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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0351.PDF
Flight, April 17, 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. 1164. (Vol. XXIII. No. 16.) APRIL 17, 1931 r Weekly, Price 6d.[.Post free, 7id. Abroad, 8d. Editorial Offices: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C.2. Telephone : (2 lines), Holborn 3211 and 1884. Telegrams : Truditur, Westeent, 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 o- Editorial Comment : PAGEMr. Scott's Flight to Australia 327 Irak's FIving Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328Paniall Parasol Monoplane . . . . . . . . .. ,. 3'29 Correspondence .. .. . . .. . . .. .. .. 331England-Australia in 9i days . . . . . . . . . . . . 332 Records Come and Records Go . . .. .. . . .. 333Stout " Sky Car" 334 A.B.C. " Hornet " Modified 335Bloudek XV Low-Wing Monoplane .. .. . . . . .. 336 The Iraq Flying Corps ' .. 337 Private Flying and Club News 338 Gliding ' 339 Airport News .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 341Air Transport 342 A Docking Device for Airships : By Ernest Pitman .. .. . . 343Present Position in Aeronautics : By Dr. N. A. V. Piercy . . . . 344 Airisms from the Four Winds ' .. .. 345Wireless and Aircraft 347 Air Ministry Notices . . .. . . .. . . .. .. 348Royal Air Force 9 The Industry 350 DIARY OF CURRENT AND FORTHCOMING EVENTSClub Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the dates of important fixtures art' invited to send particulars for inclusion in this list :—1931 April 18. Air Rally, Aston Clinton, Bucks.April 18. No. 55 Sqdn. R.A.F. Reunion Dinner, Park Lane Hotel.April 20. "The Present Position in Aeronautics." Howard Lecture, by Dr. N. A. V. Piercy, before R. Soc.of Arts. April 22. Air League Annual Dinner, at Dorchester House,Park Lane. April 25. Sailplane Club's Dance, Suffolk Galleries.April 27. Closing date of British Empire Trade Exhibition, Buenos Aires.April 27. "The Present Position in Aeronautics." Howard Lecture, by Dr. N. A. V. Piercy, before R. Soc. of Arts.April 30. "Aerodynamics of Sails." Lecture, by Dr. M. Curry', before R.Ae.S.May 1-4. International Aviation Meeting, Pilsen, Czechoslo- vakia.May 3. Flying Meeting. Southern Ae.C, Shoreham. May 9. Flying Meeting, Bridgend, Glam.May 14. "Metal-Clad Airship." Lecture, by C. Fritsche, before R.Ae.S.May 15-31. Stockholm Aero Show. :«ay 16. Reading Ae.C. Meeting.May 23. Start of Whitsun Continental Cruise, Heston. May25-26. Northamptonshire Ae.C. Flying Meeting at Sywell.la" 30. Heston-Newcastle Air Race, for " Newcastle Evening World " Trophy.6. Brooklands Air Meeting. 8. International Rally, Bucharest.20. Flying Display and Air Pageant, Bristol Airport. 26. R.A.F. Dinner Club Annual Dinner. May" - une •'meJune J,-ne 1 27- R.A.F. Displav.Jj-<y 10-19. circuit of Italy. J'.-V 25. King's Cup Race.S 5* HaIdon Flying Meeting. Schid Th CtS .5 adonu. Schneider Trophy Contest. EDITORIAL COMMENT C. W. A. SCOTT is receiving con- gratulations from all quarters on his fine feat in beating the record set up by Air Commodore Kingsford Smith between England and Australia. While we gladly join in the chorus of congratulations, we are also con- cerned with the lessons, if any, of this and of other notable flights. Records by them- selves are rather futile things. We have no admix __ tion for flying records which prove nothing and teach nothing except the hardihood ofM Fiilht°to S the individual pilot. A record number Australia °f continuous loops, for example, seems to us about as useful as dancing records which were so fashionable in America a few years ago, in which a couple would gyrate for so many days and nights without pausing. Flights across the Atlantic are, as a rule, not only useless, but actually reprehen- sible. But Hinkler's flight to Australia was useful in many ways, and so was Kingsford Smith's. Is the flight of Mr. Scott to be classed among those, or above those flights, or below them ? In so much as Scott has lowered the record by a few hours, the flight seems to us of little importance, except as a personal feat of skill and endurance and as a further reliability test of the various units which go to make up the machine and engine as a whole. But there is certainly something very impressive in the number of pilots who now get through from England to Australia. Most of these flights have been made on light aeroplanes, and each success adds something to the reputation of the light aeroplane as a practical means of transport. Each fast flight also has its value, not so much on its own merits, but as adding to the sum total of fast flights. We have now had the flight by Hinkler, that by Kingsford Smith and party in a Fokker, that by Miss Johnson, that by Matthews, that by Kingsford Smith in an Avian, and now this flight by Scott in a Gipsy Moth. The number is mounting up, and it is the number of fast flights rather than the actual record which is doing good service to the cause of air trans- port. From this point of view, this flight of Scott would have been just as useful if he had just failed to
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