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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 3039.PDF
4»4 FLIGHT. NOVEMBER 12, 1936. To represent Great Britain at Paris : The Bristol Blenheim is believed to be the world's fastest bomber. (Flight photograph.) FROM a technical point of view the possibilities of the Fifteenth International Aero Exhibition, which opens in the Grand Palais des Champs Elysees to-morrow morning, might almost be said to be unlimited. Never in the history of flying has the technique of air craft construction stood so high; the days of " stick-and- string" contraptions are over, and real engineering has taken their place. Every firm produces all-metal air craft, with the exception of the few which cater for the private owner or light-plane enthusiast exclusively. The art of designing and building aero engines has improved very materially, with the result that power has gone up and weight down. Reliability, once a doubtful quantity, is now taken for granted. Materials, equipment and accessories are better and more numerous than ever before. It is, of course, always true of any aero show that it is not truly representative of the art. Military aircraft types have ever formed a large percentage of the total, and no air ministry is willing to release for public exhibi tion all the very latest types. Consequently, the military aircraft shown are bound to be, in most cases, types pro duced before the show, and therefore mostly already known. This fact tends, to rob the show of the surprise element. Civil Preponderance On the other hand, at the Paris Aero Show two years ago the military aspect was far from overpowering; at any rate in the matter of actual numbers, a total of approximately seventy aircraft containing but twenty-one military types. It seems likely that approximately the same proportion will be found at this year's exhibition. Political obstructions to a really representative show have been at work this year. Doubtless the absence of Germany and Italy has a political basis, whatever official explanations may be given. The products of these two countries will be greatly missed, and their absence is bound to rob the show of a great deal of interest. Within France itself it seems that many names famous in French aviation are absent from the list of exhibitors. Particularly will the name of Louis Bleriot be missed by FIFTEENTH The Paris Aero Show Opens To-mom Czechoslovakia and America Re all who have made a habit of visiting the French aero shows over a period of many years. We believe we are right in saying that 1934 was *ne first time Louis Bleriot was not represented, and the thought that the great pioneer has passed out of our ken for ever will cast a shadow over the gay interior of the Grand Palais. An other very old-established French firm, that of Pierre Levasseur, is absent this year. In addition to Bleriot and P. Levasseur, one misses such famous names as C.A.M.S., Gourdou-Leseurre, P. Late- coere, Morane-Saulnier and S.P.C.A. It seems likely that the nationalisation of aircraft factories, recently decided upon, may have been in some degree responsible for these absentees. This is to be regretted, as their products always lent interest to the Paris Show. In spite of the fact that nearly all the British aircraft and aero engine factories are very full up with work. Great Britain will be very well represented, qualitatively if not quantitatively, at the Paris Aero Show. The Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd., true to a tradition which began almost with the foundation of the company, will be represented not only by a very fine range of aero engines, including the Mercury, Pegasus, Aquila and Perseus, but also by a most interesting modern aeroplane, the new Blenheim twin- engined bomber. This machine is probably the fastest cu its class in the world, and is bound to attract a great deal of interest for this reason, even if actual performance figures cannot be quoted. It is to be greatly regretted, although not, pernap> very surprising, that the British Air Ministry has wit^ drawn its permission to show the Hawker Hurricane S]Tls^ seater fighter with Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. A22 s, The
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