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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0458.PDF
182 FLIGHT. FEBRUARY 18, 1937. AIR-MAIL COMMENTARY AIR HISTORY on STAMPS By ALEC DAVIS A PICTORIAL history of aviation is provided by the illus trations on air stamps issued within the last few months. Perhaps of greatest interest among these is a set from Peru, which begins with the portrait of a real pioneer wearing his cap in the approved back-to-front fashion of pre war aviators. He is Jorge Chavez, a wealthy young Peruvian who lived in France, was amateur running champion of that country from 1905 to 1907, and became the first Peruvian pilot. He bought two monoplanes—a Henri Farman and a Gnome-engined Bleriot—and established several records. —, w *r*mw*vm n i * ! •»fwf wm ittmii^*^^^**F^W< I ii m ***** SCXMHEDSaoPBRUTO ffi 1 1 1 • • MmmLS,« »«inin The three Peruvian issues referred to by the author. The first shows Peruvia's first pilot, Jorge Chavez ; the second a Douglas D.C. 2 ; and the third a Ford Trimotor. In the Bleriot he attempted to make the first flight across the Alps, a feat for which a competition had been organised. He succeeded tragically. Starting from Brigue, in Switzerland, on September 22, 1910, he managed to fly over the Simplon Pass to Domodossola, on the Italian side, but in landing there his machine overturned, both his legs were broken, and he died soon afterwards, aged twenty-three. In addition to the stamp now issued bearing Chavez' por trait, another in the same set gives an air view of the present- day military aerodrome and training school at Las Palmas, which is named '' Jorge Chavez '' in his memory. From pre-war years our history jumps to a famous war-time aeroplane. Nicaragua adds to the new issues stamps surcharged with new values, using an earlier design that depicts two mili tary biplanes over the Momotombo volcano, which is smoking gently like a wind-indicator. Soon after the Great War, Nicar agua acquired a few American-built D.H.4S with Liberty motors, and it appears that two of these were chosen for illus tration on the stamps when they were first issued in 1929. Then, among commercial types of ten or more years ago a Dornier Wal flying boat moored on the lake of Amititlans is shown on one of Guatemala's latest. Incidentally, two others in the same set illustrate the airport of La Aurora. One, for use on foreign mails, shows the hangars with a biplane and five monoplanes lined up in front, but the other, for internal mails, shows the same hangars almost hidden behind a crowd of people. Presumably they are air-minded Guatemalans, for the airport is close to the capital city. It is used for mail services by the Cia. Nacional de Aviacion, which has been in existence for some seven years now. The Ford Trimotor A later type than the Dornier—a landplane of almost equal popularity—appears on the 70 c. value in the Peruvian series already referred to. It is a Ford Trimotor, seen over one of Peru's coastal towns. The Pan-American Airways group still operates this type on its services from Peru to the States and to Uruguay, and even the P.A.A. badge that decorates the side of the fuselage can be recognised on the stamp. A more modern air liner used on the same routes is the Douglas D.C.2, which is illustrated on a high-value stamp in the same set—the 2 soles. Shown in flight at a height of not more than seventy or eighty feet with the undercart com pletely retracted, it presumably illustrat modern take off technique. Still more modern is the Martin flying-boat, China-Clipper— another P.A.A. type, though it happens to be illustrated on a stamp from Roumania, which shows it so indistinctly that the shadow is more distinct than the real thing. Apparently this stamp is a "charity " issue, the main purpose of which is to raise money for the Fondul Aviatiei. v K* ,,,»>..*• •mm- 1 wsyssji lo" 1 ervirut*! < (Above) The China Clipper on a Rumanian stamp. (Right) Nicaragua shows D.H.4S. Scientific Soundproofing T HAT the reactions of a person placed in noisy surroundings are retarded by as much as 25 per cent, has, it is stated, been proved in tests recently carried out bv the firm of Sound proofing, Ltd , Minerva Road, Park Royal, London, N.W.10, which was recently formed to undertake the scientific sound proofing of aircraft Investigating the problem from this angle, they are of the opinion that the fatigue caused to per sonnel on long flights by noise constitutes a most serious strain on efficiency—a view with which few will disagree. It should also be borne in mind that this strain is often suffered without the individual being aware of its real cause. Soundproofing, Ltd., feel that the value of scientific sound proofing of cockpits and wireless cabins in military aircraft is worthy of serious consideration. Further, they' maintain that effective distribution of soundproofing weight can only be achieved through instrument analysis of the noise produc tion in the individual aircraft. The precision instruments they use are the Noise Meter, Frequency Analyser and Record ing Cathode-Ray Oscillograph. With these "they are able to analyse frequencies, volume and the exact source of ex traneous noise in all types of aircraft. Their knowledge of the application of soundproofing materials then enables them to introduce effective measures without unnecessary weieht increases. b Their methods, broadly speaking, fall under four heads: (1) Vibration isolation—such as flexible engine mountings, etc.; (2) noise insulation—incorporated in construction; (3) noise absorption—treatment of interior in order to reduce the re flected sound to a minimum; (4) resonance damping—to re duce beat amplifications of sound at resonant surfaces. The technical manager is Mr. R. S. Rae, who has had ex perience of soundproofing both in England and abroad. Tecalemit Appointments PROMOTIONS to the Tecalemit board of directors were announced by the recent confirmation of the respective appointments of Mr. W. J. Parslow (general manager) and Mr. A. Sewell (sales manager). Mr. Sewell formerly held a commission with the R.F.C. and R.A.F. Lorraine Engine Developments REGISTERED as a private company on February 12, with a nominal capital of £70,000 in 280,000 ordinary*nares of is., was the firm of Aero-Marine Engines, Ltd. lne m directors are not named in the registration particulars. Flight understands that one of the objects of the neww c«m is the manufacture in this country of Lorraine eng
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