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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0530.PDF
FLIGHT, JUNE 5, 1S:?I Long flights across an ocean in a single-engined landplane must be put into the first category. We use the words " single-engined " and " landplane with some hesitation, for we do not forget that a single-engined aeroplane which has a reserve of power above what it needs for cruising speed has its advantages. We are also aware that in a heavy- Atlantic storm a flying boat of any existing type would probably not remain afloat for any very lengthy period. At the same time we cannot forget that all the three-engined Fokkejg which have stt- tempted the crossing of the Atlantic and ihc Pacific have brought their crews safely to land ; and also that several crews of flying boats (e.g., Locatelli, Courtney, Franco, and two of the consorts of Com- mander Read) would probably not now be alive if they had not been flying in boats. Among the single- engined landplanes the proportion of fatalities in the Atlantic and Pacific has been appalling. Capt. Costes made a good point when he instanced the risks taken by Bleriot on his first flight across the Channel ; but the circumstances then were excep- tional, and various precautions were taken to mini- mise the risks. We are not immutably opposed io the taking of certain risks by pioneers, as apart from regular " stunt " pilots and record-breakers. Pioneering is a cause, and stunt flying is not. On the other hand, long-distance flights by landplanes over land do not necessarily involve an undue amount of risk ; at least not more than is worth taking in order to test out the capabilities of the machine and engine. We quite agree with Capt. Costes that long flights do test out the aeroplane and engine, and so long as they are not made in such conditions that an engine failure means almost cer- / tain death, we admit their utility and applaud the brave pilots who undertake them. Our admiration for Capt. Costes is very great. It would have been greater if he had left the Atlantic alone. As for the prophecy that eventually there will be a regular transatlantic service flying at an enormous height and an enormous speed, we are content io leave that in the realm of prophecy until it actually enters into the world of fact. He is a rash man who denies future possibilities to aircraft. But if that sort of service ever comes to pass it will not be as a result of the risks taken by such men as Lindbergh and Costes—to say nothing of Alcock and Brown. Though Capt. Costes has himself taken risks which we consider to have been unjustifiable, yet as In- spector General of the Air Union he definitely puts safety as the first essential of air transport. That is good. It is, he holds, the only consideration which should not be subordinated to speed. The luxuries, and even the comforts, of passengers must be held of less account. Capt. Costes seems to think that in these days of large passenger aeroplanes the claims of speed have been somewhat overlooked in favour of magnificent buffets and luxurious cabins. Possibly he is right ; though we should think that it was pay load rather than speed which had been made to suffer by these Persici apparatus. Of course, better streamline shapes and consequent higher speed could be achieved by some sacrifice of cubic air space per passenger ; but it is doubtful if such a policy would lead to increased bookings Perhaps it might do so where French passengers are concerned, for on Continental railways French travellers have the reputation of not being over fond of ventilation. British travellers, on the other hand have an intense dislike of stuffiness, and are not likely to buy speed at such a price. Capt. Costes' second maxim was that speed is the only commodity which an air line has to sell. We cannot admit that that is an absolute rule. So far as mails are concerned, we are in hearty agreement, and we are eagerly awaiting the day of the special mail aeroplane which will average 150 miles an hour. Again, so far as European air lines are concerned, speed must be the chief attraction to passengers, though we have heard not a few travellers by air give various considerations of comfort—such as ease of Customs, freedom fro.n tipping, the view, etc. as their chief reason for preferring to travel by aero- plane. Admittedly, however, unless the aeroplane can beat the train by a substantial margin, at least during the hours of daylight, the air line will have a not too easy task to earn profits in Europe. There are other parts of the world where an air line has other commodities to sell as well as speed. Doubtless Capt. Costes had forgotten to take into consideration the very successful air lines of Australia. They do sell speed in a sense, for on most of the lines the only alternative to air travel is a leisurely and sometimes irregular coasting steamer. The aeroplane could not possibly be so slow as that. But the comparison lies, not so much with the existing coasting steamers, as with the possi- bility of running railway lines into the districts served by the air lines. To do that would be impossibly expensive. Therefore the air line has another com- modity to sell, namely, cheapness of transport ; and that may almost be considered its chief commodity in such a country as Australia. In fact, the question arises whether it is ever economic for a passenger aeroplane to aim at the greatest speed which it could attain. There is a certain minimum speed below which it is not economic to fly ; but above that surely the maxim for a company should be to fly at the lowest speed which gives a clear advantage over ground transport, and to put the fares as high as the public is willing to pay for that advantage. If the gain in speed is not attractive, the public will not fly in any numbers ; and if the fares are too high in proportion to the gain in speed, again the public will prefer the train. That principle is of general application, but it will work out one way in highly developed lands such as Europe and another way in sparsely populated lands like Australia. Each air line has to study its own problems and to seek the solution which is most likely to produce dividends. So far as the Air Union is concerned, it has found in Capt. Costes an Inspector General with ideas which seem suited to its peculiar problems. He may well set a standard which his competitors will find it hard to surpass. 492
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