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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1318.PDF
492 FLIGHT. . MAY 20, 1937. Range and Pay-load THE regrettable accident to the Hindenburg has focjsed attention once more on the problems con nected with long-range air routes such as that across the Atlantic. Upon the conclusions arrived at by the American courts of enquiry may well depend the whole future of airships. The protagonists of lighter- than-air craft have a very good case for the airship as a carrier of passenger over long ocean routes on which no intermediate landings are possible. Until the Hindenburg disaster they could point to a long period of safe airship operation, but the fact that even a Ger man-built and German-operated airship can come to grief in quite ordinary circumstances must of necessity shake the faith in airships. It may well be, of course, that an explanation is found which will satisfy everyone that a repetition need not be feared. On the other hand, it is well to take stock of the situation and to ex amine what would be the result of a possible cessation of all airship travel should the American investigations fail to bring to light a likely solution of the mystery. Would, one may ask, the total disappearance of the airship rule out the possibility of regular trans-oceanic passenger-carrying air routes? Nothing is gained by over-enthusiastic claims, and in all truthfulness it has to be admitted that the long-range aircraft of heavier- than-air type which can carry a reasonable pay-load in the form of passengers over something like 3,000 miles of ocean, with reserve fuel for adverse winds, does not exist at present, nor is it in sight, in spite of the optimists. The next question which naturally comes to mind is whether there exist any means whereby aircraft as we know them to-day can be improved to such an extent as to become commercial propositions over ranges of 3,000 miles. Further improvements in aero engines, and par ticularly in fuel consumption, will help, but will not give the complete solution. Improvements in aerodynamic efficiency will extend the commercial range a little farther, but will still not give us all we need. So far as can be seen at present the most promising line of attack lies in adopting extremely high wing load ings, but for these it will probably be necessary to use some form of extraneous means of getting the heavily- loaded aircraft into the air. The Short-Mayo composite aircraft now nearing completion is one method of doing this. Catapulting is another, but the catapult may take many forms. Its main drawback is that long travel is necessary if unpleasantly high acceleration is to be avoided. Captain Frank T. Courtney has suggested a sloping runway on which gravity would assist the mechanical power. No one can foresee which of these methods is likely to provide the best solution, but it seems fairly certain that some form of assisted take-off will be the next big step towards long range with a reasonable payload. Then will come the question whether the aircraft to be used for trans-oceanic routes should be of landplane or flying-boat type. For use with assisted take-off, this choice will be no easy one. FOR ROYAL REVIEW : H.M.S. Courageous, which, together with Glorious and Furious, will be among the 277 vessels assembled at Spithead for the Royal Review to-day, Thursday. The aircraft is a Blackburn Shark T.S.R. with Siddeley Tiger engine.
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