CASE AGAINST FLYING

Evening Star, Issue 19712, 12 November 1927, Page 23

CASE AGAINST FLYING

His pen-name, “Neon," is said to veil the identity of a high authority of the British Navy. His book, 1 The Groat Delusion,’ excited somewhat fierce discussion in England not long since, when a lavish Government programme for air defence was on the carpet. “ Neon ” is a pessimist regarding air navigation—a “devil’s advocate ” —who, with an impressive array of evidence, argues against aeronautics in all its branches, military snd commercial, dirigible and aeroplane. He says, for instance; “ Aeroplanes can never be made to pay as passenger or freight carriers,” and points to the Government subsidies which have kept those services going. By a curious coincidence, ‘ Tho Groat Delusion ’ was published in America just before Lindbergh’s lligbt to Paris, which gave rise to such exalted forecasts for the almost immediate future of transoceanic flying. Now that subsequent tragic failures have sobered the more excitable prophets, it may bo worth while to bear what “ Neon ”■ has to say. He writesIt may be stated generally that in all cases transoceanic flights have owed what success they have achieved to favoring air currents, while the terrible risk involved has in all cases been minimised as far as possible by surface vessels, detailed to help and render assistance in cases of necessity. For the San Diego-Honolulu flight, attempted by American naval airmen in two divisions of submarines were despatched to patrol tho prearranged route; Three seaplanes were prepared for the flight. One failed to start, due to engine trouble, the second was forced down after covering 300 miles, ancl was towed back to San Francisco by tho destroyer William James, which fortunately located her. The third, under tho late Commander John Rodgers, proceeded on her way, but came down 200 miles from Honolulu, duo to lack of fue'l, for the winds encountered were less favorable than had been anticipated. She had failed to reach the Aroostook, the nearest ship station, due to a rain squall and the reception of wrong directional wireless bearings. In the subsequent search for this seaplane tho largo fleet of surface vessels and

AMERICANS* ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT

_ Referring to tho round-the-world flight by American Air Service flyers in 1924, it is stated that “ the one outstanding lesson of the achievement was that it demonstrated conclusively the dependence of the aeroplane upon surface craft in long-distance work; while ■tho flyers were covering their 20 odd thousand miles of flight approximately 87,000 miles of steaming was done by United States naval vessels alone in helping to make the flight a success. It took nearly six months to accomElisb tho circumnavigation of tho world y air.

Tho spaed of air travel is illusory except in short or relay flights, for flying hours—hours actually spent in the air—are always given prominence to the exclusion of the total time between scheduled time of start and actual time'orarrival. ' With"all the encouragement given and tho money lavished upon civil aviation, it fails to show any real progress, for, apart from all other considerations—discomfort, danger, dependence upon weather—airplanes can never seriously be regarded aa a means of travel or transport for commercial purposes, and for this very simple reason—approximately fourfifths of the total_ power installed is required to maintain the airplane and its load in the air against the natural law of gravity, about one-fifth remains to push or pull , the load along, and, furthermore, “ the tractive effort necessary to pul] an aeroplane through the air is more than ten times as great per pound of gross weight as by a freight train. The train will coast on a 2 per cent, grade, whereas an aeroplane requires about a 20 per cent, grade. The unit fuel cost is about 10 times as great for the aeroplane, and this proportion may be even greater because the locomotive burns a very low-grade fuel, and the aeroplane a very high-grade gasoline. It appears that it costs about as much to carry one pound of freight one mile in an aeroplane as to carry 2,240 pounds (one ton) one mile in a train.” The new passenger ’planes from London to Paris develop 1,155 horse-power, and can carry 14 passengers and 7001 b of luggage, which gives for each horsepower 31b only as paying load. A railway locomotive can draw a paying load of approximately three tons per iiorsepower with well-nigh perfect safety, and in the case of passengers in complete comfort, at a speed that bears comparison with the speed of commercial aeroplanes in still air. The aeroplane with two Napier Lion engines of 000 horse-power, which recently flew from Spain to South America in favorable weather and with “following wind," carried four persons the whole distance in 10 days. Had a largo comfortable passenger liner, with the low speed of 15 knots, sailed from the same port in Spain, she would havo arrived at Rio with Major Franco. A tramp steamer—an old collier—9oo horse-power could havo transported 2,300 tons of cargo tho same distance in 13 to 14 days in perfect security without extraneous help or any strain, and havo been able'to “turn about’’ and cany back an equal load. Though tho “ tramp ” steams at a speed of 10 to 12 knots only, she ploughs her way on without stopping, by night as well as .by day—so witn great liners and railway trains. Without night services long distance railway travel would be more costly,' less convenient, and the time taken on the journey would in general be. doubled. Aeroplanes are “half-timers,” and must remain so even with gigantic outlay in the lighting of the rout© and of the terminal—that is, the intended landing ground. In this connection it is interesting to examine the recent flight of four R.A.F. machines from Cairo to the Cape and from the Cape to London.

CASE AGAINST AIRSHIPS

Still not satisfied, “Neon” discounts the practicality of the “airship,” meaning the dirigible; and in that connection he cites much American testimony, especially in relation to the Shenandoah disaster. Concerning the much-acclaimed transatlantic flight of tne R 34 in 1919, “Neon” offers these quotations from the British dirigible’s July 5, 12.20 p.m.—The petrol supply is distinctly serious. We cannot now afford to run all five engines at 6iice, as they would eat up too much petrol. We have got 500 miles yet to go to, New York. . . . if wo get much wind against us we are done, and will have to be taken in tow hy a destroyer or other surface craft during the night (humiliating thought!)—the idea being that at dawn we would cast off and fly to Long Island under our . own power,

A Sensational Book

Famous Flights Analysed

submarines was reinforced by a destroyer flotilla.

A recent and striking example of another spectacular'exploit is the flight of Major Franco, the Spanish airman, from Spain to Brazil, a distance of 3,649 miles—January 22 to 31, 1926. Major Franco was not only brave, but wise. The ordinary navigational sailing directions show thijt at this particular time. t and at no other throughout the year, the ivliole course (south-westerly) from Spain -to Buenos Ayres Is subject to a north-east wind, with the excep-. tion of the neighborhood of Fernando Noronha and Pernambuco. His longest flight, from Cape Verde Island to Fernando Noronha, was 1,447 miles, his course approximately south-west, and over tho whole of this course ho flew in tho north-east trade wind, which at a flying height of 2,000 ft provided him with ,a favoring current which could not have been loss than.3o miles per hour. Since ho was 13 hours and 50 minutes in the air from Praia, Cape Verde, to Fernando Noronha, his average speed _ over the water was 107 m.p.h. ■ It is calculated that at least 30 m.p.h. was due to tho current (the north-cast trade dead astern), leaving 77 as engine speed—or, in other words, tho aeroplane was carried 442 miles of tho course by current and 1,035 was covered by engine power and expenditure of fuel. In short, Major Franco proceeded from Spain to Brazil on what corresponded in effect to a moving platform. It is stated that the hearty cooperation of the Brazilian Government, the navy, and tho Meteorological Office was an important factor in the success of the flight.

Had Major Franco attempted to fly the course (Praia-Fernando Noronha) in the opposite direction (south-west to north-east), the estimated engine speed of 77 m.p.h. would have conveyed him only 47 m.p.h. (77-30) on his course, and he would have taken over 31 hours and required 31 hours’ fuel. To cover the distance he would have had to fly 2,337 air miles. In reality, under such circumstances, his fuel would have given out. But Major Franco and Captain Ruiz de Alva did not attempt to return by air; they accepted passage to Spain on the destroyer Alcedo, and the No PJus Ultra remained at Buenos Aires, having been presented to the Argentine Government by the Spanish Government.

This flight is described a? a British triumph. It is-true that this exploit reflects great credit on the eight officers and men concerned, but reflection shows again the absurd disproportion between tho effort and the useful attainment. At very great cost four machines, aggregating 1,800 horse-power, conveyed eight persons a distance of 14,000 miles in 114 days, giving an average continuous speed of 5 m.p.h. It is stated that the machines kept to a scheduled fciiae-table. With the same horse-power, but at comparatively trifling cost, two tramp steamed running also to scheduled time could have conveyed 4,600 tons of cargo a similar distance in half the time.

During a debate on Air Estimates Sir Samuel Hoaro said: “ Unfortunately it is a, fact that without subsidies civil aviation would come to an end not only in this country, but in practically every other country as well.” The number of our countrymen wishing_ ftnd willing to fly to India, even with State assistance toward the faro, in a series of “hops” over desolate mountains and trackless deserts, rather than by a restful and refreshing sea voyage, must be few indeed; for aerial transport is admittedly comfortless, more dangerous, more unreliable, and more expensive even with State assistance than any other means of travel. Lieutenant-colonel Moore Brabazon, a prominent member of the Eoyal Aero Club, has “ objected to being made seasick while flying.” He “objected to sitting in a machine for several hours ten feet away from two engines _ developing 450 horse-power each, with open exhausts.” He “ objected to th proximity of tbo passengers to such inflammable material as petrol,” and “ hoped that some other fuel might come into use which would not present such great fire risk.” According to Major Oliver Stewart, a great air enthusiast, “ air travel differs from road and sea travel chiefly in that air passenger's get very little air. In an open car or on a promenade deck the traveller is bathed in fresh air; not so the passengers in a big air express. Banged like apples in their winged packing case, these passengers are whirled oyer seas,y hills, and meadows to their destination, where a lid is opened and they disembark. “ During^transit, as the world slowly unrolls beneath them, they hear thundering and soreamings, and they feel a gentle tremor. Those things testify that the conglomerations of rubber, mica, and metal on each side of the cabin are primping out sonic 900 horsepower. But of the free air rushing past, the passengers feel almost npthing. Tims they lose much of the exhilaration of high-speed (light, and they miss the vitalising, clarifying ni r bath which is given to the pilot and passenger in an open machine. If air travel is ever to he ns good for the health as sea travel, it will bo necessary on air liners of the future to provide a number of open seats in which hogoggled, hide-wrapt passengers can have fresh air poured into their lungs.” Not content with attacking civil aviation, “Neon” attacks military aviation in five statements: 1. That airplane reconnaissance is unreliable. 2. That aerial combats in themselves have no influence on the advance of the army. 3. That bombing is inaccurate, and therefore indiscriminate. 4. That bombing attacks on tbo nonmilitary population offend civilised opinion and international feeling. 5. That such bombing is inherently expensive, is utterly ineffectual so faras winning the war is concerned, and absorbing as it_ does enormous man power and materia! can only bo carried on at enormous cost.

“ July 6, 12.10 a.m.—R34 sends message to U.S.A. Nava] Air Service: ‘lf through shortage gasolene R 34 wishes to land Chatham, can you supply 50.000 cubic feet hydrogen and 600 gallons gasoline?’ “July 6, 4,25 a.m.—The petrol system has now become desperate, and Scott decides he must land at Montauk for petrol. “V. 20 a.m.—Passing IJ.S. Naval Airship -Station, Montauk, Long island, with nice following wind. Our luck is in after all. Wo aro mailing good speed, and find ve ian past get r.ght through to New York. What a relief! “ 9.40 a.m.—We have 140 gallons ot petrol left, or two hours at full speed, so wo couldn’t have cut it much finer, and aro lucky indeed to get through ” Lieutenant Shotter, the engineer officer, stated after landing

f‘ I shall never forget the last fifty hours of our flight. Early on Sunday morning' (July 6). . Major Scott asked me to see if it was not possible to scrape up enough petrol to carry us through. I organised a search party. We made a careful inspection of every fuel tank on board. We carry 81 of these tanks, each holding nearly 70 gallons. With all the utensils wo could find that would hold petrol wo went from tank to tank. I myself carried one of'the pots we used for cooking. Well, wo managed to pump, scrape, and scour enough petrol to carry us here. When we reached hero wo had enough to have flown 20 minutes longer.” This emphasises the all-important fact that even if an airship fills up to her utmost lifting capacity in fuel, as did the R 34 when sho “ got away with 4,900 gallons of petrol,” she may still not have enough fuel to reach heliport, for what currents an airship may encounter in a voyage cannot be predicted. . On starting R 34 had just sufficient buoyancy to get clear of her shed, and sho was driven up by hgr engines to, the necessary height (1,600 ft) to avoid the danger of colliding with high ground in the fog. This necessitated loss of gas to the extent of over two tons lift. When the U.S. airship Shenandoah made her record voyage in 1924 she carried no useful load. Nevertheless, she was obliged to throw overboard her ballast, and even petrol, before sho could rise to 7,000 ft, and the bags oi precious helium-gas “ "’ere swollen and straining against the nets, and gas flowed in a steady stream through the safety-valves.” This “ steady stream ” of holium-gas into the atmosphere represented over £55 for every 100 ft rise above pressure height. . ’ It is clear that general flying heights above 2,500 ft mean the relinquishing of useful—paying—load and the forfeiture of any margin of fuel and a great expenditure of gas. Towards the end of a journey higher altitudes can be attained, due to the lightness of the ship, owing to exhaustion of fuel, but that does not affect the load taken aboard at the start of a voyage. But for commercial flying comfort must be considered, and temperature is an important factor. On an average, the temperature decreases Ideg Fahrenheit for every 300 ft of ascent. At the height of 10,000 ft in Central _ Europe the mean winter temperature is ICdeg below, and the mean summer temperature only 4dcg above freezing point. During the day the sun’s rays will cause much superheating of the gas, in spite of the means employed to give the cover as perfect a reflecting surface as possible. The physical discomfort of a freezing atmosphere, a glaring sun, aid a high altitude of two miles oi so, need not bo enlarged upon, hut discussion of these discomforts and the navigational difficultier at this height is somewhat academic, for considerations of lift already discussed preclude such a flying height. Whatever favorable currents may or may not be flowing at higher levels, these heights are quite impractical and uncommercial.