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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1136.PDF
FLIGHT, OCTOBER 23, 1931 has been made ol the air-cooled type, this being particu-larly notable in the case of large flying boats. Advance has been made in the compression-ignition typeof engine using heavy oil as fuel. The only engines of this type which have been used on aircraft in this countrywere those produced primarily for use on airships, and these are at present too heavy to be considered for aero-plane use. No doubt, however, the experience gained from these first engines will in time lead to a substantialdecrease in their weight/h.p. ratio, as in the case of the petrol engine. Lighter-than-Air The airship programme for the year 1930 centred roundthe trials of R.100 and R.101. Details of the first flights which took place in the latter part of 1929 were given inlast year's report. The acceptance trials in the case of each ship were to comprise a series of experimental flightsat home, followed by a flight to an overseas base. The R.100 completed her trials on returning from Canada inAugust, and on October 4 R.101 started for India on the flight which was to have concluded her correspondingtrials. The disaster which occurred at Beauvais the fol- lowing morning with such grievous l6ss of life has neces-sarily involved a suspension of the airship programme. GROUND ORGANISATION AND NAVIGATION Municipal Aerodromes, etc. At the end of 1930 there were eight licensed municipalaerodromes in Great Britain, as compared with four at the end of 1929. but a considerably larger increase had beenconfidently hoped for, and the result is somewhat dis- appointing. The towns which possessed licensed municipal aero-dromes at the end of 1929 were Blackpool, Hull, Man- chester and Nottingham ; those added during 1930 wereBristol, Ipswich, Liverpool and Plymouth. CROYDON CONTINENT ROUTES Meteorological Services.—The most important development during the year under review in connection with the meteorological organisation on the regular air routesemanating from Croydon was the transfer from the Air Ministry to Croydon, on November 1, of the responsibilityfor the issue and receipt of the air route meteorological messages and the preparation of forecasts for air routes.Since that date all reporting stations in south-east England have reported direct to Croydon and all air-route meteoro-logical messages from the Continent have been received by wireless at Croydon. The preparation and issue ofmeteorological information has consequently been con- siderably expedited. The introduction of regular night air services betweenCroydon and the Continent necessitated the introduction of a 24-hour routine at Croydon, Biggin Hill and Lympne. LICENCES AND CERTIFICATES During the year there were current 1,708 "A"licences and 252 " B " licences, 33 navigators, 846 ground engineers and 121 aerodromes. There were 846 certificatesof registration for aeroplanes and 806 certificates of air- worthiness for aeroplanes, including 191 C. of A. foraircraft known to have been sold abroad. It should be noted that about 30 per cent, of the pilotsholding " B " licences also hold " A " licences, and that, therefore, these individuals are included under bothheadings. INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENTS TO CIVIL AIRCRAFT British Aircraft The total number of accidents to which the Air Naviga-tion (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations were applic- able, during the period under review, was 53, as against 40 for the previous twelve months, the increase being mor.-than fully accounted for, as in earlier years, by the growth of private flying. Of these, 15 only were major accidents, i.e., accidentscausing fatal or serious injuries to persons ; none of thi remaining 38 cases had serious consequences beyond exten-sive structural damage to the aircraft. Only two accidents of a serious nature occurred in com-mercial aviation ; one involved an aircraft belonging to Imperial Airways, Ltd., and occurred in France, the ol".,t,rinvolved an aircraft plying for hire on the cross-Channel route, and occurred at Meopham, in Kent.Causes of Accidents.—Errors in airmanship were, in the opinion of the Inspector of Accidents, entirely responsiblefor nearly 70 per cent, of the accidents. Engine failure was a contributory cause in the case of one major accident (aprivate flying accident) and eight minor mishaps. Bad weather conditions were also the primary cause ofthe one accident in regular air transport and of two fatal accidents to privately-owned machines. The otherdisaster in commercial aviation was a case of structural failure in the air. • THE DOMINIONS, INDIA AND THE COLONIES Finance.—The total sum allotted by the Empire for civilaviation purposes showed a considerable increase in 1930-31 as compared with the previous year: — £ Great Britain 525,000Canada 1,020,910 Australia 198,000South Africa 47,070 India ... 355,570New Zealand 11,500 £2,158,550 The total sum voted in the Dominions and India in1930-31, as compared with the sum voted in 1929-30, showed an increase of 34 per cent., the increase for thewhole of the Empire, including Great Britain, being 31 per cent. The mileage of regular air services in the Empire, includ-ing Great Britain, in 1930 was 23,005, as compared with the figure for the previous year of 20,440. The figure wasmade up as follows : — Great Britain 5,570 Canada 7,170 Australia 8,110South Africa 1,440 India 715 23,005 Light Aeroplane Clubs.—The following figures show thenumber of light aeroplane clubs in the British Empire at the end of 1930 as compared with the number in existenceat the end of 1929, and clearly demonstrate that this move- ment has now obtained a firm footing. The clubs aredivided into two categories, those receiving Government assistance, financial or otherwise, and those without suchassistance: — 1929. 1930. Canada 23 21Australia 9 24 India 6 7New Zealand 19 25 South Africa 9 7Kenya ... ... ... ... 1 1 Singapore ... ... ... ... 1 1Hong Kong ... ... ... — 1 Great Britain 23 29 91 116 British Air Attache, Buenos Aires WING COM. R. B. MAYCOCK, O.B.E., has been selectedto be Air Attache to H.M. Embassy at Buenos Aires in succession to Wing Com. E. H. Johnston, C.V.O., O.B.E.,D.F.C., who has held this post since December 1927 The Circuit of Poland BRITISH engines have again made good in a foreignaviation competition. In the recent Circuit of Poland, in which there were 24 entries powered by seven differenttypes of engines, " Cirrus Hermes " engines (fitted with " K.L.G." plugs) succeeded in obtaining first, second,fourth and fifth places, viz.: 1st, Zwirko on a RWD.5 (inverted " Hermes II.B ") ; 2nd, Chorzewski on aRWD.4 (•' Hermes II ") ; 4th, Sattel on a RWP-i (" Cirrus III ") ; and 5th, Hirszband on another RWl>-«(" Hermes II "). 1066
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