The Aviation World.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Aviation World.

HISTORIC ANNIVERSARY.

BY AILEEON. Sixty-six years ago six men met at the l'csidenco in Campden Hill, Kensington, of the Duko of Argyll and transacted business down for discussion at the preliminary meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society. The enthusiasts who launched that day the most distinguished, and now the oldest, organisation of its kind in the world were the Duke of Argyll himself, who was appointed first president of the society, Mr. James Glaisher, a famous aeronaut who later ascended in a balloon to the terrific height of more than 37,000 ft., Dr. Hugh Diamond, Mr. F. 11. Wenham, well known for his researches into the engineering problems of flight, Mr. James W. Butler and Mr. F. W. Brearley. The Duko of Sutherland and Lord Richard Grosvenor were named vice-presi-dents, and five other gentlemen, with those already mentioned, shared the posts of secretary and treasurer and membership of the first Council of the Society.

Following the election of officers Mr. Glaishcr read an address in which he stressed the importance of elevating the study of aeronautics to the dignity of an exact science, and the need for investigation of weather conditions. " A thorough knowledge of atmospheric currents, temperature and phenomena of storms, he said, " rryiy lead to weather predictions highly beneficial to mankind." He also suggested the invention of effective steering appliances for balloons, which would make possible " changes of locality at the will of the aeronaut." One of Mr. Glaisher's opening remarks voices exactly the opinion of people who nowadays dislike seeing aeroplanes used as a circus vehicle without justifiable motive. He said :—" Balloons have been with but very few exceptions, employed merely for exhibition or for the purpose of public entertainment, and the first wonder having ceased, sundry performances have been resorted to in order to pander to the public taste for the grotesque and the hazardous. . . The eminent pioneer was speaking less than a life-span from the present day. Not in his wildest dreams could he have dared to foresee the present stage of progress in aviation, when flying machines have spanned the world and armies move by air. STABILISER INVENTION. Just at a time when automatic stability in the air is being sought, au invention has been recently tested extensively in England introducing a gravity system of automatic control, the result of the work of Mr. B. Roberts, of Auckland. Blind flying is becoming popular, and the ordinary aerial tourist must be attracted by anything which permits of flying handsoff for indefinite periods, while navigation and other matters can be attended to with hands and eyes. The mechanical nature of the automatic stabiliser is simple in the extreme, the torque-rod which runs fore and aft in the control box of the Moth has been replaced by one with a loop fitting in the middle, and within the loop a vertical cylinder is suspended on a pair of trunnions. The cylinder thus rocks laterally with the torque-rod and its attached control column. It also rocks fore and aft on the trunnions, and this movement is connected to that of the control columns by a telescopic link, which can bo adjusted by a lever in the cockpit. In the cylinder is a second receptacle which contains 181b. of mercury. The reason for having two is that the inner one can be raised to the pivotal point by a cockpit control and the device thus put completely out of action when not required. When it is in action the control column is naturally heavier to operate, but all normal evolutions can be performed. An unusual sense of stability was found on test while the aeroplane was being flown " hands-off," and it could . Ibe circled round for some time without once touching the stick. The rudder does not coine under automatic control, but it seems that it is impossible to achieve this with any gravity device. If the rudder was applied gently the machine assumed correct bank without side-slip-ping. If the rudder was used roughly, the aeroplane skids but takes up bank quite quickly. The fore-and-aft control showed most need of further development. Straight flying could be maintained without variation in fore-and-aft level or speed, but in a turn the nose first rose, then dropped and took a little time to straighten out. This was to bo expected in view of the effects which acceleration has on pendulums. BLIND-FLYItfG competition. Mr. Oscar Garden, the New Zealand pilot who made a fine flight from England to Australia in a light aeroplane late in 1930. which lie bought in London on concluding his initial flying training, was recently awarded the first annual trophy in England for blind-flving. A journalist was second and Lady Bailey, one mark behind, was third. Lady Bailey is world renowned for her extensive flights in Africa. The pilot steers entirely by the instruments on the dashboard, all outward view being obscured by a thick hood drawn over the cockpit. _ The annual competition was instituted recently at the aviation school run by Air Service Training at Hamble, on Southampton Water, where many pupils are studying the new flying art. I*idy Bailey was 1 i)o first- woman to qualify for the certificate of proficiency in " blind " navigation and pilotage, and was considered from the first well in the running for the \rophv. , Marks were awarded on the tests undergone by pilots in the course of training, including level flight, climbing, gliding, turns with and without engine, taking ott, spinning, recovering from awkwaid positions created by the instructor—who sits unhooded in the other cockpit of the two scaler training planes employed for tins work—and cross-country flights. GLIDING IN AUCKLAND. At the first annual general meeting of the Auckland Gliding Club it was stated that a total of 378 flights had been made to date, and about twenty members had passed the elementary training stage and would soon be qualified to obtain the A licence. The club at present possesses one primary and one secondary glider, and several members aro busy constructing their own machines. Gliding is to recommence on March o on a property belonging to Mr. Collins, west of Mangere mountain. Local gliding enthusiasts are urged to join up. as this club gives promise of becoming the leading one in New Zealand. NEW AIR FORCE SQUADRONS. Two new Royal Air Force Squadrons, each equipped with the Hawker Hart day bombers which set new standards of speed, rate of climb and general flying performance when they were first supplied to the service, will be added to the British air fleet during the first quarter of 1932. Stationed respectively at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, and Netheravon, Wiltshire, the new units, which begun to form last October, have been alloted the numbers 18 and 57, thus reviving the identity of squadrons that were engaged in the 19141918 struggle and disappeared in the "drastic reduction of the Royal Air Force soon after the war.