AVIATION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17315, 29 November 1921, Page 9

AVIATION.

FUTURE OF AIRSHIPS. AEROPLANE RACE ROUND THE GLOBE. (from ouk own correspondent.) LONDt»->, October 7. It is announced that Sir Ross Smith and his brother, Sir Keith Smith, have been making plans for a flight round the globe in a Viokera "amphibian." In fact, an aeroplane race round the world is likely in the near future. In the United States Aero Club members and others are concerned in a scheme to employ in the world flight one of the big machines recently designed there in which three 400-h.p. engines are coupled to a single large air-screw. Any one of the motors is able to fceep the 'plane in the air, with the result that forced, landings are practically eliminated. „_ .._ . In Italy the firm of F.1.A.T., .who produce a swift biplane with a single engine of 700-h.p., is seeking to arrange an Italian venture on a co-opera-tive plan and in France ways and means are being discussed by manufacturers and technicians. , "The most ticklish part of the journev," said Sir Keith Smith, in an interview, "will be across the Atlantic, but we are taking every possible precaution to ensure the success of the undertaking. It is pretty certain that a flight round the world will be done some day, and we're keen that the honour should go to a British-born subject. If conditions are favourable, and we are in good health, we mean to fulfil our ambition. We have been working on the details of the journey, for th? past 18 months, and I have been over most of the ground studying the conditions which we shall have to face. The route we shall take depends largely on the trade winds. I should like to get across the Atlantio at the outset, is it would be a very big strain at the end of such a strenuous flight. We are sure to come up against some pretty bad weather, but it will not be worse than we experienced in our flight to Australia.'' , It is expected that there will he only three engaged in the night—Sir Keith, his younger broth o. Sir Ross, .and Sergeant Bennett, the mechanic who acoompanied them on the Australian flight The route contemplated will be across the Atlarftic, over Canada and Alaska, crossing over to Asia, and down the coast and over Japan to the north of Siam, thence across the north or India and Arabia, and so over Asia Minor and Europe to England.

The 111-fated R3B. llhose who hold iiha.t the Briti&h Government should keep the spirit of the arrangement' with the Dominion Governments to keep the airship service alive are of opinion (says a special correspondent of the "Morning Post ) that the Government take the unhappy loss of the "ESS" as the final verdicagainst airships. But the loss of "B38 h has no right to be taken as a final verdict, as will be made olear when the report of the. official investigation into its fate is published if that investigation is a full and a fair one. The truth is that no one with the means to know was at all surprised at the "R3B" breaking her back. A wiser and more courageous policy would have scrapped her after her first trials. Presumably there is posthumous record of General Maitland's opinion of her, and of the opinions of other experts who perished with her. Those opinions would provide ample evidence that she had no reasonable chance of making good. Nevertheless, the loss of the "B 88" is being used by those who were against persevering with airships as a final argument. Trans-Atlantic Air Service. A scheme of airship communication between Spain and Argentina is about to enter on the first stage of realisation. The proposal was first suggested by the Compania Transatlantica, the largest steamship navigation company in Spain; with a view'tp supplementing its steamship services by an air line along practically the same route as that followed by its ships from Cadiz to Buenos Aires. The scheme has the warm support of the King, and a body of public opinion, which grasps its importance as a factor in the development of modern Spain. ' An arrangement has now been reacned with the German Zeppelin Company j for technical help. Three of the company's engineers came to Spain lately as a Commission, and Major Herrera has been lent by the Spanish Government as chairman. While one of the | engineers remained to study conditions in Andalusia, and select a suitable air base, Major Herrera, with the other German engineers, visited Argentina, making meteorological observations on the wav. They now report that to ensure a "non-stop flight it will be necessary to build a larger airship than any hitherto constructed, It is proposed that there shall be two of these large ships, and, also, a smaller for a subsidiary service between Spain and the Canary Islands, and for use as a training school for pilots. An excellent site has been found between Seville and Cadis for the Spanish station. Here the winds are constant, and only one fixed shed will, therefore, be required. Owing to the violent cross-winds that blow in the Argentine, it will be necessary to construct a revolving shed there as well as a fixed ■'shed. Should no unforeseen difficulties arise, it is hoped that the building of the sheds, which may take two years to complete, will be begun early in the spring. The airships themselves could be constructed in a shorter period. It is proposed to build them in Spain. It is thought that air navigation along the proposed route should be

easier than elsewhere owing to the regularity of the trade winds. The weight of the correspondence between Spam and the Argentine averages eight tons weekly, and letters could be delivered within four dnrs at Buenos Aires. Until recently, Spain had been endeavouring, through the League of Nations, to secure the co-operation of Portugal and Brazil in a scheme in which the construction of intermediary stations was neoessnry at the Azores and Parnambuco. Now these are. unnecessary.

Eight Miles Up. The New York correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" forwards an interview with Lieutenant John A. Macready, U.S.A., who established a new world's altitude record Inst week. He climbed 40,800 feet (nearly eight miles) with a Lepeie biplane. Describing his experiences and sensations, Lieutenant Macready expresses the opinion that it will be impossible for a man to fly much higher than the 40,800 feet he attained, because the rarefied atmosphere at such an altitude procludes proper control, whilo the intense cold and lack of oxygen prevent a hunan being retaining his full faculties and tend to render him unconscious. Lieutenant Macready had no .intention of breaking the altitude record when he started from Dayton Field, Ohio. He say 3he went up to test a new propeller designed to grip thin air, and a supercharger which fed the rarefied air into the carburetter at sea-level density. "I did not feel any ill effects until I was well above 30,000 feet," said Lieutenant Macready, "because I was well protected agaimt the cold by an electrically heated suit, and had a good supply of oxygon After that, However, there was a slight slowing-up of one's senses and faculties, which increased slowly as the l plane climbed. The slightest "movement of the body required extra oxygen. At 39,000 feet ice from my breath must have formed in the tube- from the supply flask, and I began to feel very bad until I was able to secure a fresh supply of oxygen from the emergency flask.' ■■ The lieutenant describes how at 40,800 feet his supercharger refused to function properly, and as soon as sea-level conditions were not maintained the engines lost power, so that, by the utmost effort, he was unable to push the plane above 41,200 indicated altitude, which was calibrated later to 40,800 feet. At this height, says Lieutenant Macready, "the 'plane swung and rolled, and the controls were almost useless,' as there was not enough sustaining surface to move the'plane in the direction. I desired to go. I held the 'plane there for five minutes before I was convinced that I could go no further. I was feeling weak and groggy, my mind was not active, and I could not think fast or correctly. The intense cold formed ico oh the inside of my goggles, almost blinding me, and I was afraid of losing consciousness altogether. I knew* that by reducing my.altitude I would return to the normal, however, and although I could not handle the'plane correctly, 1 knew enough to pull back, the; throttle slightly ana shoot quickly earthward. While at the supreme altitude I ldoked above, but could not see any stars, but I noted that the atmosphere was extremely bright and light. 'The sky, in-, stead of being dark blue, was very light in colour—only a slight blue tinge. There was far more sunlight and greater brilliancy than there was closer to the ground. Altitude records, in my opinion!, will be gauged in the future by the physical limitations of the pilots. To get much higher with present methods will be impossible, because of the inability of the pilot to sustain extreme hardship."

{ Speed Becord. France has retained her supremacy in ! flying speed. The French airman, ; Kirsch, won the Deutsch de la Meurthe : international air cup ai the Ville Saliva ge aerodrome,, near Exampes, when he covered a 300_ kilometre course in lhr 4min 89 l-ssee. His flying speed worlis out as 278 kilometres, or nearly 175 miles an hour. Last year's record is thus broken, and had Kirsch had occasion to try to make rather faster time, there is little doubt but that he would have done o. He was, however, the last competitor to take the air, and the British and Italian airmen had retired from the competition before his flight began. ! Second place went to the French pilot LasHe, who waa just over five minutes slower than Kirsch Both Frenchmen flew Nieuport IDelage machines, that used by Kirsch being a Sesquiplane I (something of a cross eetween monoI plane and biplane), fitted with a 360 : n.p. Hispano-Buiza motor. | The sensation of ffiie day was, how~ ever, not Kirsch's victory but 6adi Lecointe's crash and nearly miraculous escape from death. Sadi Lecointe was the first competitor out, and soon after 9 o'clock he started at terrific speed. He had just covered about one-third of the course when his propeller gave way under the strain and was shivered into matchwood. With wonderful skill the pilot, who was flying something Tike 200 miles an hour, managed to guide his machine near to the ground. When it struck the impact waa so terrific that the aeroplane was smashed to fragments. Lecointe, iust before the machine struck, detached himself from the straps, and rolled himself u T like n jockey. Though badly shaken and daced, he escaped without serious injury.