1935-04-17 — Page 17

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17,

1935.

BRITISH AIRCRAFT

OF DATE

OUT OF

DAY OF BIPLANE IN WAR HAS PASSED BOMBERS OUTPACED BY MANY RIVALS

During the debate on the Air Estimates in the House of Commons emphasis was laid on the fact that the Royal Air Force has too many out-of-date- machines with a small radius of action and a relative- ly low speed and bomb-carrying capacity.

Captain Norman Macmillan, president of the National League of Airmen, sheds a clear light on this vital matter.

He was awarded the Military Cross in January 1918 for shooting down three enemy aeroplanes and driving down six others out of control. În 1919 he received the Air Force Cross in recognition of his war services;

Rear Admirat J. A. G. Troy, of the British Navy, shown hanging from the naval barracks at Porta- mouth, England, after the morning session of the courts martial for four British naval officers impli eated in the recent collision of H.M.S. Hood and H.M.S. Renown.

By CAPT. N. MACMILLAN

years lie mostly to the TN the early days of aviatlon, in recent

the monoplane. The I the does sought the credit of way to success through the dark-British non-stop flight to India, ness of unestabilahed knowledge. carried out by those two gailant Flying was empirical-the subject officers the late Squadron Leader of trial and error. Standards for A. G. Jonca-Williams and the late the design of aeroplanes were un-Flight Lleutenant N. H. Jenkins, known. The minds of the men was made in a monoplane. The created a Schneider Trophy was won out who essayed flight

different right by monoplanes. The aero- 'strange masortment of

to plane which Scott and Black flew acroplanes, ench supposed

of to Melbourne in 71 hours was a PORACHS Bomo special merit stability, maneuvrability or lifting monoplane.

All these seroplanes were special-considered that our fastest heavy power.

designs which

1

Lady Moira Ponsonby, daughter of His Excellency, Lord Be- borough, Governor-General of Canada and Lady Beisborough, is snapped here skiing at the Seignory Club in Quebec. With her is Miss Hyacinth Lambert of Otlawa. Lady Moira had attended 'the women's ski races and was skiing back to the club.

our There is

overwhelming evidenco strength; we are under-efficient. low over the ground, where their for military purposes was crushed. to lose. We are not only under the Our neroplanes are neither fast designed for use at throughout the world that speed might exceed that of

enough nor able to fly far enough. biplane type is obsolete. fighters

The Air Estimates provide for height?

In our bomber classes the dis- is When it

the re-equipment of only one-fifth parity is ominous,

Air of the existing squadrons in the

IMPORTANT POINT Some of the new Royal

Gradually all this has changed. ly built for a given purpose. They bomber (a biplane) has a top speed Force typen nav being built are next twelve months. This means rational aeroplanes drove out the required that they should be mono- foreign monoplanes of similar type this policy pushed forward swift-equipment will be still more out of.

ean tig at speeds of 200 to 211 ly. Speed is not the only quality date by the end of that time.

Our Air Force is a national in- were Krotesque, planes. The lesson goes back to

"Air miles an hour; when it is consider-rained by efficient aerodynamic of our 1927. The leaders Aeroplanes that flew tall first,

of the brat Wright Force have been slow to apply that d that our biplane light bombers design. Hange the distance that surance; only the policy is not road have a maximum speed of only can be flown by an aeroplane-ls enough. Our pilota are the finest lesson, for, at the present time, not machine, ceased to be built. Sub- squadron of the Royal Air 185 miles an hour, while equivalent greuter when the lines are clean. In the world in skill, courage, and sequent variations centred very Force is equipped with aeroplanes monoplane tyres in other countries For bombers that is all important. technique, but for the protection

With few exceptions, fly at 237 to 247 miles an hour, it largely upon three principai tynes

will be realised what a handicap squadron in the Royal Air Force nation we must get rid of our ALL MONOPLANES -the monoplane, the biplane, and of the monoplane type.

has bech imposed upon our nation. needs new, up-to-date aeroplanes. old ueroplanes and re-equip the triplane. Many French de-

French The high-speed

It is time that this shibboleth Given a free hand our designers squadrons with modern nuichines signers were protagonists of the German ir nes that come into

of the superiority of the biplane can build them.. There is no time without delay. monoplane type.

Croydon every day are monoplanes.

BUCCORSOra

and.

and

In England, about two years The fastest air liners of the United before the War, there were

States of America are monoplanen. number of fatal accidents with

The

new bombers and two-seater single-seater fighters in monoplanes. The War Office, for- bade the use of monoplanes in the America are monoplanes. Mono- Royal Flying Caps. A Monoplano planes predominate in the Intest Accidents Investigation Committee

military aeroplanes of the Con- The reason was appointed. Speed of fight in tinental air Powers. those days was comparatively slaw. is clear.

be

An aeroplane that flew at 100 miles Cantilever monoplanes require an hour was considered, vary fast: no outside struts on wires to brace most could not exceed some 70, their wings. With the low-wing

the undercarriage can miles an hour. At these low

type

wings to apeeds the addition or absence of retracted inside the wires and struts dragging through reduce resistance when in, flight. the-air-made comparatively little These qualities give speed. The difference in the performance of thickening of the wings to permit one neroplane against another.internal brucing gives a higli The advocates of the biplane press-lifting-value to the aeroplane. ed that as n-type it could be strong- The monoplane's smooth, clean ly braced by external wires and surfaces cut through the air with Atruts. The Mongplane Accidents the minimum of disturbing ripples. Investigation Committee. gave Ita The. biplane's parasitic struts and verdict against the monoplane. wires disturb the flow of air and

END OF MONOPLANES

so restrict the speed.

can

The findings of thle committee I know that the champions of spelt the death knell of the mono- the old school will say we have a plana in British military aviation, squadron whose machines Four monoplanes already ordered reach 230 miles an hour. I do not from an English designer were dispute this. But I do say that broken up without even being that speed fa only renched at great flown. No monoplane of British heights, where the reduced density design was ever used during the of the air cuts down the drag War in any numbers. One of the through natural conditions. best neroplanes of 1916 was n While this aeroplane flies at a monoplane, but its use was reserved height of some three and a quarter. to side show fronts. It was never miles above the surface of the sea employed as a squadron typo with It can maintain its speed; when It the Royal Flying Corps in France, comes down to lower levels the Biplanes and an occasional tri- drag of struts and wires is present plane were the order of the day, and makes itself felt in the denser This policy, handed down to usjair.

from a committee of scientists who WHAT WOULD HAPPEN sat in 1912 in the days before the Who is there in this country modern science of aeronautical who can safely say that if there design had passed beyond the is fighting in the air that dghting chrysalis stage, has persisted in must take place at heights more British military aeronautical than three miles above the surface circles.

The great achievements in flying if enemy bombers were to travel

of the earth? What would happen

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With the signing of the Franco-German agreement governing the Saar transfer, 500 Nazi Customs guards, armed with carbines and bando liers, bagan procession moving the customs barrior from the German border of, the region to the French line. Above is shown the band of the torchlight celebration that got under was at midnight of the day when Germany took over the restoration of the terri tory to the Fatherland,

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