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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 0562.PDF
FLIGHT, SEPTEMBER 14, 1933 AIR POST STAMPS By DOUGLAS ARMSTRONG (Editor of " Stamp Collecting") Another British Air Stamp The official inauguration of a new air service linking London with Plymouth on August 25, under the ajgis of International Air Line, Ltd., has given rise to a second semi-official air post stamp, albeit of a somewhat unpre tentious character. It consists of a small yellow label bearing the printed inscription " I.A.L. Western Air Ex press—3d.—Prepaid Package," enclosed in a rectangular frame formed of small dots, and in black throughout. This, however, is understood to be merely an emergency issue, and there is reason to believe that a more elaborate form of air post vignette will follow at an early date. Only a limited number of letters was carried on the first flight from Plymouth to London, owing to the short notice given, and these were further impressed with an oval cachet containing the words " International Air Lines, Ltd.—Plymouth," with the date " 25 Aug. 1933 " in a single line across the centre, also in black. Additional issues are foreshadowed in connection with the projected air services to the Isle of Man and other points in the British Isles, and collectors of first flight covers should be on the qui vive for announcements of inaugural dates. Balbo Plight Stamps The various air mail stamps associated with the recent Italian seaplane flight to America and back have been in keen demand during the last few weeks. Undoubtedly the most popular is the Newfoundland $4.50 provisional un used, examples of which have been selling at all sorts of prices from 25s. to 35s. apiece. It seems probable that it may settle down at something like the latter figure, although by comparison with the Do-X variety it should be worth, eventually, from 40s. to 50s. Flown covers have changed hands at as much as 70s. each, but the extent of the available supply does not yet seem to be known. It is reported that of the 8,000 copies surcharged not more than 200 remained in the hands of the postal authorities at St. John's for final disposal to the highest bidder on August 15. The scarcest stamps issued on this occasion were the special printing of the Italian triptych series in modified colours and distinguished by the overprint '' Servizio di StatO '' for exclusive use upon official communications despatched by Gen. Balbo's squadron. Only 1,500 copies of the two values are stated to have been printed, and as they were not on sale to the public, their very existence remained unknown until after the flight had taken place, Monaco Joins the Ranks The Rivieran principality of Monaco is the latest country to provide a distinctive stamp for use upon aerial corre spondence. Of the same face value as the existing French issue, it has been extemporised by overprinting a small aeroplane device and surcharging the new denomination upon some remainders of the pictorial 5 francs postage stamp of the series 1924-26 bearing a view of the old port and printed in green and carmine. In due course this emergency air stamp will give place to one of definitive design. So far as is known, there is at present no airport at Monaco, so that air mail letters must be forwarded to the nearest point on the French air system. New York—Haiti Flight To celebrate the completion of a non-stop flight by U.S. aviators from New York to Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Black Republic of Haiti, on July 18, some 5,000 copies of the contemporary 20 centimes postage stamp of that country, showing a map of that country, were over printed in red with a tiny figure of an aeroplane in the clouds surmounting the inscription " Columbia—Vol Direct —N.Y.—P. au P.—Boyd-Lyon—60 cts." and sold as souvenirs of the occasion. Whether or not they were actually used for air post purposes, however, is not clear. Air Stamp Prices Spectacular advances in the quotations for rare air mail stamps are recorded in the new edition of the " Standard " Postage Stamp Catalogue (Whitfield, King & Co.) just published. These are particularly notable in the case of the Newfoundland varieties, where we find the " Hawker " air mail stamp of 1919, priced at £500 unused and £250 used, closely followed by the " De Pinedo " issue at £450 unused and £60 used. The figures are a trifle optimistic when compared with Gibbons' estimate of the present-day values of the " Hawker," which are £350 unused and £220 used, and having regard to the fact that a mint " Hawker " was sold in auction last season for just under £200, the latter quotations would appear to be nearer the mark. The Gibbins' Catalogue does not price the " De Pinedo " unused, but values the flown variety at £80, as last year. On the other hand, the first Colombia air mail stamp, which has been in keen demand during the past year, is valued by Gibbons at £200 unused, compared with Whitfield, King's price of £120. Generally speaking, all air post stamps show appreciation in the latest editions of the stamp catalogues, with the exception of certain overrated South and Central American issues, such as Mexico and Costa Rica. Despite the pre vailing depression, the air stamp market remains firm, with the supply of better class varieties well below the supply. K s m * Marconi's New Home DURING the week-end, Friday, September 1, to Mon day, September 4, Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. moved from Marconi House, Strand, where the company has been for the last 21 years, to the newly-built Electra House on the Victoria Embankment. In this new building Marconi's will occupy the fifth, sixth, and seventh storeys, which have a total floor area of nearly 50,000 sq. ft. Marchese Marconi himself will occupy a capacious room in the front of the sixth floor. On the seventh floor will be a per manent display of historical Marconi apparatus, which has been specially arranged for display in the company's new offices. Every room is provided with a clock syn chronised from a master clock placed on the lower ground floor. Another interesting feature of this new building is two artesian wells bored to a depth of 550 ft., which pro vide an independent water supply of 9,000 gall, a day. K m n m PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED Aircraft Performance resting. By S. Scott Hall and T. H. England- London : Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd. Price 15s. net. Aeronautical Research Committee Reports and Memoranda No. 1491 - Experiments on Swept-back and Swept-forward Aerofoils. By D. H. Williams and A. S. Halliday. Oct., 1930. Price Is. 3d. net. No. 1527. Binary Servo-Rudder Flutter. By W. J. Duncan and A. R. Collar. Feb., 1933. Price Is. 3d. net. No. 1532. The Best Basis of Aircraft Performance Re&ui- tion Part I. Supercharged Engines. By J. L. Hutchinson and E. Finn Part II. Unsupercharged Engines. By E. Finn. Sept., 1932. Price 2s. 3d. net. London : H.M. Stationery Office, W.C.2. Session 1933-34 of the Department of Aeronautics. Imperial College of Science and Technology, South Kensington, London, S.W.7. NEW COMPANIES REGISTERED AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION, LTD.—A company limited by guar antee and not having a capital, with 100 members, each liable for £1 in the event of winding up. The objects are to promote, support and protect commercial aviation (which expression includes owners, users, charterers and operators of all types of aircraft for all purposes). The management is vested in a Council, the first members of which are not named. Solicitor- : W. H. Court & Son, 7, Grosvenor Street, W.l. BRITISH AVIATION CORPORATION, LTD.—Capital £6,000 in O shares (5,000 6 per cent, cumulative preference and 1,000 ordinary). Untie: agreement with Capt. Duncan Sinclair, Capt. Colin S. Inglis, D.S.O., R.N, (ret. - and George Baillie ; to establish, maintain, work and carry on lines of aeria communication by means of aeroplanes, seaplanes, airships and other aeri.i conveyances, and to carry on the business of air line, aerodrome and air por operators and owners, carriers of passengers and goods, etc. Directors Capt. Colin S. Inglis, 20, Fitziames Avenue, W.l4 ; Capt. Duncan Sinclair 8, Homeleigh Road, Waveriey Park, S.E.15, aviation consultant. Solicitor- Hawes & Udall, 29, Southampton Buildings, W.C.2. s; m M m AERONAUTICAL PATENT SPECIFICATIONS Abbreviations : Cyl. =» cylinder; i.e. = internal combustion ; m. ~ motoo (The numbers in brackets are those under which the Specification wih be printed and abridged, etc.) APPLIED FOR IN 1931 Published September 14, 1933 31,573. D. S. DE LAVAUD. Propellers. (397,158.) APPLIED FOR IN 1932 Published September 14, 1933 1,403. J.S.BARCLAY. Radial engines. (397,163.) . 1,799. D. F. LUCKING. Height indicators, particularly for use WIK landing. (397,166.) 4,430. W. C. FITTER. Flying machines, etc. (397,120.) 33,112. J. LETOURNEUR. Captive balloons. (397,347.) 34,541. P. CARRE. Rotary i.e. engines. (397,352.) APPLIED FOR IN 1933 Published September li, 1933 . _ 5,144. C. ZEISS. Apparatus for plotting maps from photographs wh- from aircraft. (397,189.) 926
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