THE CANTERBURY AERO CLUB'S PAGEANT – The Triumph of the Motor

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19853, 14 February 1930, Page 25

THE CANTERBURY AERO CLUB'S PAGEANT - The Triumph of the Motor

IfIBLD'S speed record. jtfE DON'S FORTHCOMING ATTEMPT. j js* new car which is being built for I fore Don's attempt on the world's j pi record is now nearing complehb. Until recently great secrecy has jgj observed regarding its design,, gt details describing its principal jjtjrei We now been disclosed. It u (to twelve-cylinder engines, both jmd forward of the driving seat, and b <irire is conveyed to the rear axle 111 tvo propeller shafts. This enables i iiivtr to assume a very low posits between the two shafts, thus rejiitS height and head resistance, find resistance is of paramount jsprtißce at the speed this wonderful «is tapected to attain. Mr Louis faiakn estimates that fully 95 per at of the tremendous power develqtj tf the twenty-four cvlinders will lubwbid n overcoming wind resisting!, and that only 5 per cent, is tie ap by frictional resistances, it ingenious device is used to secure visibility for the driver—a £BnH problem when travelling Vtofeto 300 and 300 m.p.h. The inner 1 ! teat is suspended independent the chassis, and provided with I waster-weight equal to the weight (fthdrirer. It is believed this arasjauent will keep the driver perfcih steady even at the highest of course, depends upon the taw. As with the 1000 h.p. Sun- j tna, the first car in the world to ttltia » speed of over 200 m.p.h., Mop tvres will be used, The fabric i tie tvres is of silk, with a very jsin coating of rubber, and the menu- | keturers have entire confidence in the tib notwithstanding the enormous trains which will be imposed upon i them. • | ' It is espected that Mr Ka.ve Don's : attempt will he made some time in March on the famousbeach at Day- j tOQS. *'"*

EUROPEAN ROADS. BRITAIN HAS WORLD'S BEST. CONDITIONS ON CONTINENT. Europe is developing a network of roads that, within a few years, will be a magnificent motor highway throughout the length md breadth of the Continent. So far as Great Britain is concerned, the Toads are the finest in the

world. There is hardly a hamlet which is not intersected by a lirst-class thoroughfare, and these are kept in perfect condition by local authorities which are subsidised by the Road Board from funds obtained from the motorists themselves. At the present time England is going through a transitional stage so far as its roads are concerned. The big towns are being linked up by great arterial motorways on which any speed is possible, though it is legally restricted. These arteries are designed to expedite road traffic without regard for anything at all except a straight line and an ideal surface. Tourists who are motoring for pleasure rather than speed would enjoy the legs frequented highways which are

also fine. Even the secondary roads are well surfaced and graded. The chief trouble with English roads is their crowding. British traffic experts are considering schemes for the alleviation of traffic congestion, and in the cities experiments have been conducted with more or less success. One-way traffic has partially solved London's problems, although the congested streets of the metropolis cannot entirely be freed without rebuilding the city, which is impracticable. One-way traffic has done a great deal to speed up traffic at the various "circuses" which are a feature of London streets, but they are not popular with the general public, which finds it very difficult to cross the live stream of traffic which constantly surges along during busy hours

Road maintenance in Britain is very thoroughly achieved. Motorists are taxed in accordance with the horsepower of their vehicles, and it was originally laid down that all moneys derived from the tax should bo devoted to road construction and repair. Surface Materials. Road dressing has presented some difficulty. Part of the historic Great North road, which runs from London to Edinburgh, and which can be negotiated on top gear all the way by a moderately powerful car, was declared to be dangerous because of a surface which was conductive to skidding. The section was pulled up and a more efficient dressing employed.

Most of the main roads of Great Britain are covered with a smooth and

very durable dressing, such as tarmac. India rubber-surfaced roads have been tried, and one small section, in a city street of London, has stood up well to the very considerable traffic which passes over it. Specially constructed non-skid surfaces are a feature of tho moro modern roads, and reinforced concrete is being employed ou many uf tho arteries. The average touring motorist is fond of mountain scenery, and it may be said that these roads which permit the tourist to explore tho mountains of Wales and of Scotland are generally good) though tlray have been more neglected than those of England itself. The ■worst of British roads are. to be. found in the Highlands of Scotland, liut improvements are at hand. To sav that Scottish roads are bad is to speak rela-

tively. They say not as good as English roads, but to conform to such a standard roads must be nearly perfect. Welsh roads are better than those of Caledonia, but they still fall below those of England. There is a wonderful pass which leads through the. best scenery of Wales, known as the Llanberia l'a«s. This is well graded and has an excellent surface. Roads in Prance. France is probably the most interesting of the European countries for touring, by reason of its historic wealth and its recent battlefields. The roads are generally not good. There is considerable pave and some parts of tho country are impracticable for motoring. There is an excellent road leading from Paris to tho Mediterranean coast

and a most delightful road stretching aloi the Spanish border line over the J his road is a line of communication between some of the most liimous of the French thermal resorts, anol it closely connects the glorious coast road which includes Biarritz and fc>t. Jean de Luz. • iUe se Y<-'ral touring territories in the mountainous regions of France and the roads may be described as moderately good with some bad patches. As a rule the higher the road tho better the suriuco. This is <lue to the fact that the high passes are snow-covered during the winter months and when the snow is cleared from them the workmen are also detailed to improve the surfaces. Thus the snow-covered roads come in for n little more attention than those in the valleys

Chataeu Country. The roads through the French Alps are particularly good, but most of them are loose surfaced. The chateau country, which is adjacent to Paris, has some excellent roads; but ono can never quite get away from the rough pave. Normandy is almost impracticable. There is a good road which leads through from Cherbourg to Paris. The roads through the battle areas in the Pas do Calais are bad, though they are being improved. Lille, Bethune, and other towns which played an important part in the European war are only to be reached after arduous runs over pave roads, and practically the whole journey from Lille to Armentieres is similarly built. In the lovely valley between Cologne and C'oblenz, where is the confluence

of tho Rhine and the Mosel, one comes across more of the inevitable pave; but tliere are good stretches here and there. This valley is one ot the most delightful of Europe's touring grounds. Tliere are wonderful old feudal castles on the way to Bingen-oii-the-Rliine, and as one lollows the liver the road improves. There is an interesting sector which is built of small cobbles wedged tightly together to look very much like mosaic. 1 his forms a tine surface and is almost skid proof. Belgium has not recovered from the war, but the roads are quite passable and in some places good. There is a particularly good road from Brussels to Antwerp. This is a boulevard with a tramway track in the middle and fine surfaced tracks on either side for motor traffic. At the extremes are special roads for heavy traffic and horse-drawn vehicles. Germany is very interesting with fine touring centres, in the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, tho Black Forest, and the Bavarian Alps. The North of Germany is uninteresting and the roads are not good, but Potsdam and Berlin are worth visiting. Heidelberg, in the Black Forest, may bo reached by excellent roads, but the conditions are variable. The Bavarian Alps are wonderful. They extend from Munich to the three castles built by tho mad King Lrnlwig and so to Dresden and the borders of Bohemia. Switzerland and Spain. The roads in Switzerland are good, but they are not always usable. Some of the famous resorts are isolated in the winter and can be approached only by railway. v-ne may reach Lucerne, Zurich, Berne, Basle, Lausanne, and Geneva over good roads in the summer, but the main road to Geneva is closed in the winter months and the mountain passes of East Swit-

zerland are entirely blocked, usually from October to early June. The roads of Spain are very much better than they were, but they are not good. The tourist can enjoy magnificent trips along the Spanish coast. Inland the roads are bad, and there is very little accommodation available except in the big towns. There is a good road from Madrid southward to Seville, Algeeiras, and Gibraltar. The Pyrenees cannot be toured from the Spanish side because there are no roads at all. The tinv, self-governing State of Andorra is the show place of Spain nowadays. Italy's Example. Magnificent roads are to be seen in Italy. There are not many of them, but a scheme has already been started which will entirely rebuild 13,000 miles of road at a cost of 4000 lire a mile. These roads are called autostrades. At present only a small mileage has been completed by private enterprise, which is by the Italian Government. In course of time the system will be nationalised. A small charge is made for the use of the roads, and, though no facing is allowed, there is no speed limit. These autostrades are wonderful. There are no side turnings, nothing being allowed to impinge on the main track, and crossings go either under or over the autostrade. The first of these great motorways, extending from Milan to the foot of Lake Maggiore, has been constructed, and 20,000 Italians are working on road sections in other parts of the coxmtry. An experienced driver never takes the labouring of the engine as a cue to shift to a lower gear on a hill, but shifts before the engine begins to labouz-.

HIGH SPEED RECORDS. It is iutcrosting to note how the speed of motor-cycles over long distances has gradually increased during the past twenty years. The faet that the hour reeord has jumped from 45.22 m.p.h. in 1909 to 100.49 m.p.h. in 1929, ar\d that both records were made on the same sized engine, is good evidence of the development of the motor-cycle. The number of different makes that have held this record shows how healthy is the British motor-cyclc from the design and speed point of view. Taking a classic- example in 1909, F. McNab, riding a J.A.P. engined machine, covered 48.22 miles in one hour. Twenty years later 6. E. Nott on a KudgeWhitworth covered 106.49 miles. The following summary of the "hour" record, giving the best performances established in each year, is of interest—m.p.h. 1909 F. McNab, J.A.P. . . 48.22 1910— W. Newsome, Triumph 59.84 1911— W. Stanhope Spencer, Rudge-Whitworth .. G5.45 1912 G. Stanley, Singer .. 07.44 1920—V. Horsman, Norton .. 72.48 1921 F. Halford, Triumph .. 70.74 1922 J. Douglas .. 78.91 1923—V. Horsman, Triumph ... 8G.,"2 1924—V. Horsman, Triumph . . 85.21 1925 —V. Horsman, Triumph .. 90.79 1926—V." Horsman, Triumph .. 94.15 1927—A. Denly, Norton .. 100.58 1928—C. Lacev, Grindlay-Peer-less .. .. .. 103.S 1929 G. Nott, Kudge-Whit-worth .. .. 100.49 Head the car toward the wind if it is desired to have the automatic radiator front close promptly after parking.