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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0874.PDF
Palais such a tremendous amount of business is done ? Frankly, we doubt it. A certain number of orders are doubtless booked there, but the greater part of the business of selling and buying aircraft is, we feel sure, done as an indirect rather than as a direct result of the Shows. How is it, then, that the Paris Aero Show has come to occupy such a prominent position ? It is probably to be accounted for as being one of those cases of mass psychology which cannot be explained but which must be accepted. And further- more, without a doubt the Paris Show, quite irrespec- tive of the quality of its exhibits, does draw together representatives of all the nations in the world which are at all seriously interested in aviation in any of its phases. That, to our way of thinking, is the real value of the Paris Aero Show. One meets there all the people that matter in the aviation world ; old friendships are renewed, new friends are made, and " shop " is talked in a congenial atmosphere from morning till night. If, at the same time, the machines exhibited show any real progress, any clever features, or inspire fresh lines of thought, so much the better. If the psychological side of the Paris Aero Show is somewhat intangible, the technical is plain enough, and in the present issue of FLIGHT we have attempted to place before our readers brief particulars of all the aircraft to be exhibited there. We fear that in this we have not, perhaps, been entirely successful inasmuch as we should hesitate to claim that the following pages contain complete data of all the machines which visitors to the Grand Palais will have an opportunity of seeing. We believe, however, that we can claim to have succeeded in collecting together brief specifications of something over 90 per cent, of the exhibited aircraft. In view of the difficulty of obtaining—especially in France—advance informa- tion before the opening of an aero exhibition, we feel that to have managed to extract from some 30 firms of reticent aircraft constructors data relating to their exhibition machines is by way of being a small achievement, and we trust the data, although not very exhilarating reading, will not be found to be without interest. In many cases the performance data given are those officially checked by the French Section Technique, and should thus be reliable. A feature of this year's Paris Show is the number of machines which have either "made history " in some way or other by meritorious flights, or the performance of which has been verified by the S.T.A. There is scarcely a machine exhibited which has not thus proved itself, and to this extent, therefore, the 1926 Show can be said to be an improvement over DECEMBER 2, 1926 previous ones. Furthermore, it can, we think, be said that there will not, this year, be a single " freak " at the Show. While this fact may detract somewhat from the gaiety of nations, it is, on the other hand, a definite proof of solid, if less spectacular, progress. A noteworthy feature of the Show will be found to be the increasing use of metal, and more particularly Duralumin, as an aircraft construction material. This is not to say that wood has disappeared alto- gether, nor that it promises to do so immediately. In fact, several firms, notably among the old- established firms such as Farman and Caudron, still retain wood construction. But the number of firms having seriously turned their attention to metal is ob- viously increasing, much as is the case in this country. British participation in the Paris Aero Show is very limited, the only firm to exhibit aircraft being Sir W. G. Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd.. who are showing one of their " Ajax " two-seaters, with Armstrong-Siddeley " Jaguar " engine. Armstrong- Siddeley Motors are exhibiting a full range of aero engines : the " Genet," " Mongoose," " Lynx " and " Jaguar," of which the " Mongoose " is a new type and will be seen at Paris for the first time. The Bristol Aeroplane Company are showing their three types of engines : the " Cherub," the " Lucifer " and the " Jupiter." While on the subject of the latter engine, we would call attention to the amazing number of machines at the Show fitted with the " Jupiter." In most cases, of course, these are the " Jupiters " built under licence by the Gnome-Rhone Company, but as the country of origin of the Bristol " Jupiter," Britain may justly take a pride in the popularity of this engine, to which its extensive use bears testimony. In this week's issue of FLICXHT will be found a special section dealing with British aircraft firms and their products. Although it is obviously impossible to give, in 24 pages, a comprehensive review of the British aircraft industry, it is hoped that the special section will be found useful as an indication of what is being done in Great Britain. A somewhat serious handicap is imposed by the fact that British Air Ministry regulations do not permit performance figures of modern British aircraft being published, so that a direct comparison, in this respect, cannot be made with the French and other machines of which parti- culars are given in this issue. Generally speaking, however, it ma ' be taken for granted that, class for class, type for type, and power for power, British machines need not fear comparison with any exhibited in the Grand Palais. Aerial Triptyques CUSTOMS Passes, serving the same purpose as motor-car triptyques, but without the triptyques' chief disadvantage, have recently been introduced by the Royal Aero Club for the benefit of British airmen abroad and private owners of aircraft touring the Continent. With motor-car triptyques a substantial sum of money is required to be deposited as a security before the car can leave the country, but these new customs passes for aircraft, known as " carnets de passage en douanes," save the aerial tourist all this inconvenience. A " carnet," procurable from the Royal Aero Club at a cost of only £1 Ms. 6d., serves as a customs pass on foreign aerodromes, and relieves the holder of all troublesome for- malities, including the necessity of making a cash deposit, as has been required hitherto. The " carnet " is in the form of a paper-covered book with detachable sheets and counter- foils, and is applicable to balloons, aeroplanes, seaplanes, amphibians, and helicopters. It is officially recognised by- Great Britain, Belgium, France, Italy, Holland, Roumania and Switzerland, and carries the guarantee of the Aero clubs of 25 nations. A number of British private owners and taxi- pilots, including all the pilots of Capt. Lowenstein's private air fleet, have been using these " carnets " for some time past, and one of the latest applicants was Flight-Lieut. J. S. Chick, the Harlequin Rugby footballer, who is spending his honey- moon touring the South of France with his wife in a light aeroplane. World's Records THE Royal Aero Club has received notification of the following world's records from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale :—• Height with 1,000 kgs. of Merchandise.—V. Gronau (Ger- many) on Heinkel seaplane, 450 h.p. Napier " Lion," November 2, 1926, 4.492 m. (14,738-25 ft.). Height with 500 kgs. of Merchandise.—Capt. E. L. Tornberg (Germany) on Heinkel seaplane, 450 h.p. Napier " Lion,' November 10, 1926, 5,731 m. (18,803-4 ft.). 774
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