FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0064.PDF
BUS JANUARY 10, 1929 IT was inevitable that the project of the Channel Tunnel would be revived since aviation has come into its own. The one point with which the anti-tunnellists successfully clinched their arguments was always the bogie of invasion of England via this conduit pipe—in spite of all precautions for flooding from the British side so elaborately provided for. That eventuality has no longer any significance, relatively, as it is now universally recognised that England is not only no longer an island, but that with aircraft, she is probably, via the air, the most vulnerable power in the world for any really determined foe to attack at her heart centre. Therefore have the tunnellists a fair chance of at last seeing their pet scheme come into being—much to the relief of many mal-de- mev victims, and probably to the great benefit of British industrial interests. ONE thought should be well to the fore in the calculations of the promoters in regard to revenue, and that is that travel by aircraft across the streak is likely to be quite a serious factor in the coming years, and likely to be well established long before the possibility of the opening of the tunnel. IN this connection, the following remark, attributed to Lady Cecil Bingham, one of the opponents of the scheme, is of significance. Lady Bingham said : " I hate being in the dark underground, and the idea of some time there appals me. Also I like the variety of the boat ; one gets bored in a train. I would far sooner go by aeroplane than by the tunnel." M. LAURENT EYNAC. the French Minister for Air, is a man of opinions, and has, for all the years he was connected with official French aviation, shown himself tn be a broad- minded far-seeing enthusiast of the realm of the yir which he has made his study, and now that he has been induced to again take charge of aviation the other side of the channel he has swept aside the foolish regulations hitherto in force that French machines only might be used by C.I.D.N.A. (and others) on their Paris-Bucharest air-line As M. Eynac insists, there is nothing like gaining experience from com- parison with their own machines side by side with other countries' productions. This may appear to be a reflection upon French construction, but better that than the nation should remain in an ostrich-like state of blissful ignorance. " AND the Cow Jumped Over the Moon " has always appealed to one as a delightfully absurd impossibility (except, perhaps, when we were verv young), yet, in these modern days of science, while the cow may not actually soar to such giddy heights, this feat may come a little nearer attainment ! In other words, more than 1,500,000 cattle, will contribute to the making of each of the two 6,500,000 cub. ft. airships which will be built for the U.S. Navy by the Good year- Zeppelin Corporation of America. This contribution consists in the furnishing of " gold beater skin " for the gas bags of these airships. " Gold beater skin," it may be mentioned, is a small tough section of the intestine of a "teer, possessing remarkable strength combined with lightness of texture and " gas-tight " qualities. Each skin is only from 15 to 30 ins. long by 6 or 8 ins. wide, hence the large number of cattle required for their little joy-ride towards the moon. THE report that the Doncaster Town Council has notified the Air Ministry that they endorse the proposal to establish municipal aerodromes revives old memories of that go-ahead town. For it was as early as 1909 that Doncaster, in spite of the absence of official backing, organised one of the first Flying Meetings ever held in this country. This meeting opened on October 15 and continued—more or less success- fully—until October 26, simultaneously with the Blackpool Meeting. NATURALLY, the latter event, which was officially recog- nised by the Royal Aero Club, claimed the larger share of attention, and also pilots and machines—and goodness knows there were not many of either available in those days— but for all that, Doncaster managed to get together a handful of well-known pioneers. One of these was S. F. Cody with his flying " Bamboo Bungalow," and others that come to mind were Delagrange, Roger Sommer, Le Blon, and Molon. So you see, Doncaster was up to date even in those days. IT was interesting to watch a Handley Page air-liner land in the fog at Croydon on Monday. It could not be seen from the ground at all, and was not detected until, to every- body's surprise, it taxied in out of the fog whilst the warning bombs were still being fired. There was a small load of passengers, and, as usual, they included a lady. WHAT hardy men our Imperial Airway pilots must be. They fly in open cockpits even in winter. The machine mentioned above is deeply scooped on the side of the cockpits, and there are no side windscreens, leaving an exceptionally exposed position, one would think. I HEAR that the transfer of the Leeds branch of the Blackburn Aeroplane Company to their Brough works and aerodrome is well forward now. The little village of Brough and the surrounding rural districts must welcome this move, and Leeds, of course, must regret it. AEOLUS I" FLIGHT " Photographs NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES : A Breguet type 14 A.2 has recently been fitted at Cricklewood with Handley Page automatic wing tip slots. We do not know what Mr. Cordes thought of testing the machine, but the photographs show that there are plenty of other cords (a piano) on board to help in the work. : 28
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
