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Show i " --- I r - "'V ' ' ' . - . ''--.&-iJ-;:;-fc',i:::v -.vv-v: ? I -w- : - - --a.,..: "X.f L -I J I DUffAY rLYfiG Oyf TH jrA AT fiCC Cv NE flying meeting is much like i A another in regard to the na- eh ture of the competitions for fj which prizes are offered. Of the seven events announced I for the Bournemouth flying I meeting in July, two only are at all out j of the ordinary; but the achievement j of that much originality is certainly something that reflects great credit on the organizers, for considerable sums of money are necessary not only for prize funds, but likewise for engaging . flying-men; consequently one has not unlimited financial resources, and the public certainly is always Interested to read about though not necessarily j to see a monotonous longdistance' competition, while it delights to behold be-hold the speed competition and the high flights, also the tests for the rising from the ground in the shortest distance and for weight-carrying. There are thus five events, which are almost inevitable in the case of any-flying any-flying meeting hold over a closed course, as distinct from any of a crosscountry cross-country character. We come, therefore, there-fore, to a consideration of the two points of novelty. In the first, one seems to see the hand of Mr. V. Ker-Seymer, Ker-Seymer, for this Is an alighting competition com-petition for aviators who come down nearest a given spot after having 6topped the engine at a given height In tbe air. It will be seen at once that, if properly carried out. such a test p.s this has its useful as well as its sporting side. It makes for efficiency effici-ency in pilotage; also the machine Lhat can land nearest a given spot at any time must necessarily be one safer to handle than those that are not so readily manageable. The details de-tails of the manner in which this competition com-petition will be arranged are not published; pub-lished; but I learn that the scheme is to allow the pilots to approach the target, as it were, from any direction they desire. Observers will be stationed sta-tioned at positions where the motor must be completely shut off, so that the aeroplane becomes a glider and is, in fact, in the same condition that It would be if, for any reason, in the course of a cross-country flight the engine had suddenly failed to work. The space on which the machine is to alight will be marked out in a series of colors. Each flyer will have three tries a day. and the man who makes the best average will be adjudged the winner. Thus an aviator who comes thrice on the second innermost line will make a better performance than one who comes on the center spot once, on the third innermost line once and on the outermost line once, because be-cause the average of the former will be better. By this means, too, lucky "flukes" will be avoided. There is another point about such a competition as this, namely, that it provides a type of event that can be conducted at periods when the flying-men flying-men do not feel disposed to go for the najor events. The great difficulty in :onducting flying meetings in the past has been that aernplanists come out only when it suits them, and those hours are usually the most inconvenient inconve-nient to the spectators. One of the chief points on which tiie organizers of the Cournemouth meeting are concentrating con-centrating attention is the endeavoring endeavor-ing to arrive at some means by which, provided the weather is fair, they may guarantee that the spectators shall always see flying of some 'sort. Another An-other feature of the Bournemouth meeting that is not usual at flying competitions is the offering of a prize for the flyer who takes the longest time in making one lap of a course. This Is really a most meritorious scheme, because anything of a flat nature na-ture can be sustained in the air if it is set at a slant and sent last enough through it, whereas very great, merit in the matter of efficiency is proved by the aeroplane that can fly slowest. To say that, of course, is not neces- I sarily to argue that such a competition I as shall be provided at Bournemouth wi'.i nece.-surily bring out that ma- chine on which the lifting efficiency h best. For example, if a flyer conn forward with a machine of very larg surface fitted with a comparative-light comparative-light motor and ordinarily designed t carry great weight, and if he has onl. a few gallons of fuel in his niaclnm and merely himself on board, it wouh be possible for that machine lo lilt ir: the air at comparatively a very slov. speed, whereas a Sanlo-Diimont monoplane mono-plane or a cross-channel type ol lileriot monoplane with small lifting suruici-s must necessarily go fast through the air. Nevertheless, the fact that there is only one prize for this competition and that that is only only 100, is a good guarantee that it will not be worth any one's while to build or to "fake" a machine specially spe-cially to win that money. On the contrary, we may expect a purely sporting competition. In which all the various flyers will take part in good-natured good-natured fashion. Those who are really real-ly concerned about Britain's position in this new Science of aerial naviga tion will find the chief interest in the Bournemouth meeting attaching to the performance of British amateur flyers, of whom there are a sufficiently goodly good-ly number already to ensure that at least four, if not half a dozen, will make a big reputation and quite surprise sur-prise the general public by their ability. At the annual general meeting of the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain the members passed, by a very large majority, a resolution to the effect that an executive or general purpose committee be constituted to relieve the self-elected council of a portion of the routine work and details de-tails of management that should now be borne by the members of the society so-ciety themselves, and that such a committee com-mittee should be elected by the members, mem-bers, one-half of the committee to retire re-tire yearly. In other words, the members mem-bers have realized that it is time that the constitution of the society, which was quite adequate at the time of its inception about 40 years ago, should be adapted to modern requirements. This, of course, is cause for congratulation, congratu-lation, for proud as we all are of possessing the oldest scientific aeronautical aero-nautical body in the world, none can have failed to notice the dire need that exists for galvanizing it into life by the adoption of such a forward moveyient as has been indicated. The dutiel of the society concern the pursuit pur-suit of the strictly scientific side of aeronautics. The other major bodies concerned with the movement of aerial navigation support it in that labor and acknoweledge its right to that province. H. MASSAC BUTST. |