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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0159.PDF
Flight, February 20, 1931 AIRCRAFT ENGINEER AND AIRSHIPS 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 No. 1156. (Vol. XXIII. No. 8.) FEBRUARY 20, 1931 r Weekly, Price 6d.LPost free, 7*d. Abroad, 8d. Editorial Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C.2. Telephone : (2 lines), Holborn 3211 and 1884. Telegrams : Truditur, Westcent, London. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom .. 33s. Od. United States .. $8-75. Other Countries .. 35s. 0d.» • Foreign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency [See last Editorial Page.) CONTENTS Editorial Comment Aerial Defence in France Air Exercises Falcon IV Baker Wind Indicator All-Metal Airships Airport News Private. Flying Gliding i .. Air Transport Airisms from the Four Winds Some Irvin Airchute Statistics Calculation of Airscrew Characteristics Air Ministry Notices The Design of Service Aeroplanes In Parliament Models PAGE 153 154 156 157 157 158 160 161 163 166 167 168 170 170 171 172 DIARY OF CURRENT AND FORTHCOMING EVENTS Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the dates of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in this list— Rugby Football R.A.F. v. Navy at Twickenham." Land and Air Defence Forces of Australia," R U.S.I. Lecture, by Maj.-Gen. J. H. Brurhe, 3 p.m." Meteorological Aspects of Gliding and Soaring," Lecture, by Capt. F. Entwistle, before R.Ae.S. andB.G.A. " Latest Aircraft Instrument Developments," Lecture, by Ma). C. J. Stewart, before Westland Aircraft Soc."Motor Fuels and Modern Methods of Testing." Lecture, by Anglo American Oil Co., Ltd., beforeRAe.S. (Glos. and Chelt.). " Aircraft Light Alloys." Lecture, by H. Sutton, beforeR.Ae.S., Hull. British Gliding Association Annual General Meeting." Meteorology and Air Navigation," R.U.S.I. Lecture, by Lt.-Comdr. J. W. Josselyn. 3 p.m." Mechanical Testing of Aircraft Materials." Lecture, by L. W. Nethercott, before R.Ae.S. (Glos. andChelt.) Sailplane Club and Model Aircraft Club Joint Danceat Suffolk Galleries " Metals," Lecture, by W. J. Norton, before WestlandAircraft Soc. Opening of British Empire Trade Exhibition, BuenosAires. Association Football : R.A.F. v. Army.'Research in the Berlin Technische Hochschule," H .,, „ Lecture, by Dr. W. Hoff, before R.Ae.S. •'* Care and Maintenance of Engines." Lecture, byvlnr 9? »• Smltn before R.Ae.S. (Glos. and Chelt.). " *° ?>-Ae-C- Annual General Meeting.Flying of High Speed Seaplanes," Lecture, by Sqdn.-Ldr. A. H. Orlebar, before R.Ae.S., Hull.Association Football: R.A.F. v. R.N. & R.M., Millwall. Kugby Football: R.A.F. v. Army at Twickenham, it3 p.m.' Aircraft Noise," Lecture, by Dr. A. H. Davis, before R-Ae.S. Feb. 21 Feb.25 Feb.26 Feb.26 Feb.26 Feb. 27 Feb.27 Mar. 4. Mar. 5 Mar. 7 Mar. 12 Mar. 14 Mar. uMar. 19 nr. 25 Mar, 2? Mar. 2s; M EDITORIAL COMMENT HE position of service aeronautics in France is not easy to understand. The Republic has an Air Ministry, with our good friend, Sir Laurent Eynac, G.B.E., at its head. But it has no Air Force in the sense in which Great Britain has one. France retains a military flying corps and a naval flying corps, the former naturally being much the larger and more important. To what extent these two branches of the two fighting services were under the control of a civilian Defence1 in ^r Minister was never quite clear France. to us on the north of the English Channel. One could hardly expect Sir Laurent to be an authority on military co-opera- tion and also on naval co-operation. He is, we understand, an authority on technical development and on civil flying, and on air matters generally ; but the fighting services require special knowledge of their needs, and this knowledge can only become indirectly available to a civilian. Evidently, the short-comings of the recent system have been realised, for Marshal Petain has been appointed Inspector-General of Aerial Defence. It seems that the Ministry for Air co-operated with the Ministries for War and Marine in requesting that steps should be taken to co-ordinate the air defences of the country. We may, therefore, con- clude that the new arrangement is, at the least, not unwelcome to Sir Laurent Eynac. What is rather puzzling to us is the statement that the Marshal is to have complete control of all branches of air defence, including personnel and materiel. There seems little left for the Air Minister to control except civil flying, which is scarcely a full-time job for a Minister. Marshal Petain is the greatest surviving commander of the great war. There have always been authorities who held him to be a greater soldier than was the late Marshal Foch. It is natural that France, when selecting one man to be head of her aerial defences should have chosen a soldier. France must always be primarily a military nation, even though her navy also needs to hold a front-rank position. It
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