BRITISH AIR WONDERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 29 May 1919, Page 7

BRITISH AIR WONDERS.

AMAZING NEW PLANS. JULES VERNE WONDERS MATERIALISED. “Like an hour of Jules Verne'—but founded on fact,’’ was the description o£ a speech delivered in the House or Commons by Major-General Seely in introducing tuo Air Estimates for the ensuing year, during which the Government propose to expend 66f millions and are providing for the maintenance of 150,000 men. The Under-Secretary for the Air had a dazzling story ol’ past aerial achievement to unfold and gave his audience a peep into the future which left them entranced. *rhe wonders of which lie spoke include: A wireless telephone now perfected. A seaplane winch, carries 12 : ,0001b. and has flown 100 miles an hour.

An aeroplane is building which, -will carry 20,0001 b. An aeroplane (only planned as yet) which will attain speeds hitherto undreamt of.

An air post between Cairo and India.

An air route survey of darkest Africa is in progress. Five years ago almost to the dfU’. General Seeley recalled, he was asking for one million for our air service. Now the estimate was for 66 J millions, iind had tho war gone on it would have been over 200 millions. When the armistice came we were producing 4000 aeroplanes a month, and he claimed that, thanks to tlie astonishing valour of our mon, we could now certainly assert that wo arc “masters of tho air.”

During the war just under 8000 enemy machines were shot down by our pilots, against 2800 of our missing (and probably shot down). “It means,” he commented. "probably 40,000 or 50,000 deiiperato battles in the air, and wo call only bow our heads in respectful admiration of such incomparable valour.” TUe House cheered sympathetically.

DEFENCE OP “OUR AIR.” Coming to tho future of the force, he said the estimates had been reduced by two-thirds and (he was afraid it would he bad nows for aviation companies) after tho existing orders had been completed there would ho hut few fresh orders for several months. It had .been decided that the peace strength of the air force should be 5300 officers and 64,000 men and that there should be 102 squadrons.

“There is not much risk of this country being attacked by air at the present timef ’ he said, alluding to the need of a strong force at home. “But he would ho a rash man who would say that there is no risk of this country being so attacked in the future.

“The power of aerial attack is so great and so swift and preparations can he made so secretly that wo should bo gravely to blame—certain as we are of securing a just peace—to neglect tlie defence of ‘our air,’ as it might be called.' We are, therefore, retaining the nucleus of the organisation of our home defence force, and although wo do nor want a great many squadrons for the moment here wo must have them available.”

General Seely also touched on the proportions of the air forces to bo retained with the armies of occupation and the licet, and remarked: “I am not sure that in a few years air power may not mako fleets and armies as wo see them now obsolete. Certainly that would bo so if the progress in tho air during the next ten years bo on anything like tho same scale as in the past ten years.” (Cheers). Greatest developments in the air service were to he looked for in tho East, whore there arc both space and perfect climate, and as an example of tho practical use of which the aeroplane was being put on the outposts of the Empire he said our political officer at Bagdad is able by aeroplane to make in two days the round of inspections which used to occupy him two months. (Cheers). AIR MAIL TO INDIA.

“Tho possibilities of carrying the mails from Cairo to India aro very favourable.” he went on. “How best to do it, whether to carry them by members of tho Royal Air Force, or to put tho contract up to tender, or to grant tlie rights to a chartered company on tho lines of the original East India Company, is a matter for future consideration, though not for long delay; but wo have got there now the aeroplanes which could do the work, and the PostmasterGeneral is enthusiastic over the prospects of the new service. There are other routes on which services could be started, but the Air Minister had decided that it is best to concentrate first on this.

“We are far more advanced than any other country in the preparations that we have made for civil flying,” claimed General Seely, passing to another phase of the Minister’s activities. Wo had passed legislation to provide our own air regulations, and were engaged at Paris in discussing the international regulations. Tho next duty will be to plan air routes at home and abroad.

“Tlie Controller-General has already drawn up a complete list of the aerodromes that will he required in this country for civil aviation, as well as those required for military purposes. They will be fitted with sound and light signals, with beacon stations, with telephone and telegraph stations, with directional wireless enabling you to direct your aeroplane from the ground, and, X am glad to say, with wireless telephones, in which only during the last few days we have achieved a result which wo have been trying to secure for a good many years.

“We have got a wireless telephone with which wo can both send and receive on the same instrument. Until a few days ago ,'t was possible for one aeroplane to communicate with another, but not to receive the answer. The whole aerial route from Cairo to India has been surveyed, and there are three surveying parties choosing aerodromes on tho route between North Africa and the Cape. “I say nothing about the Atlantic route,” ho remarked. “That is a difficult matter, and the less said about it until you are quite sure you can do something the bettor it is. It is no good boasting that you can do this, that, and the other until you can see your way clear to do it.” Dealing with further inventions of tho war, General Socly touched on “directions,! wireless.” “Tho Gormans were the first, I think, to use directional wireless with effect, but fortunately for us wo could always intercept their messages and as wo had got their code we were able always to know where to attack thorn. (Laughter and cheers). We have been able to direct machines from tlie ground with complete success, and the difficulties in the way of flight in misty weather may he overcome.”

inenting witli several new machines, and General Seely gave the following particulars :

“There is one seaplane of a novel type now being built. It is the largest so far which has actually been flown. It has five Rolls-Royce engines, and it carries 13,0001 b (nearly six tons) at 100 miles an hour.

“Another aeroplane is being built which is even larger. It is 141 ft in span, Soft long, and will carry a useful load of just under 20,0001 b (nearly nine tons). It is not complete, but it will probably be a, succeeds.

“We have another aeroplane, of which the plans are completed, -far larger than either of these, with eight engines, developing possibly very considerable speeds and carrying a much larger load.

“We have under construction, conceived by a brilliant brain and entirely novel in type, an aircraft which I will not paiticnfarise. Although it is quite possible that it may not succeed—mo - thematicians have told ns that it will airi that it will attain speeds hitherto quite undreamt of and having qualities of a kind different from anything we have ever seen—l hope later in the year to be able to give more information about this somewhat remarkable invention.”

Lord Hugh Cecil spoke of a great schism in tlie Air Force, officers who fly regarding with contempt officers who cannot fly. Nothing could exceed the unsatisfactory nature of the relations between them—those who are in charge of the administration, and to whom it is necessary to go at every turn, and who do not enjoy the confidence and respect of the great body of Hying officers. Colonel Moore Brabuzon, a well-known flying man, who called for the creation of an Air Staff, also touched on this aspect of the question. “We have suffered,” he said, “from Staff officers of the regular army who have no technical knowledge of tho service.” He related an amusing story of a, .Staff officer coming to Wm one "day and taking out of his hands some important and abstruse calculations. Ton minutes later the officer returned to ask : “What is perpendicular? Is it up and down or sideways?” (Loud laughter.) It was hoped to mako the Air Service a crack corps. “Then let it be a crack corps of efficiency and not of social snobbery,” Colonel Brabazon said.

AIR TR ANSPORT COMMITTEE. “Everyone in the Royal Air Force must learn to fly,” General Seely said, speaking of a new regulation. In further reply to other points raised «n the debate, ho said the report of tho Aerial Transport Committee had been to a largo extent tho framework on which tho Government had founded their proposals to the Aerial Convention at Paris. On behalf of tho Government ho desired to express his cordial thanks to the members of the committee, of which Lord Northcliffe was chairman for their great services. “The report of the committee is one of tho most valuable reports ever presented to our Government,” ho added, “and tho whole of the proposals of the committee could not he adopted, on almost every aspect of tho air it hit tlie nail on the head Ttioro than any other document.”