APEING THE BIRD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 28, 16 January 1912, Page 8

APEING THE BIRD.

AVIATION IN WAR. When the submarine became a military success, a thrill of horror pass’d around the world, for it seemed is though no floating craft could possibly,.,protect itself against this unseen foe of the deep. While there vet .remain, great possibilities for effoctiye„,wprk with submarines, they are no longer feared as they were at first. Although,,?t is too early to claim a parallel in the case of the aeroplane in war, it is coming to be generally conceded that the dirigible as a military arm is rapidly losing its terrors. As an aerial scout the aeroplane will doubtless find a place for itself, but is a fighting machine—well, nobody mems anxious to fire the first big gun, for the recoil and vacuum of its own discharge aro things to consider. Can : t be possible all our pictures of aerial warfare arc only dreams, and that the aeroplane will settle down to a disgracefully safe and prosaic vehicle, used chiefly on farms to fetch the doctor or some repair part of a broken reaper? However, the French, with 200 military aeroplanes on hand and 120 building, are extremely sanguine. General Chomer declares that the flying machine is “the most marvellous engine of war we (have yet discover’d.” General Bonneau characterises it as “an eye that makes no mistake, that looks do>yp on tho enemy and permits, one to see all that is passing in his lines,” while Colonel Bernard says “two batteries with an aeroplane arc five times as formidable as three batteries without an acrppjane.” H. IT. Windsor, ,iiy the “Science Magazine.”’ V SAFETY IN,.(AVIATION.! .

The problem of safety in aviation has been attracting the serious attention of inventors lately, in view of the numerous accidents that have occurred. Mr ‘Edward Hayes, member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, says tho “Standard,” has just constructed, „a,,- new. typ p/ pf ] aeroplane, which he confidently predicts will minimise the dangers hitherto accompanying aerial flight. Recognising the importance of lowering tho centre of gravity as an essential factor towards safety, he has succeeded in making a machine which permits of this being done without detriment to its efficiency'. Previously the difficulty with this type of machine has been to raise it , from the ground, but Mr Hayes has succeeded in remedying this drawback. A fair-size working model biplane has just passed successfully through a series of stringent tests at the Watling Works, Stony Stratford. By an ingenious device which reduces the forward pressure caused by the elevation of the proooller, the aeroplane can rise freely, while the centre of gravity is so low that the equilibrium of the machine is maintained both when running on the ground in starting and during actual flight. Mr Hayes has patented his ' invention, but in view of its idaptability to various other types of aeroplanes, he has decided to license makers to employ this principle in their machines.