympne EDITORIAL COMMEMT. HE main subject of conversation in aviation circles at the moment is, of course, the light 'plane competition at Lympne, in which, at the time of writing, seven machines are still taking part, although it appears not unlikely that by the time this week's issue of FLIG IT reaches our readers that number will have been further reduced. So far, the competi- tion has undoubtedly shown these little light 'planes to possess quite extraordinary efficiency, as measured by the ton-miles per gallon standard. Unfortunately, as we have pointed out repeatedly in these columns, efficiency is not the only criterion that counts if we are to get light aeroplanes flying in their hundreds or thousands. The best figure attained so far is one of 7-24 ton-miles per gallon of petrol, bat, even if this figure could be doubled—which it very definitely cannot with our present knowledge of aerodynamics and of petrol engines—we venture to say that it would profit us little if the machines capable of such fuel economy were to cost £700 or £800. First cost is at least as important as running cost, and a mileage of 37 or 38 miles per gallon of fuel, although excellent as a demonstration of fuel economy, would not go a very long way towards making up for a high initial cost, nor would the petrol bill for a machine doing only half that distance on a gallon form more than a very small percentage of the total running cost of a machine. First cost, of engine no less than of machine, is the main handicap of popular flying, and unless and until we can bring down that figure, no imaginable economy in consumption is going to produce a market on any large scale. We are very glad to see that Major C. C. Turner calls attention to the importance of cost in a recent article on the Lympne competition in the Daily Telegraph, and thus helps to place before a wide circle of the public the true facts of the case. Undue optimism on the subject of light 'planes can do no good. Let us frankly face the facts and rather try to find a way of reducing the cost.
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