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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1367.PDF
Deetmbet -V, 193*. AIRCRAFT ENGINEERAND AIRSHIRS ^^ uhunded in 1909 by Stanley Spooner FIRST\ .AERONAUTICAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS. IN THE PRACTICE AND PROGRESS OF AVIATION OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB No. 1357. Vol. XXVI. 26th Year. DECEMBER 27, 1934 Thursdays, Price todBy Post, 7Jd. Editorial, Advertising and .Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telegrams: Truditur, Watloo, London. Telephone: Hop 3333 (50 lines).HERTFORD ST., COVENTRY. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, 260, DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER. 3. 28B, RENFIELD ST., NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, 2. GLASGOW, C.2.Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telegrams: lliffe, Manchester Telegrams: lliSe, Glasgow Telephone: Coventry 5210. Telephone: Midland 2971. Telephone: Blackfriars 4412. Telephone: Central 4867 SUBSCRIPTION Home and Canada : Year, £1 13 0. 6 months, 16s. 6d. 3 months, 8s. 3d.RATES: Other Countries: Year, £1 15 0. C months, 17s. 6d. .') months 8s. M. A Very Bery Dig ove WORDS almost fail us when we attempt to praisethe enterprise of the Air Ministry and the PostOffice. The scheme for improving Empire air mails outlined by Sir Philip Sassoon has sur- passed all expectations and all hopes. Everyone knew that a considerable speeding-up was coming, for Sir Eric Geddes had mentioned flying to Sydney in about seven days. More frequent services had also been fore- told, and Imperial Airways on their own initiative have already taken the first useful steps in that direction. But such frequency as Sir Philip Sassoon suggests, notably four or five services to India every week, had seemed an ideal of the distant future. What was not foreseen was the proposal to send all first-class mail matter to Empire countries on the route by air. The idea has often occurred to the visionaries among us as a goal to be aimed at, and perhaps some day to be reached. That the Government should expect to make this ideal a fact in two years from now is enough to make a man rub his eyes and wonder if a fairy god- mother has appeared on earth again. Yet even that does not complete the tale of presents which Lord Londonderry and Sir Kingsley Wood have crammed into our Christmas stockings. They expect and they hope—though, of course, they cannot yet be sure—that the postage for a half-ounce letter for any of the Empire countries on the routes will be " in the region of i£d." Ministers do not as a rule express hopes in Parliament unless they have good grounds for expecting them to be realised. We may take it that in about two years' time half-ounce letters to those Empire countries will cost us no more than will letters by train and steamer. If all these hopes materialise we shall soon be sending letters to India as fast as, cheaper than, and almost as'often as a few years ago we could send letters to Rome. The combination of speed, frequency, cheap- ness, and the invariable use of the air for letters is enough to cause an indigestion of delight. Never before in the history of the world has such a transport scheme been even envisaged. Night flying will be necessary on some sections of the route, and the need of setting up an elaborate system of lighting, wireless, and very complete meteorological services explains the delay of two years before the scheme can be put into full operation. Large orders will also have to be placed for new aircraft, for the existing fleet of Imperial Airways is already working to full capacity, and with not much margin in the way of relief machines, Excellent new designs will be needed, and we are sure that our designers will answer that call. Something like quantity production will also be needed. The machines will have to carry both passengers and mails, for Im- perial Airways remain convinced that the combination of the two is the best policy. • Passenger Comforts Presuming that passengers actually are a very profitable form of cargo, economy demands that all seats on the machine must be filled, if possible. If sleeping bunks are substituted for seats, the capacity of the machine is reduced, which would suggest a loss. Taking the worst case, one can hardly imagine passengers for Australia sitting more or less upright for seven days and nights on end. Many will want to spend the nights on the ground, and if the sleeping berth plan is adopted several of them will be obliged to do so. The aeroplane will fly on, and those passengers will have to wait for the next one. If there are five services a week to India, they may catch a machine next day on that section Between India and Singapore there will be only three services a week, so that a wait of one day, or perhaps two, on the ground will be necessary. From Singapore to Australia two services a week are proposed, so that a halt on that section might mean a wait of three or four days before the next aeroplane could be boarded. We shall need a daily service right through before pas- sengers will be able to take full advantage of the increased
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