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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0405.PDF
Flight, May 1, 1931 AIRCRAFTENG1NEERAND 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. 1166. (Vol. XXIII. No. 18.) MAY 1, 1931 r Weekly, Price 6d.[.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 Other Countries .. 35s. Od* * Foreign subscriptions must be remitted in British currency Editorial Page.) CONTENTS Editorial Comment: The Land of the Five Seas The City of Bristol and its Squadron Junkers " Jumo 4 " Takes the Air Fizir " A.F.2" Canadian " Cub " .. Royal Aero Club Official Notices . . Airport News A Dinner to Some Pioneers Private Flying and Club News Gliding Book Reviews Air Transport: The Airways of Asia Airisms from the Four Winds Aircraft Noise: by Dr. A. H. Davis Correspondence Royal Air Force Air Ministry Notices In Parliament Air Post Stamps J8-75. (See last PAGE 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 383 384 386 39(1 391 394 395 39S 395 396 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:— 1931 May 1-4. International Aviation Meeting, Pilsen, Czechoslo-vakia. May 3. Flying Meeting. Southern Ae.C., Shoreham by-Sea.May 9. Flying Meeting, Bridgend, Glam. May 9. Model Engineer Cup Competition, Sudbury.May 14. "Metal-Clad Airship." Lecture, by C. Fritsche, before R.Ae.S.May 14. "Petrol Engines for Models" Lecture by E. T. Westbury, before T.M.A.C., Junior Inst. Engi-neers, Victoria Street, S.W.I. May 15-31. Stockholm Aero Show.May 16. Reading Ae.C. Meeting. May 23. Start of Whitsun Continental Cruise, Heston.May 24. N.F.S. Air Pageant, Nottingham. May25-26. Northamptonshire Ae.C. Flying Meeting at SyweU.May 30. Heston-Newcastle Air Race, for " Newcastle Evening World " Trophy.May 31. N.F.S. Air Pageant, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorks. June 6. Brooklands Air Meeting.June 7. N.F.S. Air Pageant. Hull. June 8. International Rally, Bucharest.June 20. Flying Display and Air Pageant, Bristol Airport. June 21. N.F.S. Air Pageant, Reading.June 26. R.A.F. Dinner Club Annual Dinner. June 27. Royal Air Force Display, Hendon.July 8-11. Blackpool International Meeting. July 10-19. Circuit of Italy.July 22. Household Brigade Flying Club Meeting, Heston. July 25. King's Cup Race.July 25-Aug. 9. Rhon Gliding Competitions, Germany. Sept. 5. Haldon Flying Meeting.Sept. 12. Schneider Trophy Contest. EDITORIAL COMMENT N Tudor times, when men used to talk about the Great Cham of Tartary and Prester John, the merchant adven- turers were strongly attracted to sail Eastward Ho! by their firm belief in the riches of " the Indies." Since we have taken over the administra- tion of India, we have come to realise that Asiatic countries are not as a rule rich in the sense in which Great Britain and France are rich. Asiatic countries are mainly agricultural, and to develop c.fthe their aSricultural wealth to the full Five Seas needs very careful administration by rulers trained in Western methods of government, backed by the skill and enterprise of European scientists and engineers. We do not treat the agriculturist as a cow to be milked dry for the benefit of his rulers. We do all that is possible to increase his prosperity. We found the Punjab largely an arid desert. Our irrigation engineers have con- verted it into a vast granary. These methods were not followed by the Asiatic Emperors who preceded u? in ruling India, and they are not now followed by those who are attempting to rule China. Whence then, it may be asked, arose the fable of the wealth of the Indies and Cathay? The answer to the question may be found by studying the transport methods of past days. The producing countries along the southern coast of Asia are cut off from the countries of Europe by a series of desert stretches. These could only be crossed, slowly and painfully, by caravans, the main vehicle of commerce (if the word " vehicle " may be so used) being the camel. It was not a commercial proposition to transport grain or timber on camel- back. The articles of commerce chosen for export to the West had to be small in bulk but valuable in proportion to their bulk. Consequently it was jewels, spices, and costly woven fabrics which reached the marts of Europe, and gave the Eliza- bethan merchants an altogether fallacious view of the staple products of Asia. The traders of Asia were quite alive to the advant- ages of substituting sea transport for caravan trans- port wherever it was possible. The caravan routes 6 2
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