a biplane will require some the horizontal and Since it has been officially lateral stability of the machine—that is to say, the horizontal rudder and the mechanism for warping the wings or for working the ailerons. In the case of a violent perturbation of the atmosphere it is evident the swifter the aerial craft the greater is the shock experienced. The disturbance of the balance of the machine is therefore all the more prompt in proportion to the speed, and requires a proportionately more rapid correction by the pilot. Even admitting the swift forward movement overcomes some of the tendency of the machine to pitch downwards or heel over, the speed nevertheless assists to accentuate the disturbance of the balance if it is not immediately restored, and in the case of the angle of disturbance becoming too large before it can be corrected, nothing can save the unfortunate aerial skiff. In the case of the slower biplane the action of the pilot to restore equilibrium need not be quite instantaneous, and the angle from which the machine can be righted is larger than that which would prove fatal to 8 swifter aerial craft. Though travelling in and not on them, it rides the atmospheric waves very much in the same way as a slow sailing boat rides the waves of the ocean. Indeed, the swift monoplane can be compared to a torpedo-boat and the biplane to a fishing-smack. Apart from the question whether extremely high speed really increases or lessens the Then and passengers on those biplanes which are provided with a body is very different from that of the men on monoplanes. The motor and propeller of the biplane being almost invariably behind, the pilot and military observer are seated well to the front, so that their view is not intercepted. The solution might be found by the placing of the motor and propeller of the monoplane behind the pilot and passengers, but till now the technical difficulties of the construction of such a machine, the proper distribution of weight, &c., have prevented its successful adoption. It is not difficult to foresee danger of aerial navigation, it must be remembered that what are called slow biplanes nevertheless travel at a minimum speed of 40 miles an hour (the Henry Farman biplane in the Military Competition travelled at 53 miles an hour), which for most military purposes is amply sufficient. A yet lower speed might be advantageous under many circumstances, and especially for careful military observation, bomb throwing, &c. what appears to be the necessary form of the body of the monoplane, with its motor and propeller in front, is a considerable inconvenience to the military observer. The pilot and passengers are generally that as 1911 saw the definite seated in such a position that adoption of the aeroplane for the view of a considerable por- scouting, estafette duty, and tion of the country over which as the necessary auxiliary of they are travelling is inter- artillery, 1912 will witness its cepted by the wings. In other entrance on-or, more correctly monoplanes the pilot and pas- speaking, over-the battlefield sengers are seated below the as an instrument of combat. wings and view the landscape At the commencement of the through celluloid windows in Italo-Turkish conflict in Trithe sides of the body. That poli the Italians despatched an position offers obvious incon- aeroplane to throw explosives veniences for the execution of on their adversaries, rather almost every description of with the object of spreading military service except de- terror among the Turks and spatch-carrying. On the other Arabs than with the anticihand, some military biplanes pation of effecting any great are so constructed that the material damage. The result pilot and passengers are placed of the experiment having suron a framework projecting in passed all expectations, they front of and beyond the planes. at once reinforced their aerial There is consequently nothing fleet. At the beginning of whatever to Intercept the view December it numbered of any of the persons manning units, to be used not only for the machines, and photographs scouting and exploration but can easily be taken even of the for offensive purposes. Those laud directly under the aerial aeroplanes, all made in France, oraft. The poition of the pilot do not possess the same mili 16 tary qualities as the machines enjoys the reputation of being which participated in the one of the most skilful aviators French Military Aeroplane of the whole world, carried a Competition at Betheny; but wreath of immortals on his most of them, especially the aeroplane with the intention biplanes, are capable of carry- of dropping it on the wreck ing at least 350 lb. of weight of the ill-fated vessel. Yet, in addition to that of the though he passed over it at pilot and the gasolene and the height of only sixty or oil for a flight of 100 miles. seventy feet, he missed his They can consequently trans- aim. The wreath fell into the port a minimum of 17 bombs, sea, at a distance of some fifty each weighing 20 lb., and feet from the giant of the ocean. as there is no reason why It is nevertheless possible the they should not return to Italians may use their aerocamp several times in a few plane bombs with good effect; hours to replenish their stock but if by chance they fail to of explosives, they may render do so, it would not be a very appreciable service. It is reason to conclude that it stated the Italian military au- cannot be done. On the conthorities have just adopted a trary, it is believed that with new bomb, invented by their a proper apparatus it will be artillery department, specially possible to drop bombs with for use on aeroplanes. It is great accuracy. described as being a cylinder, furnished with bullets arranged inside round the explosive substance occupying the centre. That cylinder is traversed by a metal rod provided with a handle at the top. There is a mechanism rendering the bomb inoffensive so long as the spring is not freed, even in the case of it receiving a violent shock in an accident to the flying machine. It is, of course, at the present moment quite impossible to pronounce on the value of the invention; but, it will be remarked, the bomb is destined to be dropped by hand, and it is therefore pretty sure the aviator will be unable to take very accurate aim with it. In the month of October, after the Liberté catastrophe in Toulon harbour, Vedrines, who travelling. The bomb-dropping problem is, however, complex. It is not sufficient to take into account the height and speed of the aeroplane from which a missile of a given weight is to be dropped on a particular spot, but an apparatus must be invented to surmount the pitching and rolling of the aerial craft. It may consist in something like a tube suspended on a universal joint, to keep the projectile placed in it constantly hanging perpendicularly downwards. Then the strength of the wind will to some extent influence the course of the bomb in its fall, and it must be as difficult for the aviator to calculate that force correctly as it is for him to estimate exactly the speed at which his aeroplane is The creation of the Aero accompanied with the assurTarget Competition by MM. ance it will draw up the Michelin is, therefore, of the regulations for the £1000 prize highest interest. The French competition after the first military authorities, who pa- official trials for the £2000 tronise it, not only place a prize have been made. The portion of the Camp de Chalons competition for this second manoeuvring field at the dis- prize will consist in dropping posal of the organisers, but missiles on a target from a provide the projectiles to be much greater height-probably used by the competitors. They 2000 metres (6560 feet). It is have traced the target on the not necessary to have viewed ground, and constructed near the earth from an aeroplane it a bomb-proof shelter for travelling at great speed at a the controlling commission. considerable altitude to recogThe competition is instituted nise that from even the small for two years- the first of height of 200 metres (about which expires on 15th August 656 feet) a target of 65 feet 1912, and the second on 15th 7 inches diameter traced on August 1913. The £2000 and the ground appears very small. £1000 prizes to be awarded on Till now but few experiments each of those dates to the most of bomb-throwing have been successful bomb-droppers are made, on account of the precalculated to stimulate invent- cautions it is necessary to take ors. The regulations for the against possible injury to per£2000 prize stipulate that each sons and damage to property. competitor is to carry on his However, some aviators possesaeroplane fifteen spherical pro- sing private aerodromes have jectiles of 15 centimetres (5.90 made preliminary trials, which inches) diameter, having the have been effected by hand. regulation ordnance weight of It was feared it would be diffi7 kilogrammes 100 grammes cult to steer an aeroplane ex(15.6 lb.) The winner will be actly over the comparatively the man who in one flight small target, but it seems shall, before sunset on 15th skilful pilot can do so without August, have, from the height great difficulty. In the course of 200 metres (655 feet 10 of some preliminary trials inches) dropped one by one the at the Buo aerodrome M. greatest number of the fifteen Senouque, who dropped the bombs on a circular target dummy bombs, failed to hit having a diameter of 20 metres the target, but he noticed none (65 feet 7 inches). This pro- of the missiles fell to the right gramme is not absolutely de- or left, and that they all finitive; but the French Aero touched the ground behind or Club, entrusted by MM. in front of it, proving the Michelin with the task of aeroplane had each time passed elaborating it and controlling over it. its application has given the While concentrating its atabove-mentioned indications, tention on the craft heavier him to detect the ticking of the wireless apparatus. Moreover, a silencer adapted to certain aviation motors almost completely deadens the noise. than air, the French military receiver's ears and to enable authorities have not abandoned the steerable balloon. It has been clearly demonstrated that a dirigible would be at the mercy of an aeroplane in the case of a duel between them, on account of the superior mobility of the latter, capable of weathering a real storm which would inevitably wreck the former. However, in calm weather, and escorted and protected by aeroplanes, the monster steerable balloon may, it is believed, render valuable service by carrying large quantities of explosives for the destruction of bridges, &c. It was also thought they would be indispensable for the wireless telegraph, but experiments made during the last twelve months tend to show that aeroplanes can easily carry the necessary apparatus. On 29th July Lieutenant Menard, having Captain Brenot with him on a biplane, furnished with a wireless telegraph apparatus, and navigating at the altitude of about 1700 feet over Ramboulet, transmitted to the Eiffel Tower in Paris a message to the War Minister. The distance was over thirty miles, and it is certain the same biplane could transport much more powerful instruments with which wireless messages could be sent three times the distance or even more. The noise made by the motor is an inconvenience for the reception of wireless messages on an aeroplane, but a special headpiece has been invented to exclude that sound from the Though the dirigible may in the end be supplanted by the heavier-than-air craft, the moment of its disappearance has not yet come, and it may never arrive. Some people foresee the possibility of using it for the transport of troops. It is, however, permissible to doubt the feasibility of the invasion of England by that means, or even the carrying of a little army in the cars of steerable balloons over the heads of a hostile force to attack the enemy in the rear, especially as the hydrogen to inflate the balloons is not to be found everywhere. The prob lem of providing the gas required for the dirigibles is indeed difficult to solve. At the present moment France possesses 3 training steerable balloons, the Colonel Renard, the Liberté, and the Ville de Paris, of which the two first are stationed at Meudon and the third at Verdun, and 3 dirigibles in active service, the Captain Marchal, the Adjutant Vinvenot, and the Temps, stationed respectively at Chalons, Lamotte-Breuil and Saint Cyr. That little fleet of dirigibles is to be reinforced by the construction of 3 big dirigibles ordered of the Astra Company, 2 big dirigibles being built by MM. Lebaudy Frères, 1 big dirigible ordered of the Bayard-Clement Com |