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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1921.PDF
6o FLIGHT. JULY 9, 1936. COMMERCIAL AVIATION AIRLINES AIRPORTS FOR CIVIL SERVICE : The Short Empire flying boat is powered with four of the new Pegasus Xc civil-rated radials, the official figures for which have just been made known. The international-rated power is 740 h.p. at 3,5°° ft., and 910 h.p. is available for take-off with the De Havilland V.P. airscrew. Flaps for controllable cooling are incorporated in the long chord cowlings. This Flight photograph and that on p. 44 were taken during the second test flight at Rochester. THE WEEK AT CROYDON What's in a Name? : Le Touqiiet : Levelling and Lettering : Garbage EARLY last week Maj. Brackley, Air Superintendent of Imperial Airways, returned from an extensive tour of Empire routes. He brought back a number of rare caged birds whose song brightened the main hall. Lord Sempill was at Croydon last week with the mono- spa! Croydon. Naming aeroplanes after airports is a new idea. Croydon, Gatwick, Heston, Speke or Hanworth sound right, but what if airports, after which we are to name our aircraft, are opened at Bootle, Goole, Pudsey, Giggleswick and Chorlton-cum-Hardy ? I noticed that Lord Sempill and his companions wore a sort of yachtsman's uniform—dark blue jacket, grey flannels and yachting cap. Quite a good idea, not only because uniform helps abroad, but also because sky cruising is as worthy of .special kit as any form of seafaring. Qeneral Exodus There was tremendous excitement at Croydon on Friday amongst the upper two or three millions, most of whom seemed to be flying to Le Touquet, where the new airport was being opened. I never saw so many suede or parti coloured shoes or such hundreds of blood-red finger nails. One might have supposed that London was in the hands of the hammer-and-sickle boys and that a decadent aristo cracy was literally flying the country. Several Dickens types, slightly modernised, were clearly distinguishable, the Veenerings, for example, and the debilitated cousin asking for a "gin and what-not "—obviously proud of remembering the most important part of the desired bever age. When the place was seething with air travellers, a charming lady rushed up to a foreign pilot in uniform, remarking, "You're taking me to Le Touquet, aren't you? ' Alas! for romance; before he had properly straightened his tie and adjusted his most winning smile, some overheated ground official had seized the lady and was rushing her aboard another machine. Most of the taxi firms did well, and " Ollevs " had no less than fourteen return trips to Le Touquet, whilst Im perials sent Scylla, the Vellox, and several D.H.86s. Pilots reported that the aerodrome was excellent, but, as weather was poor, with cloud almost on the deck and traffic not only congested but largely composed of irresponsible small aeroplanes, the fifty-foot bar and other creature comforts scarcely compensated for total lack of wireless facilities. Airline pilots were scared stiff and (the way of the world in aviation circles) were loftily scorned by private owners for getting cold feet. The "levelling" operations in the southern corner of Croydon are well under way. There is scarcely an hour of the day when you cannot smell the fumes of coke, frying kippers and strong tea in that area. New " taxying off" letters have just been instituted for display at the control tower balcony rail, besides the time- honoured I for Imperials, F for Air France and K for K.L.M. The new ones are H for Swissair, B for British Continental, C for Commercial Air Hire, O for Olley Air Service and W for Wrightways. On Tuesday there was one of those quiet conferences at Croydon which do so much towards maintaining the high efficiency of traffic control on the international air routes. There were some twelve vitally important traffic control points on the agenda for discussion. The other (very warm) day, when large numbers of pas sengers were leaving for London, a vehicle bearing the name "Corporation of Croydon" drew up alongside the passenger coach. It was one of these highly efficient dust carts with hatches to keep the aroma in and the flies out, and every one of them was wide open. What the pas sengers heard was not the throb of aero engines but the joyous hum of myriads of fat flies ; what they smelt was not the untainted Croydon ozone ; and what they saw, as open garbage bins were carried past them, is better not described. So refreshing for foreign visitors accustom"' •to sanitary cities! A. VIATOR.
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