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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0309.PDF
F igiit, April 3, 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. 1162. (Vol. XXIII. No. 14.) APRIL 3, 1931 r Weekly, Price 6d.l_Post 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 .. J8-75. Other Countries .. 35s. Od* * Foreign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency (Set last ..,,,: Editorial Page.) CONTENTS -o-Editorial Comment: PAGE The Simon Report on R101 285The Interceptor 287 Lockheed " Vega " 8R 101 Simon Inquiry Report 290 The New Pobjoy Engine 2Airport News 293 Private Flying and Club News 295Gliding 6 Air Transport 7Group Insurance at Blackburn's .. .. . . . . .. .. 298 Correspondence . . .. . . .. .. .. .. . . 299Airisms from the Four Winds . . . . .. . . .. .. 300 Inter-Services Rugby . .. 302Royal Air Force 303 In Parliament 3Air Post Stamps 4 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:— Opening of Surrey Ae.C, Gatwick Aerodrome.Air Pageant, Wallingford Aerodrome. Air League Children's Fete, Hanworth Air Park.British Schools' Aviation Day, Hedon Aerodrome, Hull.W.R.A.F. Reunion Dinner, Florence Restaurant. National Aircraft Show, Detroit, U.S.AFlying Meeting, Yorks. Ae.C., Sherburn-in-Elmet. "The Present Position in Aeronautics." Howard Lecture by Dr. N. A. V. Piercy, before R.Soc. ofArts "Aircraft Noise." Lecture, by Dr. A. H. Davis,before R.Ae.S. Air Rally, Aston Clinton, Bucks.No. 55 Sqdn. R.A.F. Reunion Dinner, Park Lane Hotel."The Present Position in Aeronautics." Howard Lecture, by Dr. N. A. V. Piercy, before R. Soc.of Arts. Air League Annual Dinner, at Dorchester House,Park Lane. Sailplane Club's Dance, Suffolk Galleries.Closing date of British Empire Trade Exhibition, Buenos Aires."The Present Position in Aeronautics." Howard Lecture, by Dr. N. A. V. Piercy, before R. Soc. ofArts. "Aerodynamics of Sails." Lecture, by Dr. M.Carry, before R.Ae.S. Flying Meeting. Southern Ae.C., Shoreham.Flying Meeting, Bridgend, Glam. "Metal-Clad Airship." Lecture, by C. Fritsche,before R.Ae.S. Stockholm Aero Show. Start of Whitsun Continental Cruise, Heston.Northamptonshire Ae.C. Flying Meeting at Sywell. London-Newcastle Air Race, for " Newcastle Even-ing World " Trophy. Newcastle-Heston Air Race. 1931April AprilApril April 4.6. 7.11. April 11.April 11-19 April 12.April 13. April AprilApril April April AprilApril April April MayMay May 16. 18.18. 20. 22. 25.27. 27. 30. 3.9. 14. May 15-31.May 23. May 25-26Mar 30. May 30. EDITORIAL COMMENT HE Report of the Court of Inquiry held by Sir John Simon into the cause of the terrible disaster to the airship R101 has at last been published. It is a most admirable piece of work. It covers the whole field, and recounts, so far as a first examination enables us to judge, practically every fact and circumstance which can have any bearing on the disaster. It is written in a fine literary style which makes it intensely interesting to read ; and it would not be rash to prophesy that it will TRe or^on rival the rePOrt On India b>' mother ]^ i0j Simon Commission as a " best seller." The evidence is collected and arranged in the masterly judicial style which we associate with the work of Sir John, and as a result we can feel an assurance that the main cause of the catastrophe has. been discovered. No doubt can remain, after studying the Report, that R101 was brought down to earth by a loss of gas. Other circumstances contributed to the disaster. Had the weather been less stormy, the heavy con- dition of the airship might have been realised in time to take steps which would have averted the accident. Had the crisis not occurred just after the watch had been changed, again something might have been done which would have kept the ship from striking the ground. But the main conclusion to be drawn is that it was an abnormal and unprecedented loss of gas which caused the airship to crash to earth, and, had that loss not occurred, she might well have weathered the storm and reached the fine weather which awaited her in the Mediterranean. The Report, quite rightly, deals very tenderly with the reputations of those who lost their lives. Had anyone been clearly culpable, it might have been necessary for the sake of posterity, to point that fact out clearly. But Lord Thomson insisted again and again that the experts in charge of the ship must run no risks on account of his desire to make the trip within certain dates. That clears him of blame. Colmore and Scott were men whose caution and whose almost meticulous desire to omit no point which could make for safety were beyond all question. They believed that the journey could be undertaken
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