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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0426.PDF
FLIGHT, MAY 3, 1934 the Short " Scipio " type used by Imperial Airways. The latter, moreover, is more seaworthy, more silent, and takes off with full load in less than half the time required by the " Clipper." British designers are not standing still. Midland & Scottish Air Ferries are using the Avro 642, which cruises at 135 m.p.h. and carries 16 passengers at a shilling a ton-mile, or one penny per passenger per mile. This is remarkably economical flying at any speed, and a cruising speed of 135 m.p.h. is quite praiseworthy. We may be proud of this perform- ance. Greater speed will doubtless come and will be welcome as it comes; but we should be loth to see it brought about by reckless sacrifice of such splendid economical qualities. 1 he (oreneva JLero ow AT Geneva aircraft must recently have becomea word of ill omen. To the members ofthe Disarmament Conference they havebeen represented as the fell slayers of women, children, and all innocent civilians. Bombs of poison gas have been represented as their regular weapons, and impatient idealists have clamoured for the abolition of all military and naval aircraft, and in particular of all bombers. The realists have added to the confusion of nations by suggesting that it would be an excellent thing for the peace of the world if everybody except themselves would cut down their air forces. As for themselves, their spe- cial circumstances unfortunately made that impos- sible. And in any case, added everybody, what could be the use of abolishing martial aircraft if thereby every civil aeroplane became a potential bomber? Altogether aircraft must have come to stink in the nostrils of Geneva. It was therefore a happy idea to hold an inter- national exhibition of sporting and touring aeroplanes at Geneva, and an account of it by a special corre- spondent of FLIGHT will be found on another page of this issue. The exhibition should do something to recall to the minds of Geneva the fact that air- craft have their humane and happy functions. The exhibition followed on the International Aeronautical Conference which was held in Geneva the week before, and this should also have emphasised the peaceful and beneficent characteristics of aircraft. As a matter of fact, the Swiss are a very air- minded people. Their chief flying company, Swiss- air, has shown remarkable initiative by buying American aeroplanes and instituting the fastest air service in Europe. Squeamish passengers might not always care to fly over such terrain as Switzerland can provide in single-engined machines, but we be- lieve that so far all has gone well, and in any case the service is a good example of Swiss enterprise in the air. Moreover, there are numerous air trips which are designed to show the visitor the beauties of Switzerland from above. This particular form of flying activity has not been much developed in other countries, and again credit must be given to the Swiss for conceiving a novel use for aircraft. The idea might usefully be copied in other countries, but not all countries have the lofty mountains which make an imposing spectacle when the sightseer is some thousands of feet up in the air. The little hills of Great Britain often look grand enough from the ground, but are flattened out when viewed from above. We need to be able to fly low with safety before we can greatly impress the air tourist with the beauties of the Grampians or the Lake District. Perhaps after all an exhibition of civil aeroplanes may only result in driving the thoughts of Geneva back to questions of disarmament. The visitors to the exhibition may reflect that, if martial aircraft were to be banned, what they see before them are the bombers of the future, and they may realise the impossibility of any form of international super- vision. If that is the outcome, or one outcome, of the exhibition it will certainly serve a useful purpose. Autogirosfor C-onvoy vv ork THE greatest problem which we had to solveduring the war was the threat of starvationwhen the U-boats were sinking our foodships. This problem was solved by the system of convoys escorted by light warships and by aircraft. When aircraft were overhead the submarine commanders dared not show a periscope for fear the observer should spot it and send the destroyers racing to the spot with depth charges ready. Not a vessel was sunk while it was under aerial escort. The type of aircraft to be used for such work required careful consideration. Ultimately the non- rigid airships were found to be the most suitable type, because they could more easily keep station with the convoy, and because of their long endur- ance. Landplanes and seaplanes could only keep with the convoy by circling over it, and their limited tankage would not allow them to keep on doing that for many hours. But it is rather more than doubtful whether airships can be used again for convoy work in the narrow seas, at least if the enemy were to hold bases from which their aeroplanes could attack them. It is never too early to think of what we ought to do in the next emergency, and the question now arises could not the autogiro be used for convoy escort work? The autogiro has the ability to fly extremely slowly, thus conserving its fuel and making easier the observer's task of scanning the surface of the sea with care in all directions. Moreover, with its power of rising from a small space and landing in even less, the autogiro might well use the deck of a food ship as its aerodrome. Several ships in each convoy could start with autogiros on board, and so a system of reliefs could be organised after each had spent a certain time in the air. A surface escort of destroyers would still be needed, but the use of auto- giros would set free our flying boats and other R.A.F. craft for other duties. It is an idea which seems worth consideration, and if so it is also worth trying out in practice. 426
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