FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0181.PDF
Flight, February 27, 1931 HIM A1RCRAFTINGINEER 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. 1157. (Vol. XXIII. No. 9.) FEBRUARY 27, 1931 r Weekly, Price 6d.; Post free, 7*d. Abroad, 8d. Editorial Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, V/.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. Od.* * Foreign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency [See last Editorial Page.) CONTENTS Editorial Comment: PAGEThe " Iris " Inquest 173 Short "Kent" 175Gloster S.S.19 6 Catapult Launching .. . . .. .. • • • • • - 177 P.B. Deviator .. .. .. .. -. •• •• •• 180 Royal Aero Club Official Notices 181 Mrs. Victor Bruce's Return . . . . .. . • . • • • 182 THE AIRCRAFT ENGINEER .. .. .. .. .. •• •• 184a Private Flying and Club News .. .. .. .. . • • • 185 Air Transport 186 Gliding 9 Airisms from the Four Winds .. - • •. • • • • • • 19U Airport News .. •• - •• •• •• -• •• 191 Correspondence .. .. .. . • • • • • • • • • ISIInter-Services Rugby Tournament . . .. • • • • • • 192 Royal Air Force .. .. .. 193Aircraft Companies'Stocks and Shares .. .. .. .. •- 194 DIARY OF CURRENT AND FORTHCOMING EVENTS Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the iaUs of importantfixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in this list— 1931Feb. 27 " Aircraft Light Alloys." Lecture, by H. Sutton, before R.Ae.S., Hull.Feb. 27 British Gliding Association Annual General Meeting. Mar.4.. " Meteorology and Air Navigation," R.U.S.I. Lecture,by Lt.-Comdr. J. W. Josselyn. 3 p.m. Mar. 5 " Mechanical Testing of Aircraft Materials." Lecture,by L. W. Nethercott, before R.Ae.S. (Glos. and Chelt.)Mar. 7 Sailplane Club and Model Aircraft Club Joint Dance at Suffolk GalleriesMar. 12 " Metals," Lecture, by W. J. Norton, before Westland Aircraft Soc.Mar. 14 Opening of British Empire Trade Exhibition, Buenos Aires.Mar. 14 Association Football : R.A.F. v. Army. Mar. 14 No. 10 Sqdn. R.F.C. and R.A.F.(Reunion Dinner at YeOld Pindar of Wakeneld, Grays Inn Road. Mar. 19 "Research in the Berlin Technlsche Hochschule,"Lecture, by Dr. W. Hoff, before R.Ae.S. Mar. 19 "Care and Maintenance of Engines." Lecture, byK. Smith before R Ae.S. (Gios. and Chelt.). Mar. 25 R.Ae.C. Annual General Meeting.Mar.27 "Flying of High Speed Seaplanes," Lecture, by Sqdn.-Ldr. A. H. Orlebar, before R.Ae.S., Hull.Mar, 28 Association Football: R.A.F. v. R.N. & R.M., Millwali. Mar. 28 Rugby Football: R.A.F. v. Army at Twickenham,3 p.m. April U-19 National Aircraft Show, Detroit, U.S.A.April 16 " Aircraft Noise," Lecture, by Dr. A. H. Davis, before R.Ae.S.April 27 Closing date of British Empire Trade Exhibition, Buenos Aires.April30 " Aerodynamics of Sails," Lecture, by Dr. M. Curry, ^ before R.Ae.S. May 14 " Metal-Clad Airship," Lecture, by C. Frltsche, before R.Ae.S. EDITORIAL COMMENT HE whole country was shocked when the " Iris " of No. 209 (Flying Boat) Squadron crashed into Batten Bay, on February 4, with twelve on board, and killed six of them. The record of flying boats in the Royal Air Force has been so good for so many years past, that it was generally felt that something very unusual must have happened. There are some branches of flying in which, sad to say, we have come to expect a certain number of The "Iris" casua-lties eacn vear- Perhaps there Inquest *s something wrong with those branches. We should like to think that all flying was a reasonably safe occupation in time of peace. But pilots themselves accept crashes in much the same way as cavalry officers regard a toss in the hunting field. We have come to accept the point of view that fighter pilots, for example, must be very daring men, or they would not be any good as fighter pilots ; and certainly the line between daring and rashness is a very fine one. Rashness in an aero- plane is commoftly paid for much more dearly than rashness in the hunting field, and so a number of Royal Air Force casualties is accepted as the price which we pay for what security in the air we may possess. We should very much like to think that the price paid is unnecessarily high ; but if that is so, it means that there is room for improvement in the methods of the Royal Air Force. When, last summer, a " Bulldog " collided with a " Horsley " in a practice fight, a horrified civilian who happened to be in the vicinity that day, asked an Air Force officer whether anyone would be court martialled, as is always done in the case of a naval officer who does not prevent his ship from colliding with another. The reply was that there would probably be no court martial, as the officer in question did not mean to cause a collision. However, in a more recent case of a collision between two " Siskins," the surviving officer was court martialled and was acquitted. This procedure shows an improvement in practice in the Royal Air Force. But, when we turn from fighter squadrons to flying-boat squadrons, we change our atmosphere.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
