The Aviation World

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20779, 23 January 1931, Page 16

The Aviation World

"BLIND" FLYING.

RECENT ADVANCEMENTS. Steadily research and experiment are conquering flying's worst enemy, the weather conditions of fog, mist, cloud, blinding rain, snow and darkness, which are lumped together in tho phraso "bad visibility." "Blind" flying, when the pilot depends entirely on tho rows of elaborate instruments on his dashboard, all outward vision being blanked out, is rapidly becoming a matter of ordinary commercial routine. Last year official experimenters at the Royal Aircraft Establishment demonstrated more than 100 safe landings in denso fog. In addition to tho usual instruments in the machine showing flying altitude, air speed and engine revolutions, tho aeroplane employed was fitted with a simplo "proximeter," consisting of a weight hanging 13ft. below the machine. Directly this weight touched the ground two red lights were illuminated on the dashboard in tho cockpit. Tho pilot knew instantly his height from tho ground afid began gently to flatten out for tho landing. Learning to Fly " Blind." Already the skilled "blind" pilot can take-off, fly over a predetermined circuit and land without seeing outside his machine. Aircraft specially equipped to train pilots' in the new art are being built, and "blind" tuition plays an increasingly important part in the system of pilotage education in the world's leading flying countries. New-typo British training aircraft may be obtained with "blind" flying equipment, 'which includes a hood to be drawn up over tho pupil's cockpit., leaving him to navigate and control tho machine entirely by the instruments.

Recently tlio Canadian Government recognised the vital importance of this new flying art in the placing of an initial older for ten "Puss Moth" light monoplanes suitably equipped for flying by instruments only. These craft were chosen after lengthy competitive tests, in -which a number of American aircraft took part. The New Art. Essentially, the aircraft will be exactly similar to the "Puss Moth" monoplane owned bv the Prince of Wales and many private fliers and clubs throughout the world. The machines ordered by the Canadian Government for the Royal Canadian Air Force will have special seats to allow the occupants to wear parachutes in compliance with service regulations. The "blind" flying instruments indicate height, level flight, turns, engine revolutions and air speed.

Obviously within a few years ability fly "blind" will be considered essential in every kind of flying, military, commercial or private. Allied with promised inventions of delicate and exact instruments recording proximity of earth or of other air vehicles, this new technique seems likely to assuro man's ultimate complete conquest of the air.

ECONOMICAL FLYING.

f Tho utility of the light aeroplane as a touring vehicle is vividly demonstrated in the cost figures of a tour of 3600 miles in Europe, accomplished recently by Lieutenant-Commander Glen Kidston and Lieutenant Cathcart-Jones. Total flying costs, including oil and fuel, customs dues, landing fees and garaging of tho aeroplane, amounted to less than Jd per milo per passenger. Even when to this ligure are added a proportion of the first cost of the aeroplane, insurance premiums and an allowance for depreciation, the cost per passenger per mile works out ut considerably less than first-class railway faro over the same distance.

The machine was a "Puss Moth" cabin monoplane, with seats for two or three occupants. A lange quantity of personal lauggage and spares was carried. Not always was it possiblo lo house tho aircraft for the night; Sometimes it was merely pegged down in the open. A minimum of time was spent in actual travelling, tho entire 3600 miles occupying less than 38 hours in the air. Train travel would have meant approximately three times as long on the move and a considerable amount of journeying by night. Tho air traveller spends his nights in a comfortablo hotel.

OUT OF THE BLUE.

Until power lines bordering tho ground aro moved away, the Director of Air Services refuses to grant a passenger servico licence for the Gisbornc aerodrome.

It has been revealed that the financial backer of MM. Costes and Belionte's transatlantic flight from Paris to New York was RL Francois Coty, the millionaire scent manufacturer and proprietor of two Paris newspapers. M. Coty states that ho spent about £IO,OOO on building and equipping tho Question Mark.

, Captain Errol Boyd and Lieutenant Connor, wjio recently .crossed the Atlantic in tho Bellanca monoplane Miss Columbia, later left Croydon in that machine for Berlin on October 30. They carried as passengers two women. Tho return flight was interrupted at Brunswick and Amsterdam en route owing to bad weather.

In return to tho flying visit to India of members of the Royal Siamese Air Forco last year, Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, Air Officer Commanding R.A.F., India, and a parly of officers and airmen left, Delhi recently for Bangkok, Siam. They arrived at Bangkok in three R.A.F. machines on tho occasion of tho King of Siam's birthday.

In carrying out its purposo of fitting I lie Tlnndley Fage automatic slots to all ils North-west servico machines, West Australian Airways havo now completed work on two De Havilland "50" machines. Tests under flight conditions with full load havo revealed a marvellous safety margin, thus making tho machines practically foolproof.

Tho Desoutter Mk. 11. monoplane has received official Air Ministry approval as an aircraft in.tho cabin of which smoking is allowed so long as a fire extinguisher forms part of tho equipment. The Desoutter is claimed to be tho only small British cabin aeroplano which has this permission. Imperial Airways havo applied for permission to allow smoking in ono of tho two passenger compartments in tho new Handley Page 42 forty-seater air-liners, eight of which aro being built for use on the England-India air route.

Tim King bus been pleased to award Iho Albert Medal to Mr. J ferny James Leech, A.F.M., in recognition of bis bravery after Ihe crash of RlOl. Mr. I.eech. after escaping biniself, re-cntored the bull and rescued another member of the crew. Ilia Majesty has also approved of the grant of tho Medal nf tbo Civil Division nf the Order of tbo British Empire for Meritorious Services to Mr. Arthur Disley, who, though soverely burned, telephoned the details of the crash to tho Air Ministry before going to hospital for treatment*