The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-21

QlktOISs WHICH IS HOW uIiuSE experiment. the hope of perfection is great
 WORK ON ENGINES
 Experiments Tn urea pri,a.n, however, are still principally concerned with the engine and are especially directed to low weight power ratio. Learning from the use of a -'swash-plate" engine in submarine steering, the ministry have undertaken series of experiments whicA are intended to adapt the "swash- plate" engine to flight uses The ,''swash- plate engine is one in which an inclined disc on the shaft takes the place of the crank in the ordinary type. The advantage of such an engine is that small propor. 1 tion of the weight of the plane will be used in the power unit. and as the cyl finders will lie parallel to the shaft, it will permit of a more perfect stream line construction of the nacelle or fusel- age, to reduce the wind resistance
 More experiments have been made in the development of the steam turbin en- zine and fitting it for aero engines. There is definite limit in the improvement Of Internal conbustiQn engines for flight service Casually Sckoned at 100 horse power maximum) and a great need for the increase of motive power in view of the expansion of all traffic The air mfn- istry, therefore, has the steam turbine under construction, being convinced in the light of recent knowledge, that a steam plant can be produced which will fulfill practically all the required con- , ditions, and in addition would possess one marked advantage, it would be silent in operation.
 Great advance Is heralded also in con |struetion, particularly in connection with the reduction of physical effort demanded of the pilot. who at present has o~oper- ate the control surfaces. With the iIi- crease of multi-engined planes, the nee essary physical effort is rapidly passing beyond the strength of a single oper- ator, and mechanical means of operat. ing the control surfaces are being per fected. In machines at present in the design state, the pilot will be relieved of control of the engine, and will telegraph his orders to the engine room, much as
 is now the practice on board ship.
 From a military standpoint the most important developments are the Farey seaplane and the Handley Page. The Fairey has an adjustable wing, and the enabling the machines to rise at a very steep anrie.
 LOOK TO JULES VERNE
 Jules Verne, however, and the fam ous fictionists are never out of mind of the airmen. It is obvious shat if a pilot can operate his machine on restricted landing grounds a great mil itary advantage will ensue, for Under such circumstances a pilot will be able to search localities under question as easily as a cavalry or an infantry patrol. Sir E. L. Ellington is of the opinion that this problem will not finally be solved until the nelicopter lis perfected. What is needed is 'aa chine that can automatically descend at a safe rate when the engine is stopped as an ordinary airplane planes down in similar circumstances
 In design, much is expected Of the alI-metal machine, along the line of the Voyewodski patents, which permits of the engines being carried within the wing structure. The latest Inn provements give reason to believe that the undercarriage can be drawn into the main body of the machine during flight, and so greatly lessen windfe Tsistance. sg
 E WORK ON AIRSHIPS
 Experiments and Improvements have been by no means confined to the heavier than-air machine Two new airships are being constructed in Eng land, which will far exceed all others in novelty of design as well as in size and speed. R-S0 is being built for speed, and R-3S is an experiment in size.
 The difficulties of mooring are sreedily being overcome. It has been demonstrated that an airship can ,afely be moored at a masthead and outride any weather, and that skilful captain can bring his airship to the mas thead sn light airs with the assistance of only six men. Since these facts wree demonstrated much headway has tcen made in the improvement of the mast { tDnE n hArt x.~ 1 CYorkshire) which will be fitted with lltts for crews, etc., and proper hauling apparatus, as well as permanent petrol water and gas mains. With this mast 1t Is expected that mooring can be effected even in bad weather, with the assistance of only a small landing crew. If the expectation is reached it will then only be necessary to return the airships to the sheds for major re- pairs and overhaul.
 Britain is sparing no effort in an at- tempt to obtain the complete mastery of the air. The air and the sea are her vulnerable spots and MT. Winston Churchill has pledged the government to do everything in it's power to assist civil aviation, as we'll as to develop the ''new arm" of defense
 The policy is one of encouragement and research assistance, rather than subsidies, but if it becomes necessary 1t may reasonably be anticipated that the government will not allow the in- dustry to die for want of assistance. So far civil aviation is in it's infancy, although the Hand1ey Page Transport has completed most SUCCESS full year, having transported some B. 700 passengers without the loss of single life, and carried freight and mails totalling roughly 1S4,000 pounds, while the distance covered was 271,0O0 rnilns