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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0857.PDF
Flight, November 10, 1927 AIRCRAFT&NGINEEFL First Aeronautical Weekly in the World. Founded January, 1909. Founder and Editor : STANLEY SPOONER A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM N«. 985. (No. 45. Vol. XIX.) NOVEMBER 10, 1927 [Weekly, Price 6d.|_ Post free, 7d. FligRt The A ircraft Engineer and A irships EdOon*. Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.t.2Telephone : Gerrard 1828. TelcgTams : Truditur, Westcent, London. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free.United Kingdon .. 30s. id. Abroad .. .. 33s. 0d* * Foreign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency. CONTENTS Editorial Comment: PAGE On the Right Track 773 Gone—but not for Long .. .. . . . . . . . . 774 Sir Charles Wakefield Survey Flight .. .. .. .. .. 776 Private Flying : Touring Europe in a Wcstland Widgeon .. .. 779 Light 'Plane Clubs 782 Colonel Lindbergh's Own Story.. .. .. .. .. .. 783 Airisms From the Four Winds .. .. .. .. .. .. 784 Royal Air Force .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. 785 Air Post Stamps.. 786 Personal* 786 Air Ministry Notice .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 786 EDITORIAL COMMENT. "FLIGHT" PHOTOGRAPHS. To those desirous of obtaining copies of "Flight" Photographs, these can be supplied, enlarged or otherwise, upon application to Photo. Department, 36, Great Queen Street, W.C.2 For Sizes and Prices, see Advert, on page xxii. DIART OF FORTHCOMING EVENT8 Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the dates of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in this list :— 1927 Nov. 15 .... R.Ae.S. and I.Ae.E. House Dinner and Discussion, at Roval Ae.C. Nov. 17 .... " The use of the Wind Tunnel in the Predic- tion of Aeroplane Performance." Mr. R. E. Pierson, before R.Ae.E. and I.Ae.E. Nov. 24 .... " Modern Developments in Aircraft Instru- ments." Maj. C. J. Stewart, before R.Ae.S. and I.Ae.E. NOT. 29 ... First Meeting of Associated Club's General Council, at Royal Ae.C. Dec. 1 .... " The Problem of the Long Range Flying Boat." Maj. J. D. Rennie, before R.Ae.S. and I.Ae.E. Dec. 2 .... No. SSqdn. R.F.C. and No. 3 (F.ghtsr) Sqdn., R.A.F. 4th Reunion Dinner, at T ocadero. Dec. 7 .... "Air Power and its Applicati n." Group- Capt. W. F. MacNeece Foster, Royal United Service In«t. Dec. 8 .... ' Fog." Capt. F. Entwistle, before R.Ae.S. and I.Ae.E. ETTER late than never" is a proverb which seems to apply parti- cularly to British seaplane develop- ment. For several years after the war, and necessarily to a large extent during the war when there was little opportunity for development work of a specialised nature, the seaplane type of aircraft was sadly neglected in this country. This applied to the flying boat particularly, but also to some extent to the twin-float sea- plane, although in the case of the latter, Track tne problems were not, perhaps, quite so difficult, owing to the greater simi- larity to the landplane. Practical experience up to that time rather indicated that the flying boat was a somewhat inefficient craft, in point of useful load per horse-power, compared with the landplane. Moreover, development of the flying boat involved a great deal of research and experimental work, and in view of the rather doubtful efficiencies which might ultimately be achieved, there was great temptation to take the line of least resistance and devote atten- tion to the type which was most likely to give imme- diate promise of progress. Consequently the land- plane was the type to be chosen for the opening of civil aviation routes, and was the type with which the change from military to commercial aviation was made. We have now7 reached a stage where safety and reliability have been attained to an extent which could scarcely have been foreseen when, in 1919, the old " Air Transport and Travel " company, mainly through the heroic efforts of its pilots, suc- ceeded in operating the first English commercial air route. As the machines employed were in many cases military types converted into passenger carriers, or at most designed before the commercial require- ments were understood, it was small wonder that the pioneer company failed to make a commercial success of its air lines. It did, however, gain a lot of very valuable experience in the operation of aircraft over one of the worst routes in Europe. Subsequent air routes, including those still operated by Imperial Airways, were in the main content to follow the lead established in 1919, and apparently no one thought B 2
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