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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0123.PDF
FEBRUARY 24, 1927 \m THE AIR MINISTER'S RETURN SIR SAMUEL HOARE, Secretary of State for Air, and Lady Maud Hoare arrived back in London on February 17, and thus brought to a successful conclusion the longest aerial voyage ever undertaken by a Minister—the total distance flown being 10,000 miles, not including the 2,500 miles in service machines during the tour of R.A.F. stations in India. It was, perhaps, a pity that English weather conditions pre- vented the final stage, from Paris to London, from being accomplished by air, otherwise the whole programme would have been carried out absolutely according to plan. How- ever, they travelled to London by boat and train, being met at Victoria by a distinguished gathering, including Lord Lucan (representing the King), Sir Philip Sassoon, Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard, Air Marshal Sir John Salmond, Air Vice-Marshal Sir John Higgins, Sir Walter Nicholson, etc., etc. In a future issue of FLIGHT we hope to publish further infor- mation regarding this remarkable flight. It may be noted here, however, that His Majesty the King has bestowed an order of the Dame Commander of the British Empire on Lady Maud Hoare, in recognition of her part in this fine flight to India and back with the Air Minister. Also, the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Royal Aero Club, and the Society of British Aircraft Constructors are giving a banquet to Sir Samuel Hoare and Lady Maud Hoare, to welcome them on their return from India, at the Savoy Hotel, London, on Wednesday, March 2, at 7.30 p.m. Lord Thomson, Chairman of the Royal Aero Club, will be in the chair. Tickets £1 Is. each (exclusive of wines). Members may bring guests, including ladies. Applications for tickets from members of all three above societies should be made at once to the Secretary of the Royal Aero Club, 3, Clifford Street, London, W. 1. (Telephone -.Regent 1327). Sir Samuel and Lady Maud Hoare have also accepted an invitation to be the guests of the Overseas League at a luncheon to be given at the Criterion Restaurant tomorrow, Fridav. CLASSIFICATION OF LIGHT AEROPLANES UNDER the new classification of light aeroplanes, adopted by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for record purposes, three classes will be recognised. Class I up to 200 kg. weight empty- Class II above 200 kg. but not more than 350 kg. empty weight, and Class III (two-seaters) up to 400 kg. empty weight. According to this classification, and so far as the figures which we have available indicate, there are but two British light 'planes which fall in Class I, namely, the two Hawker " Cygnets," which took part in (and one of which won) last year's Daily Mail prize. According to the figures for empty weight obtained on the " official scales " at Lympne, the Hawker "Cygnet" weighed 421 lb. (191 kg.) empty, while the Farnborough " Cygnet " weighed 431 lb. (195 kg.). Presumably, therefore, these two machines will be entitled to go for world's records in Class I after May 1. The following light 'planes all fall in Class II : Avro " Avian " (Lympne type with " Genet " engine), Avro " Avis- Thrush," Blackburn " Bluebird-Genet," Bristol " Brownie- Cherub," Cranwell " C.L.A. 4-Cherub," de Havilland " Moth- Genet," Hawker " Cygnet-Cherub," Hawker Farnborough " Cygnet-Cherub," Parnall " Pixie Ill-Cherub," Short " Satellite-Cherub," Westland " Woodpigeon-Scorpion," and Westland " W7idgeon-Genet." The standard de Havilland " Moth " with " Cirrus " engine will probably fall in Class III, and it seems likely that the Avro " Avian " producton type with " Cirrus " engine will also be in Class III. THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MEMORIAL FUND THE first meeting of the year of the Executive Committee of the Fund was held at Iddesleigh House on February 1 7. The members present were :—Lord Hugh Cecil (Chairman) Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, D.B.E. ; Mrs. B. H. Barring- ton-Kennett ; Sir Charles McLeod, Bart. ; Air Marshal Sir John Salmond, K.C.B ; Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett, C.B. ; Air Vice-Marshal C. A. H. Longcroft, C.B. ; Air Com- modore A. E. Borton, C.B. ; Lieut.-Commander H. E. Perrin. The chief business before the Committee was the considera- tion of the Annual Report of the Fund for the year January 1 to December 31, 1926, together with the Accounts of the Fund and, likewise, the accounts of the Vanbrugh Castle School, which are kept separate from the General Account of the Fund. After due discussion, the Report and Accounts, as audited, both as regards the General Account and the Van- brugh Castle School Account, were approved, and the Honorary Treasurer, Sir Charles McLeod, Bart., and the Secretary were authorized to sign the accounts on behalf of the Executive Committee, and the Report, when ready (it is hoped at the end of March), will be published and copies sent throughout the Air Force, and to all Vice-Presidents, Members of the Committee, subscribers, and others. The Committee had under discussion the issue of a suitable small framed poster for distribution amongst the messes and institutions throughout the Royal Air Force, setting forth the objects of the Fund and what it has done in the past six and a-half years, and outlining its future activities. It was announced to the Committee that the Vanbrugh Castle School, Maze Hill, Blackheath, had reopened for the Spring Term on January 5 last, with a full complement of 38 boys. Air Commodore F. C. Halahan, C.M.G., Commandant of the Royal Air Force Cadet College, Cranwell, Lines, was elected a member of the Executive Committee. The next meeting of the Executive Committee is fixed for April 27, at 3 p.m. Air Transport Conference at Vienna AT the conference of the International Air Traffic Association which opened in Vienna on February 18, it was decided that the following three principal main lines should form the basis of European air traffic : the north-south line from Malmo, via Berlin, Vienna and Venice, to Rome ; the west-east line from Paris, via Berlin, to Moscow ; the more southerly line west-east from Geneva, via Munich, Vienna. Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest, to Constantinople. All these lines will commence this spring. An air post on the methods of the land post was discussed, and the introduction of a universal postage by air mail to popularise the air post. The Dutch delegate proposed Berne as the centre of the Furopean air-post traffic. It was agreed to issue an inter- national air-traveller's ticket which held good for all air lines, and to allow children less than one year of age free transit, half fares up to the age of seven, and full fares thereafter. There were various opinions on the length of notice required for the cancellation of an issued ticket. Russia advocated 48 hours' notice, and others 24 hours', besides 10 per cent, forfeit of fare. Luggage up to 15 lbs. would be carried free. The British companies place no limit on luggage above that weight, which can be conveyed for extra payment, but certain Continental companies using smaller machines 103 intend to do so in their territory. The air lines repudiated all responsibility for injuries, delays or other inconveniences during flight, and recommended a special insurance. A summer time-table was presented and adopted. Hungary and Switzerland were elected as new members to the Associa- tion, and Esthonia, Poland and Italy, though still not members, were represented. Civil Aviation and Disarmament AT the conference in Brussels of the Committee of aviation experts convened by the League of Nations, to which we referred in our last issue, the English delegates were in favour of military aviation causing no interference to civil aviation, but France, Poland, Rumania and Belgium seemed to consider the question purely from a military value point of view. The Committee passed resolutions that civil aviation should not be effected by the limitation to aerial armaments, and should be directed solely towards economic ends, and be independent of military interests. Further, that if States intervened in aviation they should do so with separate departments for both divisions. It was desirable, they declared, that States should not prescribe military features for civil aircraft, so that the latter should have a high factor of safety and economic advantage.
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