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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0559.PDF
FLIGHT, JUNE 7, 1934 MISSION FROM NEPAL AT CROYDON Inspection of Aerodrome and Aircraft and a demonstration by No. 17 (F) Squadron his EN. BAHADUR SHUM-SHER JUNG BAHADUR RANA, the Special Envoyfrom Nepal, members of staff and attached BritishOfficers, visited Croydon Airport on Thursday last. The Missionwas received on behalf of the Secretary of State for Air by AirVice-Marshal F. W. Bowhill, Air Member of Council for Personnel. Diana, the first D.H. 86 (four" Gipsy Sixes ") to be delivered to Imperial Airways was waitingon the apron when the Mission arrived. The whole Mission wastaken for a flight over London in this aircraft by Maj. Brackley,and all were obviously impressed by the machine's beautiful linesand outstanding performance. During the morning No. 17 (F.)Squadron, R.A.F., had flown over from Kenley, where this squadronis now stationed. The nine " Bulldogs " (" Jupiter VII.F ")were lined up on the aerodrome and were inspected by Gen.Bahadur, who displayed great in- terest in the complex armamentand equipment of the machines. The "Bulldogs" of No. 17Squadron have lately been modi- fied and are now fitted with wheel brakes and a tail wheel. The inspection completed, themachines took off in squadron formation. From this forma- tion they changed to line astern and flew towards thecentre of the aerodrome. Suddenly the leader came down in a very steep dive towards an R.A.F. lorry which hadtaken up its position on the aerodrome. He was followed at close intervals by the other members of the squadron,and the machines " straafed " the lorry in rapid succession. After pulling out of the dive the machines broke fromthe line-astern formation and carried out a converging attack which the visitors regarded with awe. To completethe attack a flight of five machines dived in formation OUR VISITOR FROM NEPAL : Gen. Bahadur Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana,of Nepal, inspects a Bristol " Bulldog " at Croydon. on the lorry. The machines then re-formed squadron andflew back to Kenley. Several civil aircraft were later inspected, including theHandley Page 42 Hengist (four " Jupiters "), Monospar S.T.6 (two Pobjoys), Westland " Wessex " (three " GenetMajors ") and an Armstrong-Whitworth " Argosy " (three " jaguars "). Later the Mission inspected the administrative buildingsof the airport and were given an explanation of the organisation of the airport and of the control of civil airservices. Night lighting and other airport equipment was inspected. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION Magnificent examples on view of the numerous applications of Aerial Photography -m- ORD LONDONDERRY, Secretary of State for Air..•I _ opened the Exhibition of Aerial Photography and B J Survey at Bush House on Monday, June 4. Inhis opening speech Lord Londonderry said that he had great pleasure in opening this Exhibition of yet anotherapplication of the aeroplane to the uses of mankind. The office of Secretary of State for Air compelled its holder todevote much anxious thought to the machinery of destruc- tion, but happily those duties were matched by others of awholly different kind. The technical knowledge that is gathered in secrecy by belligerent nations is sooner or laterdemobilised and put to constructive uses. Aerial photo- graphy was a by-product of war, and it was natural thata good many years should elapse before the knowledge of what it could do for the arts of peace became generallyunderstood. At the Exhibition, said Lord Londonderry, one saw aerial photographs of land and water, of townand country, of things past and things in the making. They constituted by far the most rapid and convenientmeans of collecting topographical detail that have ever been devised; for by its power of storing up one record onanother, to be inspected subsequently in detail and at leisure, the aerial camera might even be said to have out-stripped television itself. The year 1934 had already been a notable one for civil aviation by reason of the rapidgrowth of air travel in the British Isles. It was, there- fore, all the more gratifying that the organisers of theExhibition should have been able to bring forward at this time such convincing testimony of the ability of aerialphotography and air survey to take their place in the equipment of modern science. Lord Londonderry wasdelighted that the Air Ministry had been able to make its contribution to the Exhibition. Eighteen firms, each connected in some way with aerialphotography or air survey, supported the Exhibition, which was organised by Aerofilms, Ltd. Hundreds of air photo-graphs of the British Isles and abroad, air surveys and maps prepared from these pictures, a variety of types ofcameras, plotting instruments, and a host of other scientific accessories are on view. Among the cameras are the" Eagle " which took the Mount Everest photographs, and a new experimental five lens camera covering miles ofcountry at each exposure. Ingenious apparatus to measure the contour of the ground, camera guns, huge air photo-graphic posters, scale models of aircraft and of " ideal " airports are other items of interest. Public schools aresending parties of scholars to the Exhibition as an aid to their education. Perhaps the greatest attraction is acollection of photographs taken by the Houston Mount Everest Expedition last year. The Exhibition is open free to the public from June 4 to June 9, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (on Saturday until 1 p.m.). 559
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