202 



NATURE 



October 13, 192 1 



ditions for success appear to be non-existent. 

 The Report (page 11) says: — 



"The Committee have learnt with great regret 

 of the decision to stop or greatly to reduce all 

 work connected with airships, and have addressed 

 a letter to the Ministry pointing out the import- 

 ance of full-scale research, not only for airship 

 progress, but as an essential part of general aero- 

 dynamic theory upon which the design of all types 

 of aircraft depends." 



In spite of such letter no change of policy 

 appears to have been considered, and the closing 

 down of all research, laboratory as well as full- 

 scale, would have been complete but for the de- 

 plorable accident to R38. It is more than pos- 

 sible that the disaster would have been .avoided 

 had the facilities for full-scale research asked 

 for by the Aeronautical Research Committee 

 during the last two years been granted by the 

 Air Council. 



As an isolated instance this would be important, 

 but it appears rather as a typical example and a 

 result of bad administrative arrangements in the 

 Air Ministry and related bodies. A further 

 abstract (page 52) says :— 



" The evidence given by pilots in the course of 

 this inquiry showed, however, that the handling 

 in the air of large flying boats, particularly those 

 of F type, had given considerable trouble, and 

 it appeared that there was little doubt that the 

 trouble with the F boats was mainly due to 

 weathercock instability. Further it appeared that 

 few data have yet been collected on the lateral 

 stability and control of any type of aircraft. The 

 subject is of such frequent recurrence, in relation 

 to accidents, as to warrant an extended inquiry 

 into the present state of knowledge regarding 

 lateral control and stability : a recommendation to 

 this effect has been put forward, and the matter 

 is being prosecuted." 



The reply — in effect — is that the Air Ministry 

 cannot afford to maintain the only staffs capable 

 of such inquiry, and that the information is not 

 considered to be worth one-quarter per cent, of 

 the annual expenditure on the Royal Air Force. 

 The direct saving of the money now lost by the 

 wreck of R38 would have maintained fundamental 

 research in aeronautics for the greater part of 

 a generation. Whilst such a policy is being 

 followed by the Air Council it would be a delusion 

 to suppose that the best of aeronautical research 

 committees could be an effective safeguard against 

 further disasters to military and civil aircraft. 



One of the more striking pieces of work detailed 

 in the report for the year is that of the Fire Pre- 

 NO. 271 1, VOL. 108] 



vention Sub-Committee. Not until the end of 

 the war was attention adequately directed to 

 the prevalence of fire after a bad landing, and 

 this matter was taken up by the Committee. A 

 glance through the items enumerated on page 40 

 suggests that matters normally entrusted to the 

 designers of aircraft still require much attention. 

 It should not be necessary at this period of time 

 to include "development of a safe system of 

 engine installation generally" and "the avoid- 

 ance of rubber and other inflammable material 

 under the cowl " in the programme of a research 

 committee. 



Of the various sectional programmes, that of 

 the Materials and Chemistry Sub-Committee most 

 nearly approaches scientific research. The 

 assistance of the universities has been invoked 

 and in due course a fruitful return may be antici- 

 pated. The Committee has there taken the line 

 of encouraging the individual worker to give of 

 his best. It is a possible line of development, 

 since this branch of aeronautics comes as a natural 

 extension of well-established sections of engineer- 

 ing. The aeronautical engineer is interested in 

 all the mechanical engineering tests of materials, 

 including those on fatigue, but to an unusual 

 degree of refinement. The limits of weight of 

 aircraft for successful flight leave far less room 

 for error in estimating stresses than in application 

 to such a subject as locomotive building for 

 railways. 



In relation to aero-engines, which are a normal 

 development from heavier internal-combustion 

 engines, a somewhat similar use of universities 

 and schools of technology i^s possible. On the 

 other hand, the provision of a Ihigh altitude test 

 house is peculiar to aeronautics, and for many 

 years to come training institutions cannot be 

 expected to provide facilities. Both In the case o\ 

 specialised engine research and aerodynamics 

 generally it appears that facilities are effectively 

 under the control of the Air Ministry, and for 

 progress in the next decade a more enlightened 

 policy appears to be a preliminary requisite. 



There is much more of interest in the Report, 

 which as a whole shows the utility of a body of 

 men who can consider a subject in relation to first 

 principles. For its share in such work it will 

 probably be concluded that the Aeronautical 

 Research Committee has justified its exist- 

 ence. It is possible, nevertheless, that a body 

 limited to such functions would be far more 

 effective. 



