Aviation

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 245, 4 October 1930, Page 13

Aviation

News and Notes

(By

“Wing Tips.”)

A Nation's Civil Aviation is a Measure of Its Commercial Efficiency. The Empire is Handicapped by Air Ignorance —Help Us Conquer Itl

Sea and Air Map. A map of great interest, not only for schools and colleges, but for the general public, is in course of completion by Messrs. George Philip and Son, Ltd., of London ajjd Liverpool. This is the Sea and Air Map prepared by the Navy League in co-oper-ation with the Air League of the British Empire. The map will show in distinctive colours British and foreign air routes existing and projected and principal steamship routes of the British Empire. There will be pictorial diagrams illustrating air records in height, speed, duration and distance from 1906 to the present day. * • * Efficient Moth. Miss Laura Ingalls, twenty-five-year-old transport pilot of New York, recently made 980 loops one after the other so the “Curtiss-Wright Review” says. Miss Ingalls was up for three hours forty minutes on this flight which certainly shows what the long-suffering Moth will endure. > • * Arctic Air Mali. A new record for air travel in northern Canada was achieved on the first air mail flight this spring between McMurray on the Athabaska river, 250 miles north of the Edmonton, and Aklavik in the delta of the Mackenzie river, a distance of 1,630 miles. The Commrcial Airways machine made the trip in 11 hours 5 minutes. The old. mail service between these points, it may be recalled, took 7'3 days by dog train in winter and 15 days by ateainer in summer. • * * Over the Counter. Wo nil remember the old, very old, storv about the big store where one could get anything from a packet of pins to a performing elephant or team of trained fleas, but the inventor of this somewhat libellous yarn never dared to suggest that aeroplanes would be sold over the counter in such an establishment. Well the time has come when they are, and Selfridges have sold a number of aircraft. » • » A Pity. The “Manchester Guardian” ot August 7 states:—Miss Winifred Brown, winner of the King’s Cup for the recent Round-Englaz a flight, is going on the variety stage and will appear at the London Coliseum on Monday week, August 18. Miss Brown/ in flying kit and with her winning aeroplane beside her on the stage, will describe the race to the auuieuco. She is booked to appear

at Stoll theatres in Manchester and Bristol. [Almost everybody in British aviation will be very sorry to hear this. Surely there is someone in Manchester who could have told Miss Brown that such things are not in the best interests of aviation ] e • • Proposed U.B. Airship.

If Congress approves plans put forward by U.S. Army officials an armed metal-clad dirigible costing £900,000 will be constructed at the Scott Fie.d, Illinois. According to Colonel John Paegelow, Commandant of the Station, the new airship is to be 547 ft. long, and will have a gas volume cf 3,758,300 cubic feet. It is to be driven by eight engines of a total horse-power of 4,800, and develop n maximum speed of 100 m.p.h. The airship is to weigh 151,4001 b. (about 67J tons) and will be equipped with 30.000 rounds of ammunition, one 37 millimetre gun, from two to seven tons of bombs, two aeroplanes, 10 machine guns and a 1.000 watt searchlight. With the military load it is expected to have a cruising radius of 2,200 miles. The crew will number 40.

A comparison between this pro posed American all-metal and armed airship, and the two British commercial airshins RIOO and 8101 already in the air is interesting. Length: RlOl, 7.30 ft. ; RIOO, 710 ft. Speed (maxi.), 11101, 80 m.p.h.; RlOO, 80 m.p.h. Speed, cruising, RlOl, 70 m.p.h.; RIOO 71.5 m.p.h. Cruising range with normal load: R101,'3,000 miles; RIOO, 3,500 miles Total displacement, 151 tons; 156 tons.

Engines (number): RlOl, 5; RIOO 6. Total horse-power, RlOl, 3,250; RIOO, 4,200. Since these figures were issued, the length, and gas capacity of RlOl has been considerably increased, making her total displacement much greater as well.

On the face of things, America seems to have profited by the experience of the German Zeppelins during the late war and have curtailed the size and weight of their proposed new fighting ship of the air.

The Hawke’s Bay and East Coast Aero Club is approaching the end of its financial year, the year closing on the 31st. of this month. Those managing the club’s affairs no doubt are in the position of knowing fairly well how this second year of its existence is going to pan out. It has not, so far, been the lot of this club to have its funds benefited by a successful art union as has been the case with other important clubs in the Dominion. Now, no matter what

club management there is, the officials like to see what is termed a good balance sheet. In other clubs that have been running successfully for years, a habit has grown of getting a spurt on in the effort to show as good as position as possible in their finances. Now is the time for this particular club to get moving and make a final flutter to augment its revenue during this last month of the year’s working. It will be of no use for the management to adopt the " I’m-waiting-for-Jack-to-move-in-the matter ’’ policy. They should all get their “tails’’ up and fly around for the next three weeks while the going is good. It is yet suitable weather for thepromotion of an invitation masquerade ball, before the end of the month, and if run on proper lines, success should attend their efforts both from the attendance and financial aspect. Another thing in favour of holding a ball as suggested is the further encouragement of the local side of the club’s activities. They could even go so far as to invade Napier or work in with Napier in their programme It may mean a bit of hard work for some of the members to promote a ball and make the evening a success, but there is pleasure in hard work when success attends the effort Many members have already worked hard in getting the club going, and what a pleasure that same labour has been to thorn. Because some of us have attained our object, is it for us to let up and rest on our wings as it were? No I Let all put their weight in still.

It has been noticed in many of the most important aero clubs in New Zealand that they hold their annual meetings much earlier in the year, than is the case with the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast Club. They get their financial year finished and their annual meetings over with despatch, and everything is over and done with before the busy season sets in. With the local club this is left until rather late. Well into the month of December is really too late to hold an annual meeting, besides December is getting into the members’ busy times and some prefer to have that month free from club ties. _ Could not the local club make their year to fall, say, at the end of September, and to hold their annual meeting at the end of October? It only means cutting one month out of a year and the club would then bo set for all time in this respect.

The flying activities for the week ending 28th. September amounted to 7 hours 45 minutes solo and 3 hours dual, a total of 10¾ hours. Club pilots flying solo were Hugh Chambers, Maurice Field, Guy Field, B. M. Kessell and Allan Powdrell.

» • • The equinoxes were responsible for little pleasurable flying during their intensity, but during the lulls, the flying time put in was considered good.

Last Tuesday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. D. Newbigin, Duart road, Havelock North, a gathering of aero club members and friends assembled to partake in a pleasurable house-warming. Mr. and Mrs. Newbigin proved a capital host

and hostess and at the conclusion of the evening they were honoured with “They Are Jolly Good Fellows,” as one and all of the guests had been made to feel much at home and had had a very enjoyable time indeed. • » * •'HANCAR-ROUNDS” A NEGRO HOMILY A negro parson conducting a church near an airport, thought to impress his flock by the following comparison: “Brudders and Sisters, religion am just de same thing as a airplane. It pm de means by which we travel onward and upwards. But like de airplane, your religion mutt have a nltra speed motor of Righteousness, fed by de high test gasoline of Broderly Love; a stout fuselage like a strong heart, a large wing spread to catch de air of salvation, and cause you to soar high in de peace of mind. A propeller to stir your soul to higher aims. Your ship must have ample vision to see the field. “Den wid de joy stick of divine control in your hand, von takes off for de promised land. Now you banks on de lawd, turns your ship into righteous paths, you loops de loop around de Devil, nose dives into and busts up the clouds of sin. Avoiden de tail spin into hell and damnation, but wid your Bible as a compass and Heaven de beacon, you steer your ship straight for do Pearly Gates, • • • First She: “Madge certainly gives us all the ‘high hat' since she's been flying so much with young Jones!” Second She: “Yes, she always said she liked to feel above the rest of usf” • • • Very Particular We have had an enquiry from Bill v Brown: “I am very interested m aviation. I would be very much obliged to have one of your particulars. Please send it to me for 6d. only.” If anyone has a spare particular and knows Billy's address, please send it to him. • • • The Heavenly Twins, Rumpus aril Scotty, perpetrated a further revenge last week-end by placing a chib member in rather an undignified attitude, performing a christening ceremony with the aid of distille.i water in plenty. The ire of the Twins seemed to have been satisfied, and the recipient of the honour conferred enjoyed the practical joke immensely, but he still has it on them. • • • Should there he any visitors to thtown, who are in any wav connected with or are interested in flying, a cordial invitation is extended to them to visit the aerodrome at Longland, If they will get in touch with the clnh secretary’, conveyance will bo arranged for them, if they so desire.