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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0598.PDF
FLIGHT, JUNE 24, 1932 THE AIRCRAFT OF THE R.A.F. NIGHT BOMBERS-(continued) must keep more or less on its course, though trying to escape from the dreaded beams. The fighter can manoeuvre round in the dark and choose its own moment for delivering an attack at tremendous speed. The gunners in the bomber will rarely be able to see the assailant until the very last moment, and by that time it may be too late. The fighter's bullets ma 7 have done their work, and nothing may remain for the crew of the bomber but to take to their para chutes and hope for a soft landing in the dark. Though night bombing is the normal work of these heavy machines, they may sometimes be used very effectively by day for long-range bombing. This was done during the Air Exercises of 1930, when one of the commanders took his enemy by surprise by sending two squadrons of '' Virginias '' round the flank of his position by day. The route was too long for a day bomber to have followed it, but it was within the range of the " Virginias." The " automatic pilot " is a device which has been found very useful on the " Virginias " of No. 7 B.S. It can be set to keep the machines on a given course when the pilots cannot see where they are going, either by night or when in clouds. It makes it possible to fly in formation through clouds by day without risk of collision. There are three types of night bomber at present in use in the Royal Air Force. The " Virginia " carries a load of some 2,000 lb. of bombs, but it is a slow machine. The " Hydera bad " is faster but carries a smaller load of bombs. The " Hinaidi " is much the same machine as the " Hyderabad," but has air-cooled engines and is constructed of metal. The " Virginia " is used by Nos. 7, 9, 58 and 500 Bomber Squadrons; the " Hyderabad " by Nos. 502 and 503 B.S. (both Cadre squadrons); and the " Hinaidi " by Nos. 10 and 99 B.S. COAST DEFENCE FLYING BOATS THE flying boat squadrons are unique. It is difficult to say where their work now begins and ends, and it is quite impossible to foretell where their work will stop in the future. Fighters and bombers have fairly well-defined functions, but flying boats are craft of tre mendous possibilities which so far have not been even half explored. In the Great War the flying boats from Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth kept up a constant patrol of the North Sea. They wrought the destruction of not a few submarines , they shot down three Zeppelins in flames ; and they engaged in some stout fights with German float planes. Now they patrol the narrow seas round the British Isles, round Malta, in the Persian Gulf, and round Singapore. Though there is no fighting to be done, the boats sometimes give active help to the fishery department, and have been able to spot foreign poaching vessels. They can also give help to wrecked vessels, and generally act as a sort of benevolent sea police. The flying boats sometimes accompany the fleet to sea, and then their long range would enable them to search for a hostile fleet at a distance outside the range of the ship-planes from the aircraft carriers. In the main, however, their role is offensive action rather than reconnaissance, for the latter can usually be carried out by lighter and cheaper aircraft. Flying boats have also undertaken a number of long cruises, of which the most notable was that of No. 205 F.B. Squadron (Supermarine " Southampton ") from Plymouth to Australia, and back to Singapore, where the squadron has now taken up its abode. Boats IRIS RANGOON SOUTHAMPTON have also flown to Egypt, the Baltic, and to Iceland. The Singapore squadron has paid visits to Hong Kong. These tours suggest that in the future, when more powerful boats have been developed, one of the great roles of the class will be to act as connecting links between various parts of the Empire. So long as re-fuelling bases on the route are available, the flying boats can look after themselves, and are quite self-contained. Sheltered creeks where the boats can moor for the night are common in most parts of the Empire. These various functions and possibilities suggest to some authorities that in the future two distinct classes of flying boat should be evolved. The boat needed for use round the British coasts should have a comparatively high speed. As the waters are full of shipping, and as there are numerous bays where the water is sheltered, it is thought that this Home type of boat might sacrifice a degree of seaworthiness in order to gain extra speed in the air. The Empire type of boat would have to reverse the importance of these qualities. Range and seaworthiness would be more important than speed. It might, for example, be necessary to reinforce Singapore from Great Britain, without entering any foreign port to re-fuel. That would mean that the first flight would be non-stop from Plymouth to Gibraltar, and the next on to Malta, and so on. Range is all-important for boats of that class, and they must also be able to get off the water with a very heavy load of petrol. In the future the usual thing may be for a boat to take off with a comparatively light load, and then 550
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