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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 1045.PDF
NOVEMBER 8, 1928 0 50 CO 150 gOO WILES AMSTERDAM iSELS _^--'•"•"-"*.. LUXEMBURG \ PRAHA WHAT FLIGHT-LIEUT. D'ARCY GREIG'S SPEED REPRESENTS : On the left is shown a circle of 319 57 miles' radius, having London as its centre, which represents the area within reach of the S.5 in 1 hour's flying. On the right-hand map Geneva has been taken as the centre, and the area included represents the points that could have been reached in 2 hours' flying. It will be noted that quite a number of European capitals come with 2 hours' range of Geneva. Calshot Castle some 200 ft. above the water. It was but a momentary vision, for at once it began to dwindle again to a group of three dots, which climbed once more to 1,300 ft. over Southampton. It was hard to keep the machine in sight as it banked and turned, but soon a trail of black smoke showed that D'Arcy Greig had commenced another of those amazing dives. An expert beside me exclaimed " If he can keep up that performance, the record is ours ! " He felt sure that the speed was far higher than that shown in the race at Venice. But eyesight is very- deceptive when one is trying to estimate tremendous speeds. No doubt the speed was higher than any seen at Venice, but it was not 323 m.p.h. Six times did D'Arcy Greig flash along the course, and each time his dive was a sight to enjoy and to remember. There was, of course, no need for him to display consummate skill in cornering, as the Schneider pilots had to do, but in dealing with the job in hand his performance could not. I believe, have been bettered. When he had finished his sixth course he climbed, and threw his machine into a vertical bank over the top of Calshot Castle, just to give the spectators a little variety. Then he glided down and travelled for perhaps a couple of miles with his floats a few feet above the water before he settled down and stopped his engine. He was towed back, and was greeted on' the slipway with loud applause. He said at once that he was not too optimistic over a record, though when asked what speed he had attained on the dives he said that he had not looked at the indicator. The timekeepers, Mr. Reynolds and Col. Lindsay Lloyd, found that the best four laps were the second, third, fourth and fifth, and the times were :— Second run—519-230 k.p.h. = 322-630 m.p.h. Third ,, —509-433 ,, = 316-540 ,. Fourth ,, —514-285 ,, =319 560 ., Fifth ,, — Same as fourth Average of the four runs : 514-308 k.p.h. =- 319-570 m.p.h. D'Arcy Greig had travelled faster than any human being has travelled before under official timing, but he had failed to exceed the Italian figures by the necessary 8 kms. per hour, and Bernardi's record therefore stands. It remains to be seen what the Air Ministry will decide to do about it. The business of the High Speed Flight is to develop high speed, and no doubt the flight will get on with its job. (>ther propellers may be tried out on the machines and the camera guns of the Royal Air Force may show that higher speeds than the figure attained last Sunday are within our power. But with the winter coming on apace, probably everyone will hope that no more official attacks on the record will be undertaken for the next four or five months. Flight-Lieut. David D'Arcy Greig, D.F.C., was born on February 1. 1900. at Xewspynil, Elgin, and was educated by a private tutor. He was a Cadet, R.A.F. (Xo, 1 Officers' Cadet Wing, St. Leonards) from February 6 to August 20, 1918—Xo. 1 Officers' Cadet Wing. St. Leonards, February 2 ; Xo 1 School of Aeronautics, Reading, March 12 ; No. 190 Training Squadron, June 15 ; Xo. 191 Training Squadron, July 6. On August 20, 1918, he was appointed 2nd Lieut., R.A.F., and was graiited a Permanent Commission as Flying Officer on September 9, 1919, and Flight-Lieut, on January 1, 1927. He has been posted in the following squadrons, etc. :— 83 Squadron, France, August 28, 1918; 191-192 Training Squadrons, October, 1918 ; Xo. 1 Stores Depot, Xovember, 1918: 3 Boys' Training Centre' May, 1919; 6 Squadron, Iraq, March,' 1920 ; Royal Air Force Base, Calshot (Air Pilotage Course), January, 1923 ; 24 Squadron (Flying duties), May, 1923 ; Flying Instruction Course, September, 1923 ; Posted to Central Flying School as Flying Instructor, June, 1924 ; Headquarters' Fighting Area, May, 1927. His war service dated from February 6, 1918, to November 11, 1918, and he served overseas during the war (28.8.18 to 8.10.18) in France, and in Iraq from February 13, 1920, to January 14, 1924. While with No. 83 Squadron on September 21, 1918, he was shot down on a F.E.2B, and walked back through the German lines, a distance of 13 miles. Made a parachute drop on April 22, 1927. Honours Awards.—D.F.C. 28.10.21. For distinguished service in the field in Mesopotamia. A New Air Line to Prague SPEAKING at a dinner of the Czech Society of Great Britain on November 6, Sir Samuel Hoare stated that a regular air service would, subject to the final arrangement of certain minor details, start next spring between London and Prague, enabling travellers to make the journey in about 8 hours. Railways in the Air BRITISH railways, it is reported, are considering an early application to Parliament for powers to operate air services. The general managers of the railway companies met at Euston on November 6 to consider the question. It is hinted that speedy developments may follow, and it has even been suggested that some of the big railway plants may be employed for producing aircraft. Manchester Municipal Aerodrome ON November 6, official sanction was received from the Air Ministry for the establishment of an aerodrome for the Manchester district on Chat Moss. Manchester is thus the first city to have a municipal aerodrome. Others, please copy. 967 c 2
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