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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0028.PDF
JANUARY 20, 1927 to be thoroughly tested out. As we said, it may be all this, although, frankly, we do not think so. In any case, the motive does not concern us, who are only interested in the likely effect of a decision to hold the race this year. The British machines are coming along. The Air Ministry pretends that there is a great secrecy surrounding these machines. Actually it seems likely that both our Italian and our American friends know all that it matters to know about them, but if it amuses the Air Ministry to maintain its little bluff, probably no harm is done. Foi obvious reasons, one cannot go into details concerning the British machines, but they have been designed with a good margin in view. That that margin is large enough to make it a matter of indifference whether our rivals in the race have or have not time to build new types we should hesitate to say. What we do think, however, is that even for the postponed race in 1928 our machines should stand a good sporting chance. We gather from friends in France that if the race is held this year it is very doubtful whether there will be any French challengers. On the other hand, if the race is postponed until next year, there is a very good chance that France may enter. The United States would probably enter their existing machines if the race were held this year, but would almost certainly build new types for 1928. Either way, we do not think it would matter very much from the British point of view. However, we shall know the decision of the F.A.I, shortly, when the subject may be brought up again. Italy complains, and we think very justly, that as the rules of the F.A.I, stand at present the speed records established by de Bernardi, an Italian pilot on an Italian machine with Italian engine in an international race can be and are claimed as American. Surely the time has come when this rule should be changed. The new regulation of the F.A.I., that machines intended for world's speed records must, before making their attempt, have made two safe alightings is, obviously, intended to guard against some freak machine managing to stagger into the air, beat the record, and then smashing on alighting. There has, in the past, been a great deal of talk about limiting the landing speed of these machines. With that view we have never agreed, and, in fact, we have repeatedly pointed out that by thus placing a purely arbitrary limit on machines a great deal of harm might be done and progress hampered. The new rule is, in our opinion, infinitely preferable, as it places no restric- tions on the designer of machines, provided his machine is able to alight safely twice before any record attempt. After all, it is the safety of the machine that matters, and not the manner in which that safety is attained. The Federation is also working on the subject of recognising records established by light aeroplanes. Before anything can be done it is necessary to define what constitutes a light 'plane, and apparently the F.A.I, has chosen as a basis the empty weight of the machine. Further, it has been decided to divide light 'planes into two classes : Those with an empty weight of less than 200 kg. (440 lbs.), and those weigh- ing not less than 200 kg. and not more than 400 kg. (880 lbs.). The British representatives suggest that the uppei limit for the heavier class should be reduced to 350 kg. In view of the fact that this classification is for record purposes only, we think this suggestion is sound. After all, for a machine designed, or at any rate adapted, for the purpose of establishing records, it is not difficult to load up with a weight at least equal to the empty weight, and at the upper end of the scale this would bring us to aeroplanes with a total loaded weight of 800 kg. (1,760 lbs.), which is beginning to get rather far away from the light 'plane idea or ideal. Also, with an empty weight of 880 lbs. it would be possible to produce machines with rela- tively powerful engines, which is not a thing one wants to encourage. It is to be feared that if the figure of 350 kilos, be adopted, the standard produc- tion " Moth " would be ruled out, and this can only be a matter for regret. But the " Moth " has been " ruled out " before, and is still far and away the most popular light 'plane in the world, so presumably a little thing like being debarred from world's records would not seriously affect its triumphant progress. And in any case, if the de Havilland Aircraft Company were minded to go for records with the " Moth " it would probably not be impossible so to " arrange " a machine for record purposes as to bring it within the 770 lbs. limit. But it is certainly a curious coinci- dence that time after time the " Moth " has been " ruled out " in spite of the fact that its excellence is admitted on all sides. There can be no doubt that among the17,000^Miles many Spiendid f]jghts made during ' ldd^^ y p3 Months tne 'ast year or so> that just concluded by the safe arrival back in Paris of the Liore & Olivier flying boat piloted by Lieut. Bernard of the French Naval Air Service must be given a place in the very foremost ranks. Lieut. Bernard has, during his flight to Madagascar and back, covered a total distance of roughly 17,000 miles, and has only taken three months to do it. Considering that his course lay, on the outward journey, along the coast of North-west Africa, then along the rivers of Central Africa to the lakes, and across to Madagascar, in other words, much of it in tropical countries, the flight is a most meritorious one. And it should be recollected that the machine used by Lieut. Bernard was not an amphibian but a plain flying-boat. Although rivers were naturally followed wherever possible, there must have been many occasions during the flight when cross-country flights of very considerable duration had to be made from one waterway to another, and when a forced landing would have been likely to result in serious consequences. It is, therefore, all the more gratifying to be able to place on record the fact that the Gnome-Rhone " Jupiter " gave no trouble whatever. Not only so, but that practically speaking no replacements were made during the flight, and none of the engine spares carried on board the machine were required. Thus the " Jupiter " has added one more to its long list of successes. We in this country can rejoice in the thought that the engine used was of British design, and owes its existence to British brains, even if the hands that shaped the actual engine used were French. Among the number of famous French flights carried out recently, this one stands out as something in a class by itself. Whereas most of the flights which carried French aviation to fame during 1926 were long-distance, non-stop flights, Lieut. Bernard's was more of the type of Sir Alan Cobham's flights, i.e., prolonged tours over difficult and greatly varying forms of country. In that lies, we think, not the least merit of the flight. 28
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