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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1127.PDF
.396 FLIGHT. APRIL 20, 1939 One of the Askania timing outfits. took only 14.464 sec. to cover the timed section. Field Marshal Goring immediately promoted Herr Dieterle to Flight Captain : he is the youngest pilot to hold that rank in the German Luft waffe. Timing of the record was done with special outfits designed by the As kania Werke of Berlin. The sighting posts were set in concrete, two close together near the course and a third nearer a cine camera. There were, of course, two of these timing stations, one at each end of the 3-km. course. When the camera was pointed at the sighting posts the near one appeared taller than the two far ones, owing to perspective, although they were all of the same height—32.8ft. The Askania cine cameras were of the "slow motion" (actually, high-speed) type, in which as many as 100 frames per second can be taken. The angle of the cine objective lens was so chosen that a picture field 90 m. by 120 m., referred to the near sighting post, was photographed on the film. Electrically connected to the cameras were an oscillo graph and a chronometer. By each camera stood an observer, who was informed by field telephone of the distance of the aeroplane at any moment from the sighting posts. When the machine entered the field of the camera the observer started the electric timing mechanism by which, in addition to the pic tures taken by the cine camera, exposures were made on the oscillograph strip and time marks made every second. By comparison of the continuous curve on the oscillograph strip, cine film, and a contact chronometer, a time picture was thus obtained. When the machine had passed out of the picture-field the camera was stopped and the camera at the other end of the course started. It should, of course, be understood that the two timing posts at the ends of the course had their equipment synchronised. Two shots from the Pathe Gazette newsreel. The machine shown in it has a radio mast. Those unfamiliar with cine technique will be interested in the sound track in the picture below WEST HARTLEPOOL OPENING I N order to take advantage of the increased delivery which will now be practicable, large additional orders for aircraft are to be placed in this country., This statement was made by Sir Kingsley Wood at the luncheon which preceded the official opening of West Hartlepool's new civic airport at Greatham last Saturday. " Our programme last year was by far the largest in the history of the R.A.F.," he said. " It was more than double that of any previous year, and, more than 17 times that of any typical pre-expansion year." Sir Kingsley went on to say that though the R.A.F. entries were satisfactory, more than 70,000 men and boys would be needed for the Volunteer Reserve and for the auxiliary forces during the present year. Pilots for the R.A.F. Reserve were particularly needed. Lord Londonderry, a former Air Minister, who, as honorary president of the flying club to be established at West Hartle pool, was " greeted as landlord should greet a good prospective tenant," said that while he was at the Air Ministry they were faced with financial difficulties in regard to the develop ment of civil aviation, but, even so, he had felt that they should avoid what he would term spoon-feeding. Local authori ties were left to exercise their initiative, and West Hartlepool had shown it was not lacking in that respect. The Air Minister, who flew from London in an Air Council D.H.86 B, was accompanied by Lord Londonderry, Lt.-Col. Sir Francis Shelmerdine (Director-General of Civil Aviation), Air Marshal C. L. Courtney and Mr. F. H. Sanford (private secretary). A wind strength of something like 40 m.p.h. rather upset the programme for the aerial display which preceded and fol lowed the luncheon, but the pilot of a visiting Spitfire was at least able to show the machine's paces downwind. The Battles of No. 185 (B) Squadron, from Thornaby, which has just been "adopted" by West Hartlepool under the recent scheme, flew past in squadron formation. Prior to his departure the Air Minister made a quick tour of the airport, which has been built at a cost of ^40,000. There is hangarage for 36 machines, two hangars having been put up by the Air Ministry for the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve School, and a third is to be erected for the machines of the flying club and visiting aircraft. Arrangements have been made for the new club to train members of the Civil Air Guard.
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