THE SCIENCE OF
Why Comet Won The Great Air Race
An interesting lecture was given to members of the Untrer- sity Engineering Society on Thursday last by Flight Lt. W. F Murray during which he gave details of the remarkable machine that won the great air race from London to Melbourne.
Professor Middleton Smith, la introducing the lecturer, said that as soon as the heroes of the air landed in Melbourne, the Lord Mayor of that city stressed the fact that their amazing re- cord was an inspiration to youth. The audience that night consisted of the youth of China, and amongst them were the ploneers of transport development of that huge country." Specta- cular and heroic was the endurance and courage of the two men in the Comet, and the whole world was ringing with praise of those splendid human attributes which they had demonstrated. But the youth of the world must remember that behind that record was the courage of andurance of those men who had laboured through long hours of tedious study and discouraging (and even dangerous) expérience, and self-denial of the plea... sures sought by others of less ́ir 'ligence. The life of Faraday, Stewart-Ackroyd. Langley, the right brothers were quite heroic and courageous although almos unknown, in detail to the gen-. eral públic. Flight Lt. Murray represented a branch of applied science brought vividly to the notice of everyone, including the boatman on the Yangtze, the tiller of the soil on the sad bean fields of Manchuria, and the farmer in the rice fields of K-vang- tung; and he would tell them how they could become pioneers in the rapid development system of transport.
is
The Days Of Bleriot
—- -...
In the course. of his lecture, Flight Lt. Murray said that prob- ably the first aerial vehicle to leave the ground was the famous hot air balloon, the invention of the brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfer.
The suggestion of their balloon came to them in France in 1783 from observing that thick opaque clouds of smoke rose high into the
air.
Linen and material was readily accessible to them at their father's paper factory near Lyons, and they resolved to try whether a large balloon some thirty three feet in diameter nlled with smoke vapours, would rise in the air.
On the 15th of September. 1783, Joseph Montgolfier was brought to Marseilles to give a demonstration of his new invention in the pre- sence of the King and Queen. On this occasion his balloon rose- 1500 feet into the air carrying with it a sheep, à cock and a duck (as far as records show) the first living passengers to leave the earth.
rying out their weird experiments with man-made kites and gliders. Professor Langley's own model steam driven aircraft was produced and successfully flown in 1896: The engine, constructed, by weighed, only 7 lbs. and developed horse-power, which served to drive two airscrews revolving in opposite directions.
bimself
i
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1934.
FLYING
It was late in the seRSON-
EUROPEAN LADY ASSAULTED
December 17, 1903 when they first Chinese Lad Charged
tried the power machine. A gener- al invitation to be present at the trial had been given to the people' ilving within five or six miles but not many were willing to face the rigours of a cold December wind in order to see, as they no doubt thought, another flying, machine not flying...
{
Little by little the fiops (for they could not be called anything else). became longer and more frequent and with the crossing of the Eng- Ush Channel by Bierlot and flights made from one town to adother, the science of aeronautics became something really tangible..
The time allowed for all this was not long is less than 11 years, if only the world had known it, the world would be at war, and would be calling for aeroplanes by the thousands.
The War Infiuence The great war is really an im- portant item in the history of aviation In the four years of its duration progress was accelerated in a manner incalculable in the number of years that would other wise have been taken to reach the stage to which the science had developed at the conclusion of Mostilities.
Miss Muriel Smith, of No. 2 Kennedy Road, appeared as com- plainant before Mr. Hamilton at the case in which a Chinese lad Central Magistracy yesterday, in
was charged with common assault
at Battery Road at about 8 o'clock on Thursday night.
:
com-
were
Outlining the facts of the case, Sergeant Clarke said that plainant and her mother walking along Battery Path' when. near the top, the defendant came up to them from behind. Com- plainant's mother saw him swoop. ing down, and screamed out. At the same time complainant felt a hand on her leg. Defendant ran away but was caught by an In- dían constable.
Sergeant Clarke then asked for
WIS
AROUND THE COURTS
(Continued from Part 6)
Before Mr. Hamilton, Mr. E H Watts, salesman at "Lane, Craw- ford's Ltd was aned $10 for not
when learning to drive private having a licensed driver with him
car No. 2182 at Shaukiwan
Defendant said he was under the impression that the man he had with him was a licensed driver. The man was a mechanic.
Defendant admitted a previous conviction last week.
Yeung Chan-kwong, driver of public car No. 730, was fined $20 for having driven in a danger- ous manner in Stubbs -Road by over-taking another moying vehi- cle on a bend. Defendant admitt~! ed a previous conviction for similar offence."
Lam Yau-hung, driver of pri-
a remand as the defendant's favate car No. 401, summoned for ther wished to produce a birth
Saving overtakan a moving bus on certificate to prove that, by Chin- a bend in Pokfulam Road past the _ese...............reckoning, defendant
University Cricket ground, and only 15.
Chan Kam-fat, driver of private for seven days for
H's Worship adjourned the case
car No. 2555, summoned for a simi- quiries, and ordered the defendant further en-
lar offence in Pokfulam Road, were each fined $10. to be medically examined. If Dr.
LA Heung, driver of taxicab No. Pringle, of the Medical Depart-896, was fined $5 for dangerous At the beginning of the war,
"ment, thought defendant was over driving in Stubbs Road. It was al popular opinion regarded the aero-in police custody otherwise he keep to the left hand side of the 10, his Worship would remand him leged that defendant failed to plane as a performing but fragte would send him to the Remand road on the day of a Chinese fest!- freak. At the end, it was establish- ed definitely, though perhaps grlin- ly. as a terribly efficient war weapon and a little less obviously, transport, as a sound and speedy means of
air-
From this time onwards craft have made measured strides, In almost every civilized country in the world, air lines are linking up places and towns. To-day one travels enormous distances, in an incredably short space of time, enjoying the luxury of an infinite view of the country beneath from
D. H. "COMET " Winner of London-Melbourne Air Race. (Note Stream-lining--the wheels are lifted and shielded in the air)
But from then until the present time. lighter-than-air craft have with Plicher and the Wrights; he It was with Langley as it was made rapid progress. The cost has been appalling, both in materials
had to make his own engine. By and life. The only Atting monu-
1901 he had completed with the ald ment to those brave early pioneers of his assistants, an engine of forty who gave their lives battling to horse power weighing with all its learn more of the unknown, is appurtenances, less than five aviation as we see it to-day and pounds to the HP. A year and a its all round benefits to mankind." half more was spent in adopting
The Modern. Plane i
and co-ordinating the frame and So much for the balloon or gas appliances and in carrying out the. bags. I will now touch very briefly shop tests. At last on October 7, on the early heavier-than-air con- 1903 from a place forty miles from trivances in which man risked his Washington the first trial neck and sometimes his reputation. made.
Look on the" Comet and this.
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS' BIPLANE.
In the light of present know-
A Notable Event
was
1903 is generally considered the
the comfort of an easy chair. One can enjoy the pleasures of well-cooked meals refreshments -reading-music-and a variety of other forms of entertainment
One Hundred and Forty e
Passengers
many as 12 engines developing a Large flying toats powered by as
total of something like 5.000 harse power and capable of taking into the air 140 passengers are already in existence.
It has been my good fortune to have flown in one such aircraft. Large aeroplanes on the European and African air routes dally wing their way carrying as many as 40 passengers, and a good paying load of malls, thus speeding up trans- port to an extent hitherto un- known
Al transport on well organized air routes 13 becoming so safe that on many of the lines, insur-
Home.
An application for bail was then made by defendant's father buc his Worship refused, remarking that there might be the possibility ot a more serious charge.
that he had had a talk with Dr. Later, his Worship remarked Pringle, who had examined defendant, and was told that al- the
opinion that defendant though Dr. Pringle was of the 16, he was not prepared to be de- was over nite.
11
Under these circumstances, he decided to regard defendant as a juvenile until it was proved to the contrary,
Defendant was accordingly sent to the Remand Home.
landing grounds but this
2
is already recognised by many of the wise Governments, and no doubt in the very near future chains of service stations and landing faci- litles will exist on the air routes between most of the principal cities.
At the present time I believe a journey to Chengtu in Szechuan province takes nearly three weeks to accomplish-result, no one goes unless compelled to do so. Would it surprise most of you to know that with a light modern aeroplane this journey could be accomplished in about 2 days of easy flying: Canton can only be reached in 31 hours using the quickest means of surface travel.
under 40 minutes from start to completed this journey in a little I have myself
finish
ance of aviation or alx communi- I need hardly stress the Import- cation to this vast country. believe aviation will in time prove the salvation of China..
What of the future of aviation? To what magnitude will man.con- tinne to construct aerodynes? What phenomenal..speeds will be attained before man is finally satisded. Only a day or man flew from: London to Mel- 80 ago bourne in under 12 hours a dis- tance of over 12,000 miles.
val.
Kowloon
Ai Kowloon magistracy be- fote Mr. Wynne-Jones, C. Balyoz Ian, of the Palace Hotel, was fined"
structed to and suitable garaging $5 for leaving" his car No. 7 in Fife Street Defendant was in-
inform the police. accommodation for his ear, and to
W
Mr. Harvey, driver of private cur No. 4156. was summoned for fall- ing to carry a red rear lamp on bis car, at 10.45 p.m. en Septem- ber 23. Defendant admitted the of fence, but stated that the lamp had gone out. He was fined 83.
NO PASSPORTS
Two Polish subjects, Peter Ber- blum (23) and Enik Jacksons (18); were charged before. Mr. Hamilton at Central Magistracy yesterday with entering the Colony without valid passports on October 23.
It was stated that defendants arrived in the Colony from Macau on October 23, and were arrested the following day They had been imprisoned for two months in Canton and were sent to Macao from there."
On being informed by Berbunu that he and Jacksons were sent to Hong Kong by the Macao Police.. his worship adjourned the case for seven days for enquiries. Ball was fixed at $250 each.
Arab Sent to Prison On a charge of having absented
24, All Mohamed, a Russian-speak- tion from September 28 to October! himself from the House of Deten-
months' hard labour. It was stated Ing Arab, was sentenced to two.
that defendant was committed to the House of Detention on Sep- tember. 27 pending arrangements for him to be deported."
European On Serious Charge Hearing has been fixed for November 1 at 2.30 p.m. for the Gilbert who is being charged with case against Geoffery Fitzgerald
Messrs. Arnhold and Company. the embezzlement of $4,800 from
When the case was brought be fore Mr. Macfadyen at Central Ma- spector 7. Murphy, applied for a ristracy yesterday, Detective In- of us as slow even, as 20 years ago remand, saying that the Crown, we thought 60 ralles per hour would like to consider whether the meteoric.
trial or dealt with summarily, prisoner should be committed for
Ten years hence, this amazing
ance rates are actually lower than speed may be considered by most those for rail and sea voyaging.
Private flying is becoming an- creasingly popular and a very useful, machine can now be pur-
Every day new inventions are chased for as little as HK$4,000.
appearing in the aeronautical Now, why should we be interest World: new engines, faster, lighter, ed in flying? We should all, I more powerful, more economical think, belleve in its future because and trustworthy, are being tried only by aviation will it be possible out. to speed up world communication. and as has been proved over and over again in history, bigger unities of peoples are only schley cd as speed and ease of communt cations increase spe
Not Difficult To Fly, Time does not allow me to tell you of the many uses of aircraft other than that of transportation
Ambujance work-mall carrying
surveying policing - forest fire fighting-bandit suppression are only a few of the jobs that can in a good many cases, Invariably more efficiently than by any other be carried out much cheaper and means.
ledge. some of the schemes were The hop made by the Wright so weird as to be almost ludicrous; brothers in America in December but there were some that came very near to success and a few that rst step that was made towards crop dusting-map making - actually embodied many principles now in practice but lacking some practical flying and is regarded as vital element nécessary to success. the original starting Boint In Such an apparatus, was designed reality these two pioneers were in the early part of the nineteenth fortunate to get into the air before century by an Englishman, Sir anyone else as there were a num- George, Dayley. It was the firabber gr experimenters in various move towards the heavier-than-air parts of the world all working to craft but it came before the days wards the same point and very of the internal combustion engine shortly after this first flight was and therefore with the lacking of made, number of others tere a sullable power plant, was not claiming success. The original first even constructed. -
aeroplane weighed six hundred Langley Pulcher, Lilienthal, pounds including the operator and Chanuté alast were hil filled cazé an eight horse power motor.
You can own a private aero plane. This opens out great possi- like China, where surface com blities, especially in a country munication dimcult. At present some parts of Is so tiring and
China suffer through lack of
The demand for trained men will come with this development.
Already China is building its own aircraft: but so far she is terribly handicapped through lask of aircraft engineers designers draughtsmen-stress calculators And a host of others necessary for factory and production managers the formation of this country expanding air industry,
And so you must all keep your eye on these developments because
for the defence, said he had no Mr. J. M. D'Almada Remedios, objection to a remand. Ball was fixed for $10,000.
FORGED COUPONS
In consequence of a report made- by the British-American Tobacco Co. (China), Ltd., that false cigar ette coupons were being sold in the
pector M. Murphy on the first market, a raid was made by In- door of No. 3, Sugar Street where two dies, one in English and one in Chinese, and a number of for- sed coupons were seized.
A man
opportunity usually only comes to named Ko Man was arrested on you once in a life time and the premises, and he was brought opportunities there will be for before Hambton at Centr many in the development of avia-Magistracy yesterday breadth of Chin tion throughout the length and charges (1) of having
seasons forged dies
(4) be those of the
plained that it was the stream In conclusion the lecturer. ex
lining the light engine and other and for the British sircraft, Co improvements in design that won ofga
per hour Including stons, in atdazing becord of over 170
recent world wide comp
hard labouras
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