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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1301.PDF
FLIGHT, DECEMBER 11, 1931 beginning he demonstrates his ability to think for himselfby stoutly maintaining that, m spite of what some de- signers of to-day are so fond of claiming, there is littlein common between the aircraft and the bird. The opening chapters are devoted to pointing out justwhat speed means to aerial transport, and, as one would naturally expect, Hawks stresses the fact that now thatAmerica has awakened to the necessity for utilising the speed of aircraft, she has developed air lines whose cruis-ing speeds are from 50 to 100 per cent, greater than those in general use in Europe. At the same time, he is per-fectly just, as he points out that conditions in the U.S.A., where Customs difficulties are non-existent and where thetrain services are faster than those over here, make fast air travel a sine qua non, if it is to be any use at all, incompeting with existing methods. In fact, he visualises cruising speeds of some 200 m.p.h.as the general thing for American air lines before very long. An interesting point is raised here. It is that by 200 m.p.h.cruising speeds Hawks says he does not mean the speed at full throttle, but wi'h the engine running at its mosteconomical setting. The term cruising speed is used far too loosely in this country, and it is well that there shouldbe some uniformity as to its meaning. Some take it to mean the speed at f throttle opening, others £ and so on.Some even thus: "Oh! just the machine's comfortable speed." That sort of thing is not good enough, particu-larly for serious commercial work, and we should do well to watch the French, who are making a particular featureof the fuel bonsumption of their engines at cruising revo- lutions. Hawks can advance many reasons for increasing thecruising speeds of air travel. He contrasts the long night journey in a sweltering train with a short daylight tripafter office hours which will be possible between such cities as New York and Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Buffalo. . . he points out that faster travel will help absorb some of the time lost in travelling between the airports andthe business parts of the cities ... he reminds operators that the 400 hrs. which normally elapse between engineoverhauls represent some 80,000 miles flying for the 200 m.p.h. aircraft as against 40,000 miles for the 100m.p.h. aircraft. Further, this increased mileage is obtained without any greater wear and tear on the engine.Weather conditions, when adverse, may also be made less so in the aircraft which cruises at high speed as the timebetween landings is much shorter, therefore there is less likelihood of the weather changing during the trip, alsothe fast aircraft can afford to skirt bad weather areas and still arrive ahead of other means of transport. It is interesting to note that Frank Hawks, although themost prominent speed pilot over long distances, is also an enthusiastic glider pilot, and it is to this branch offlying that he looks to fulfil the wants of those who fly merely for the exhilaration of flying. He refers to safety as something which is now taken forgranted owing to the stringent regulations of the aero- nautics branch of the Department of Commerce. Heforgets, however, to mention that those same regulations are a comparatively recent innovation for the drawing-upof which the immense past experience gained from the operation of our own regulations was available. The saving effected in interest on money transferredfrom one bank to another, when this is delivered by high- speed air mail, he estimates at ten billion dollars everyyear. We ourselves already utilise air lines for this same purpose, but probably not to the same extent. After the first chapters of the book comes Hawks' ownaccount of the record trips which he has made across the Continent. These make good reading and are packed fullof interesting details. Following these comes a history of Hawks' life. Those who have had the pleasure of hearingHawks talk can rest assured that he has written his book exactly as if he were talking, and it is, therefore, the mostentertaining and informative autobiography I have read this year. He starts from, as he himself puts it, " the mists intowhich memory tapers off '' (how typically Hawkslike is such a phrase!) and finishes just as he is about to pay his visitto this country. He tells of the hard times he had, without asking for sympathy, for his is a nature which morereadily gives of that commodity than takes it from others, but his struggles will make everyone glad that he has atlast attained a position such as his unique qualities warrant. Many incidents are of such outstanding interest that Ifeel tempted to quote from the book at length were it not for the fact that once started it would be difficult ui calla halt. Readers will learn that Hawks accomplished the first refuelling-in-the-air flight . . . that he was forsome time a driller on an oil well . . . and so on, every chapter being packed with interest. It is characteristic of the man, whose smile is nowproverbial on both sides of the Atlantic, that he should round off his book with a note as to the inspiration hegains from the enthusiasm of the young boy for aviation. . . boys " who will be making the pilots of tomorrowand helping our aeronautical dreams of to-day become realities." •< DAEDALUS." The " Bristol Review " THE latest issue of the Bristol Review is of more thanusual interest, and marks a departure from previous issues, in that it is devoted exclusively to " Bristol " aircraft.The first article, short though it is, is remarkable because it reminds the reader that this famous firm has now beenin existence for 21 years and has attained its maturity. A descriptive article on the type 118 General Purposesaircraft covers much the same ground as the article on this machine published in FLIGHT last week. " Bristol "metal constructional development is well explained and illustrated in quite a long article, in which one seems totrace the hand of Mr. Pollard, and some details are given of the multi-spar wing with which the firm has been ex-perimenting for a considerable time. The " Bristol " Flying School has an article devoted to it, and certainfeatures of the famous " Bulldog " are fully explained and well illustrated, mainly such of its special features asthe placing and handling of the equipment. An article on electrical equipment is of general interest, although itdeals mainly with " Bristol " aircraft. Finally, users of " Bristol " steel aircraft will find instruction and informa-tion in the last article, which relates to the simplicity of repairs. The Review is altogether admirably produced,and readers wishing to have a copy are well advised to write for one to the Bristol Aeroplane Company, FiltonHouse, Bristol. R.A.F. Flying InstructorsAN Air Ministry Order states that the Air Council has decided, as an experimental measure, to draw candi-dates for training as flying instructor so far as possible from officers and airman pilots who have completed fouryears' flying service after qualifying as pilot, instead of, as at present, from officers and airman pilots who havecompleted one year's service after qualifying. This step should sensibly improve the standard of flying efficiencyto be expected among instructors. Since flying instructors are required to serve for three years as such after qualify-ing at the Central Flying School, the decision given above will involve their being selected from (i) permanentofficers, (ii) short service officers selected for permanent commissions, other than as specialists, (iii) short serviceofficers selected for medium service, (iv) airman pilots willing to extend their flying service to eight years in all.To the extent that the numbers available under (i), (ii) and (iii) do not suffice to meet requirement of officer in-structors, it will be necessary to select officers who have completed one year's "service after qualifying as pilot ; such selections will be limited to short service officers, andit is anticipated that the number required will be very small. In selecting short service officers for permanentcommissions, other than as specialists, and in selecting short service officers for medium service, preference will begiven to candidates volunteering and suitable for training as flying instructor. The establishment of flying instructors at the flyingtraining schools, the Central Flying School, and the Royal Air Force College will be slightly varied so as to allow of35 per cent, of the instructor posts being filled by airman pilots. The number of flying instructors to be trainedduring 1932 will be 65, of which number approximately 40 will be flying officers and 25 airman pilots.Mr. Wingfield and the G.A.P.A.N. WE are glad to find the report of Mr. Wingfield'sresignation from the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators is inaccurate, as it would have been a great loss to the.Guild, his work during the last two years having done so much towards the success of the Guild. In fact, he iskeener than ever on the work. 1223
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