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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1231.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 20, 1931 AIEISMS rCOM THE irOHJIP WINDS Mr. Mollison Fails MR. J. A. MOLLISON, who established the record for aflight from Australia to England last August, has been unfortunate in his attempt on the England-Cape record,now held by Miss Salaman and Mr. Store. After waiting some time at Lympne to start for Africa on his D.H." Gipsy Moth," he set out on November 6, only to return shortly after on account of very foggy conditions. It wasnot until November 13 (and a Friday!) that he eventually got away once more, but after making excellent progressduring the next two days he came to grief and had, pro tem., to abandon the attempt. After leaving Lympne at3 a.m. on November 13 he made a non-stop flight to Rome, where he lefuelled and proceeded to Brindisi. Continuingthe following morning he flew to Athens, leaving shortly after for Cairo. He did not arrive here according toschedule, however, and at first some anxiety was felt until news came in that he had crashed in the dark at Minieh,150 miles from Cairo. His machine was badly damaged, but he was unhurt.R.A.F. West African Flight THE four Fairey III F (Napier Lion engines) of No. 45(Bomber) Squadron, under the command of Sqd. Ldr. F. J. Vincent, D.F.C., which had been sent out fromHelwan on a trip to Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia did not succeed in pushing further west thanNiamey, in Nigeria. While the flight was at Sokoto, a stage west of Kano (the capital of Nigeria), informationwas received from the French authorities that yellow fever had broken out and that it would be impossible for theflight to adhere to its original programme. An alternative route was considered, but sufficient petrol supplies werenot available along it. It was, • therefore, decided to return. The flight, accordingly, arrived back at Khartumon November 15. We propose to deal with this flight in greater detail next week.Fatal Crash in South Africa ON Friday, November 13, a " Puss Moth " belong-ing to the Union Airways crashed while flying over the Sir Lowry Pass en route to Capetown. The machine waspiloted by Capt. Davenport, who was accompanied by two passengers, Mr. Duteil and Mr. Young, and it isunderstood that a quantity of mails were also carried. The district in which the crash occurred is known for itsviolent air currents and gusts, and the conditions in the Pass are, apparently, very similar to those met with atthe place where, some time ago, Commander Glen Kidston and Mr. Gladstone lost their lives. Until further infor-mation is available it is impossible to state whether or not the machine was overloaded, but the fact that it carriedthree people as well as mails rather points that way. On the other hand, the amount of fuel carried at the timemay have been such that there was no overloading of the machine. The question naturally arises whether certainareas and districts should not be entirely avoided under certain weather conditions, or at any rate whether itshould not be compulsory for aircraft to cross them at some minimum height. Investigations made in the UnitedStates seem to indicate that weather conditions can be met with such that no aircraft could live in them. The" Puss Moth " has been thoroughly tested, both statically and in flight, and its strength factors are now considerablyabove requirements. But it may be that even with the high factors and with no overloading, an aircraft can en-counter vertical air currents of such magnitude and with boundaries so sharply defined that the suddenness ofentering them is sufficient to break any machine, however strong. The subject is one of vast importance, and inves-tigations should be instituted at once. The matter is one of far more than local interest, and might well be thoughtworthy of international research. It seems an obvious case for meteorologists to attack before aeronautical ex-perts can determine whether or not structural engineering is able to cope with the situation.Aerial Ambulances for Russia Two aeroplanes, each equipped with two hospital bedsand with medicines, are to be constantly on duty at a new flying ground being built at the Botkin Hospital, Moscow.The Spartan Mail Carrier MR. H. E. BROADSMITH, of Spartan Aircraft, Ltd.,writes in connection with the photograph published on p. 1130 of FLIGHT for November 13, pointing out that inthe caption the machine is erroneously described as the " Saro-Percival," and that it should have been termedthe " Spartan Mail Carrier." Mr. Broadsmith adds that Spartan Aircraft, Ltd., of East Cowes, Isle of Wight, iscarrying out the development of this type for both passen- gers and mails.Some New Hendy Machines MR. BASIL 13. HENDERSON writes to tell us that he hasresigned his position as Manager and Company Secretary of Southern Aircraft, Ltd., and that he has now no con-nection whatever with that company. Mr. Henderson is at work on two new types of aircraft, both of which willhave cruising speeds in excess of 130 m.p.h. Nothing more may be said of the machines at present, but it isexpected that they will be flying by May of next year. Readers who wish to communicate with Mr. Hendersonare reminded that letters addressed to him at the Hendy Aircraft Company, Shoreham Aerodrome, Sussex, will findhim. Soviet Airships ACCORDING to the Riga Correspondent of the MorningPost, an appeal was issued to local branches from the headquarters of the Communist League of Youth and fromthe Ossoaviakhim (the Society for the Promotion of Aerial and Chemical Armament) asking them to organise collec-tions on November 7, the anniversary' of the Bolshevist revolution, in aid of a squadron of airships to be calledafter Lenin. Sixteen million roubles were collected for this purpose last year, and still larger sums are asked for nowin order to continue the construction of the eight airships. Approved Inspectors' Dinner THE Director of Aeronautical Inspection and some ofhis headquarters staff, together with the staff of the A.I.D. Northern Office at Sheffield, are meeting the Chief In-spectors of local" firms approved by the A.I.D. at a dinner to be held at the Royal Victoria Station Hotel, Sheffield,on Friday, December 4. It will, perhaps, be recollected that at the A.I.D. Technical Staff Association Dinner,held in London last May, Col. Outram referred to a sug- gestion that an annual dinner might be held in Sheffield,at which the inspectors of firms in the neighbourhood could meet the A.I.D. staff with whom they worked. Col.Outram then welcomed the suggestion, and the dinner to be held on December 4 is the outcome of this suggestion,and will be the first, it is hoped, of a number of annual dinners of this nature. The local works engaged on air-craft will be fully represented, and there is no doubt that the good relationship between the local inspection staffsand the A.I.D. will be furthered and consolidated by such a gathering. No. 70 Squadron Re-Union Dinner A RE-UNION dinner of No. 70 Squadron has beenarranged for Friday, November 27, at the R.A.F. Club. For particulars apply to Capt. C. D. Griffiths, R.A.F.Club, on or before November 24. Schneider Contest, 1931, BanquetTo commemorate the British victory in the Schneider Contest, 1931, and also the securing of the World SpeedRecords, the Royal Aero Club will hold a banquet at Oaridge's Hotel on Wednesday, December 9. Presenta-tions will be made to the members of the Schneider Team, and Certificates of performance in connection with theWorld Speed Records will be presented to Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers), Ltd., Rolls Royce, Ltd., andto the pilots—Fit. Lt. G. H. Stainforth, A.F.C., and Fit. Lt. J. N. Boothman, A.F.C. The price of tickets (exclu-sive of wines, etc.) is £1 Is. Members may be accom- panied by ladies. Early application for tickets should bemade to the Royal Aero Club, 119, Piccadilly, London, W.I.Capt. Barnard's Eastern Cruise WE understand that Capt. C. D. Barnard proposes toset out next month on a winter cruise to Egypt and Palestine in his " Fokker " monoplane The Spider. Anumber of passengers wili be taken on this cruise which will include Italy, and while in Palestine and Egypt,Luxor, The Pyramids, and the Valley of the Kings will be visited.Aerial Mapping of Nile Valley THE mapping of 11,000 sq. miles of the Upper NileValley has just been completed by two Fairey machines of the Air Survey Co. at a, saving of £60,000 and yearsof work on the ordinary methods. 1161
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