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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1216.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 13, 1931 of our aircraft as BC2Es, or the French aircraft as Morane-Solniers. Again, George Constantiuesco would scarcely be pleased to be told that he had simply copied the Fokkergun control gear. That Fokker himself was no financier is all too amplyproven by his financial transactions, for had he been more astute he would have retained a much greater amount ofhis fortune than he did. The way in which he smuggled out large sums of money as well as 360 railway trucks fullof some 200 aircraft and over 400 engines makes a tale worthy of being told separately and will live as an epicbut typically Fokker action. The penultimate chapter is one of the long flights whichhave been made with Fokker aircraft. We are here treated to the Fokker version of many successful and unsuccessfulhappenings in connection with some of these nights, and in particular are left in little doubt as to Fokker's vlislike forRear Admiral Byrd. The reason for this is not quite clear, but the fact certainly remains! The final chapter is called " Footnotes from Experience,"and is perhaps, to those of the younger generation who would profit by the story of Fokker's success, the mostvaluable in the whole book. It is packed with sound maxims, and shows what manner of man is Fokker. Toquote a few of his passages: —'' The chief reason why I am still of value to-day in the aeronautical industry isbecause I can make every part oi an airplane with my own hands if it should be necessary. . . . Unlike agreat many designers, I actually fly my planes, use them as other men use automobiles and yachts. ... A gooddesigner should be able to tell why every part was made in just that way, for every good airplane is the result ofinfinite compromise with aeronautic theory. Nothing I have yet done has ever really satisfied me. Noone has yet found as many flaws in an airplane of mine as I could find myself. . . . Everybody who has beensuccessful in life could start out at any moment, begin all over again, and in a comparatively short time reach atleast the same level. Those who are put on top arbitrarily seldom can stay there if they don't have abilityMany people are too easily satisfied that they have done a good job. They would know if they were more criticalthat they could do better. . . ." Fokker finishes with:—" . . . Looking forward tothe possibilities of aviation, the dream of my pioneer work becoming the nucleus of a world-wide enterprise shouldyet be possible through my affiliation with the General Motors Corporation. . . ." In view of the recent news that the partnership has beenbroken up, the above passage seems somewhat pathetic, and it is to be hoped that Fokker will succeed in obtain-ing the financial support he needs and continue his career to greater heights. The Bluebird's Flight TURNING to "The Bluebird's Flight," we find an equally* praiseworthy book, but one covering a far shorter period. It has become almost proverbial that any pilotmaking a long flight should write a book about it, with the result that there has been a flood of, in many cases,very indifferent literature. Mr. F. C. Chichester has so far given us one of the few outstanding examples of areadable book with his " Solo to Sydney." Now comes this book of Mrs. Bruce's to compete for first honours. Mrs. Victor Bruce is already well known for her amazingperformances with cars and motor-boats and for feats en- tailing sheer grit she stands alone. She is known as awoman who always does what she sets out to do and who, in spite of masculine jobs, like her Monthlery drive forten days and nights with her husband, and this flight in the " Bluebird." yet always retains her charm andfemininity Her flight round the world was simply amazing, and hashardly received the general acknowledgment it deserved. In comparison -with the welcome given to some other pilots,her reception at Croydon on her return was not worthy of the occasion. Her book should, however, discount thisand show the flight in its true light, and be the means of her receiving the recognition she so richly merits. In his foreword, Col. the Master of Sempill stresses thepoint that Mrs. Victor Bruce does not give adequate credit to her own pluck and skill. This view is fully justified,as throughout the book there is abundant evidence of sound common sense in all her actions and of her aptitudefor learning from every mistake. The writer well remem- bers his first sight of Mrs. Bruce flying. She had only done some very few hours solo when she came to a certainflying meeting. The aerodrome was somewhat small, and the onlookers were terrified to see Mrs. Bruce overshootbadly. But at just the right time she opened up her engine and avoided hitting the fence by making anothercircuit. This she repeated three times before nnally coming in slowly enough to land perfectly. Many otherswould either have hit the fence or been too frightened to land at all, but not so Mrs. Bruce ; she had never beforelanded in a small field, but that, as she told me after- wards, was not going to stop her learning at once! Mrs. Bruce has a literary style all her own, and it readsexcellently. Her book is filled with anecdotes and little incidents of her great flight which make it one of themost interesting and instructive and yet, at the same time, amusing books of recent date. Her whole attitude to life, her grit and determination,her quality for sticking to it (one might say Fokker-like), are all brought out right from the beginning when, as earlyas page 7, one reads that it was not until after having bought her aircraft, organised the flight, obtained weatherinformation and purchased maps that she went to an aero- drome to learn to fly! The terrifying experiences she went through when shehad to make a forced landing some miles from Jask, on the inhospitable coast of the Persian Gulf, were enough tomake most people give up the flight altogether. Not only did Mrs. Bruce pacify and completely win over to her sidethe Baluchi tribesmen, but also some Afridi brigands, of whom the former were much afraid. The somewhat naive manner in which Mrs. Bruce tellsstories against herself gives the book added charm. For those who have the pleasure of her friendship know thatone of her assets is the manner in which she is always ready to laugh when the Jaugh is against her. Mrs. Bruce has undoubtedly learnt a great deal aboutflying now that she has been on this memorable flight, but she is always ready to learn more, a fact which is borneout by the way in which she handles every kind of risk and circumstance. It is little surprising, therefore, thatshe should fall into a pitfall of the kind we associate with newspaper reporters—in one place she writes:—"As Iflew by I was almost forgetting to keep my course, so spellbound was I by the glory of this wonderful mountain ;but an approaching hum warned me that other aeroplanes were near." It is a pity that she does not mention that shewas gliding down with her own engine off and was thus able to hear the Dornier Wai, which she tells me came upfrom behind and unpleasantly close to her. Don't miss this book ; it's well worth reading. " DAEDALUS." HENSON AND STRINGFELLOW. Henson and Stringfellow, their work in Aeronautics. By M. J. B. Davy, A.F.R.Ae.S. (The Science Museum. Published by H.M. Stationery Office. 5s. net.) "TOO little credit has been given to the Somerset engineer,* John Stringfellow, and his collaborator, W. S. Henson, for the work which they accomplished in the developmentof mechanical flight. Both lived at the little town of Chard, and their practical work in aeronautics coveredthe period 1840-1868. They were both acquainted with the principles of flight by a heavier-than-air machine,possibly through studying the writings of Sir George Cay- ley, who had undoubtedly mastered those principles onpaper. Henson wished, in the popular phrase, to run before he could walk, and filed a specification for an" aerial steam carriage," and formed a company to operate it. The claims made were somewhat flamboyant,and evoked ridicule. Nevertheless, Henson had a sound knowledge of the principles of flight. He left this countryfor America without having achieved anything practical. Stringfellow, more modest, accomplished more meri-torious work. He actually made a model aeroplane with a tiny steam engine, which flew under its own power.He himself considered the engine the best part of his invention, and he was awarded a prize for it. He seemsto have realised, however, that aeroplanes would not be able to lift men into the air until the internal-combustionengine was developed, and in that he was right. Never- theless, it does seem strange that, after power-driven flighthad been proved possible by this model experiment of Stringfellow's, another SO years were to pass before thehuman race's age-long ambition should be realised by the brothers Wright. 1140
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