THE WORLD AT LARGE.
Greatest Speed Per Hour, Whatever Length of Flight, Aviator Alone--E.
Nieuport, Mourmelon, France, June 21, Nieuport Machine, 82.72 miles;
with one passenger, E. Nieuport, Moumlelon, France, June 12, Nieuport
Machine, 67.11 miles; with two passengers, E. Nieuport, Mourmelon,
France, March 9, Nieuport Machine, 63.91 miles; with three passengers,
G. Busson, Rheims, France, March 10, Deperdussin Machine, 59.84 miles;
with four passengers, G. Busson, Rheims, France, March 10, Deperdussin
Machine, 54.21 miles.
Greatest Distance Aviator Alone--G. Fourny, no stops, Buc, France,
September 2, M. Farman Machine, 447.01 miles; E. Helen, three stops,
Etampes, France, September 8, Nieuport Machine, 778.45 miles; with
one passenger, Lieut. Bier, Austria, October 2, Etrich Machine, 155.34
miles; with two passengers, Lieut. Bier, Austria, October 4, Etrich
Machine, 69.59 miles; with three passengers, G. Busson, Rheims, France,
March 10, Deperdussin Machine, 31.06 miles; with four passengers, G.
Busson, Rheims, France, March 10, Deperdussin Machine, 15.99 miles.
Greatest Duration Aviator Alone--G. Fourny, no stops, Buc, France,
September 2, M. Farman Machine, 11 hours, 1 minute, 29 seconds, E.
Helen, three stops, Etampes, France, September 8, Nieuport Machine, 14
hours, 7 minutes, 50 seconds, 13 hours, 17 minutes net time; with one
passenger, Suvelack, Johannisthal, Germany, December 8, 4 hours, 23
minutes; with two passengers, T. de W. Milling, Nassau Boulevard, New
York, September 26, Burgess-Wright Machine, 1 hour, 54 minutes, 42 3-5
seconds; with three passengers, Warchalowski, Wiener-Neustadt, Aust.,
October 30, 45 minutes, 46 seconds; with four passengers, G. Busson,
Rheims, France, March 10, Deperdussin Machine, 17 minutes, 28 1-5
seconds.
Greatest Altitude Aviator Alone--Garros, St. Malo, France, September
4, Bleriot Machine, 13,362 feet; with one passenger, Prevost, Courcy,
France, December 2, 9,840 feet; with two passengers, Lieut. Bier,
Austria, Etrich Machine, 4,010 feet.
AMERICAN RECORDS.
Greatest Speed Per Hour, Whatever Length of Flight, Aviator Alone--A.
Leblanc, Belmont Park, N. Y., October 29, Bleriot Machine, 67.87 miles;
with one passenger, C. Grahame-White, Squantum, Mass., September 4,
Nieuport Machine, 63.23 miles; with two passengers, T. O. M. Sopwith,
Chicago, Ill., August 15, Wright Machine, 34.96 miles.
Greatest Distance Aviator Alone--St. Croix Johnstone, Mineola, N. Y.,
July 27, Moisant (Bleriot Type) Machine, 176.23 miles.
Greatest Duration Aviator Alone--Howard W. Gill, Kinloch, Mo., October
19, Wright Machine, 4 hours, 16 minutes, 35 seconds; with one passenger,
G. W. Beatty, Chicago, Ill., August 19, Wright Machine, 3 hours, 42
minutes, 22 1-5 seconds; with two passengers, T. de W. Milling, Nassau
Boulevard, N. Y., September 26, Burgess-Wright Machine, 1 hour, 54
minutes, 42 3-5 seconds.
Greatest Altitude Aviator Alone--L. Beachy, Chicago, Ill., August 20,
Curtiss Machine, 11,642 feet; with one passenger, C. Grahame-White,
Nassau Boulevard, N. Y., September 30, Nieuport Machine, 3,347 feet.
Weight Carrying--P. O. Parmelee, Chicago, III., August 19, Wright
Machine, 458 lbs.
AVIATION DEVELOPMENT.
The wonderful progress made in the science of aviation during the
year 1911 far surpasses any twelve months' advancement recorded. The
advancement has not been confined to any country or continent, since
every part of the world is taking its part in aviation history making.
The rapidly increasing interest in aviation has brought forth schools
for the instruction of flying in both the old and new world, and
licensed air pilots before they receive their sanctions from the
governing aero clubs of their country are required to pass an extremely
trying examination in actual flights. Exhibition flights and races
were common in all parts of the world during 1911, and touring aviators
visited India, China, Japan, South Africa, Australia and South America,
giving exhibitions and instruction.
Europe was the scene of a number of cross-country races in which entries
ranging from ten to twenty aviators flew from city to city around a
given circuit, which in some instances exceeded 1,000 miles in distance.
Cross-country flights with and without passengers became so common that
those of less than two hours' duration attracted little attention.
There were fewer attempts at high altitude soaring, although the world's
record in this department of aviation was bettered several times. In
place of these high flights, the aviators devoted more attention to
speed, duration and spectacular manoeuvres, which appeared to satisfy
the spectators. The prize money won during 1911 exceeded $1,000,000, but
owing to the increased number of aviators the individual winnings were
not as large as in 1910.
It is estimated that within the past twelve months more than 300,000
miles have been covered in aeroplane flights and more than seven
thousand persons, classed either as aviators or passengers, taken up
into the air. The aeroplane of today ranges through monoplane, biplane,
triplane and even quadraplane, and more than two hundred types of these
machines are in use.
Aeroplanes are becoming a factor of international commerce. The records
of the Bureau of Statistics show that more than $50,000 worth of
aeroplanes were imported into, and exported from, the United States in
the months of July, August and September, 1911. The Bureau of Statistics
only began the maintenance of a separate record of this comparatively
new article of commerce with the opening of the fiscal year 1911-12.
Two of the prominent developments of 1911 were the introduction of
the hydro-aeroplane and the motorless glider experiments of the
Wright brothers at Killdevil Hills, N. C., where during the two weeks'
experiments numerous flights with and against the wind were made,
culminating in the establishing of a record by Orville Wright on October
25, 1911, when in a 52-mile per hour blow he reached an elevation of 225
feet and remained in the air 10 minutes and 34 seconds. The search
for the secret of automatic stability still continues, and though some
remarkable progress has been made the solution has not yet been reached.
NOTABLE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHTS OF 1911.
One of the important features of 1911 in aviation was the rapid increase
in the number and distance of cross-country flights made either for the
purpose of exhibition, testing, instruction or pleasure. Flights between
cities in almost every country of the world became common occurrences.
So great was the number that only those of more than ordinary importance
because of speed, distance or duration are recorded. The flights of
Harry N. Atwood from Boston to Washington and from St. Louis to New
York, and C. P. Rodgers from New York to Los Angeles were the most
important events of the kind in this country. The St Louis to New York
flight was a distance by air route, 1,266 miles. Duration of flight, 12
days. Net flying time, 28 hours 53 minutes. Average daily flight, 105.5
miles. Average speed, 43.9 miles per hour.
Transcontinental Flight of Calbraith P. Rodgers.--All world records
for cross-country flying were broken during the New York to Los Angeles
flight of Calbraith P. Rodgers, who left Sheepshead Bay, N. Y., on
Sunday, September 17, 1911, and completed his flight to the Pacific
Coast on Sunday, November 5, at Pasadena, Cal. Rodgers flew a Wright
biplane, and during his long trip the machine was repeatedly repaired,
so great was the strain of the long journey in the air. Rodgers is
estimated to have covered 4,231 miles, although the actual route as
mapped out was but 4,017 miles. Elapsed time to Pasadena, Cal., 49 days;
actual time in the air, 4,924 minutes, equivalent to 3 days 10 hours 4
minutes; average speed approximating 51 miles per hour. Rodgers' longest
flight in one day was from Sanderson to Sierra Blanca, Texas, on October
28, when he covered 231 miles. On November 12, Rodgers fell at Compton,
Cal., and was badly injured, causing a delay of 28 days.
European Circuit Race.--Started from Paris on June 18, 1911. Distance,
1,073 miles, via Paris to Liege; Liege to Spa to Liege; Liege to
Utrecht, Holland; Utrecht to Brussels, Belgium; Brussels to Roubaix;
Roubaix to Calais; Calais to London; London to Calais and Calais to
Paris. Three aeronauts were killed either at the start or shortly after
the race was in progress. They were Capt. Princetau, M. Le Martin and
M. Lendron. Three others were injured by falls. Seven hundred thousand
spectators witnessed the start from the aviation field at Vincennes,
near Paris. There were more than forty starters, of which eight
finished. The winner, Lieut. Jean Conneau, who flies under the name of
"Andre Beaumont," completed the circuit on July 7; his actual net flying
time for the distance being 58h. 38m. 4-5s.
Circuit of England Race--1,010 Miles in Five Sections.--
Start, July 22. Finish, July 26. Prize, $50,000. Twenty-eight entries
and eighteen starters. Seventeen finished the first section from
Brooklands to Hendon, a distance of twenty miles. Five reached
Edinburgh, the second section, a distance of 343 miles, and four
completed the entire circuit.
Paris to Madrid Race.--This race was started at the Paris aviation
held at Issy-les-Moulineaux on Sunday, May 21. There were twenty-one
entrants, and fully 300,000 spectators gathered to witness the initial
flight of the aerial races. The race was divided into three stages as
follows: Paris to Angouleme, 248 miles; Angouleme to St. Sebastian, 208
miles, and from St. Sebastian to Madrid, 386 miles, a total distance
of 842 miles. After three of the entrants had safely left the field,
Aviator Train lost control of his plane, and in falling struck and
killed M. Berteaux, the French Minister of War, and seriously injured
Premier Monis. The accident caused the withdrawal of all but six of the
original entrants, and of these but one finished. The race called for
a flight over the Pyrenees Mountains, and Vedrines, the winner, had to
rise to a height of more than 7,000 feet to pass the mountain barrier
near Somosierra Pass. Both Vedrines and Gibert, another competitor, were
attacked by eagles during the latter stages of the flight. Vedrines,
who started from Paris on Monday, May 22, finished the long and perilous
race at 8:06 a. m. Friday, May 26. Vedrines net flying time, all
controls and enforced stops subtracted, was 14h. 55m. 18s. The various
prizes to the winner aggregated $30,000.
The Paris-Rome-Turin Race.--The conditions of this race called for a
flight between the cities of Paris, Rome and Turin, covering a distance
of 1,300 miles. The aviators were permitted by the rules to alight
whenever and wherever they desired and the time limit was set from
May 28 to June 15. A prize of $100,000 was offered the winner, but the
contest was never finished, as one after another the aviators dropped
out until Frey fell near Roncigilione, France, breaking both arms and
legs and unofficially ending the contest. There were twenty-one entries
and twelve actual starters.
International Speed Cup Race.--The third annual international James
Gordon Bennett speed cup race was held at Eastchurch, England, on July
1, 1911, and for the second time was won by an American aviator, C. T.
Weymann, in a French racing aeroplane. The distance was 150 kilometres
equivalent to 94 miles, and the winner's time of 1h. 11m. 36s. showed an
average speed of 78.77 miles per hour. The first race was held in 1909
and was won by Glenn Curtiss, who flew the twenty kilometres (12.4
miles) in 15 minutes 50 2-5 seconds at an average speed of 47 miles per
hour. In 1910 the winner was Grahame-White, who covered 100 kilometres
(62 miles) at Belmont Park, L. I., in 60 minutes 47 3-5 seconds, an
average speed of 61.3 miles per hour. In the 1911 race there were six
starters: three from France, two from Great Britain and one from the
United States.
Milan to Turin to Milan Race.--This race which was started from Milan,
Italy, on October 29, was restricted to Italian aviators and had six
starters. The distance was approximately 177 miles and won by Manissero
in a Bleriot machine in 3h. 16m. 2 4-5s.
New York to Philadelphia Race.--The first intercity aeroplane race ever
held in the United States was started from New York City on August
5, and finished in Philadelphia the same day. The prize of $5,000 was
offered by a commercial concern with stores in the two cities: Three
entrants competed from the Curtiss Exhibition Company. The distance was
approximately 83 miles and won by L. Beachey in a Curtiss machine in 1h.
50m. at an average speed of 45 miles per hour.
Tri-State Race.--The tri-state race was the feature event of the Harvard
Aviation Society meet held at Squantum, Mass., August 26 to September
6. It was held Labor Day, September 4, over a course of 174 miles, from
Boston to Nashua to Worcester to Providence to Boston. Four competitors
started, of which two finished, the winner, E. Ovington, in a Bleriot
machine. Ovington's net flying time, 3h. 6m. 22 1-5s. Winner's prize,
$10,000.
AEROPLANES AND DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS IN WARFARE.
Wonderful progress has been made in the development of the aeroplane in
this country and in Europe since 1903, and within the last two or three
years the leading powers of the world have entered upon extensive tests
and experiments to determine its availability and usefulness in land and
naval warfare.
At the present time all the great powers are building or purchasing
aeroplanes on an extensive scale. They have established government
schools for the instruction of their army and navy officers and for
experimental work. So-called "Airship Fleets" have been constructed and
placed in commission as auxiliaries to the armies and navies. The fleets
of France and Germany are about equal and are larger by far than those
of any of the other powers. The length of the dirigibles composing these
fleets runs from 150 to 500 feet; they are equipped with engines of from
50 to 500 horse-power, with a rate of speed ranging from 20 to 30 miles
per hour. Their approximate range is from 200 to 900 miles; the longest
actual run (made by the Zeppelin II, Germany) is 800 miles.
A British naval airship, one of the largest yet built, was completed
last summer. It has cost over $200,000, and it was in course of
designing and construction two years. It is 510 feet long; can carry 22
persons, and has a lift of 21 tons.
The relative value of the dirigible balloon and the aeroplane in actual
war is yet to be determined. The dirigible is considered to be the
safer, yet several large balloons of this class in Germany and France
have met with disaster, involving loss of lives. The capacity of the
dirigible for longer flights and its superior facilities for carrying
apparatus and operators for wireless telegraphy are distinct advantages.
There has not yet been much opportunity to test the airship in actual
warfare. The aeroplane has been used by the Italians in Tripoli for
scouting and reconnoitering and is said to have justified expectations.
On several occasions the Italian military aviators followed the
movements of the enemy, in one instance as far as forty miles inland. At
the time of the attack by the Turks a skillful aeroplane reconnaissance
revealed the approach of a large Turkish force, believed to be at the
time sixty miles away in the mountains.
Aeroplanes and airships, as they exist today, would doubtless render
very valuable service in a time of war, both over land and water, in
scouting, reconnoitering, carrying dispatches, and as some experts
believe, in locating submarines and mines placed by the enemy in
channels of exits from ports. A "coast aeroplane" could fly out 30 or 40
miles from land, and rising to a great height, descry any hostile ships
on the distant horizon, observe their number, strength, formation and
direction, and return within two hours with a report to obtain which
would require several swift torpedo-boat destroyers and a much greater
time. The question as to whether it would be practicable to bombard an
enemy on land or sea with explosive bombs dropped or discharged from
flying machines or airships, is one which is much discussed but hardly
yet determined.
Aeroplanes have been constructed with floats in the place of runners and
several attempts have been made, in some cases successfully, to light
with them on and to rise from the water. Mr. Curtiss did this at San
Francisco, in January, 1911. Attempts have also been made with the
aeroplane to alight on and to take flight from the deck of a warship.
Toward the end of 1910 Aviator Ely flew to land from the cruiser
Birmingham, and in January, 1911, he flew from land and alighted on the
cruiser Pennsylvania. But in these cases special arrangements were made
which would be hardly practicable in a time of actual war.
In November, 1911, a test was made at Newport, R. I., by Lieut. Rodgers,
of the navy, of a "hydro-areoplane" as an auxiliary to a battleship. The
idea of the test was to alight alongside of the ship, hoist the machine
aboard, put out to sea and launch the machine again with the use of a
crane. Lieut. Rodgers came down smoothly alongside the Ohio, his machine
was easily drawn aboard with a crane, and the Ohio steamed down to
the open sea, where it was blowing half a gale. But, owing to the
misjudgment of the ship's headway, one of the wings of the machine when
it struck the water after being released from the crane, went under the
water and was snapped off. Lieut. Rodgers was convinced that this method
was too risky and that some other must be devised.