1 6 



NATURE 



[March 4, 1920 



tigation of instruments used in flight, with problems 

 in meteorology and navigation. The engineer must 

 also gain the practical knowledge acquired only in 

 the workshop, and must have experience of the full- 

 scale researches necessary to test and verify his 

 theoretical conclusions. Such a course might 

 eventually involve one or more centres of theoretical 

 instruction with experimental aerodromes and labora- 

 tories where the full-scale problems may be worked 

 out, but as the number of persons likely to require 

 this higher post-graduate education will not be great 

 we consider that it will be wise for the present to 

 concentrate the work in one central institution with 

 which the experimental aerodromes should be closely 

 connected. Such a central institution we find in the 

 Imperial College of Science and Technology, at which 

 the professorship lately founded by Sir Basil Zaharoff 

 is to be held. 



To turn now to research. This is the means by 

 which advance in aeronautics is possible, and it is 

 required by all interested in the progress of the sub- 

 ject : by the State, whether for the purposes of defence 

 or to enable it to lay down the rules necessary for 

 the safety of aircraft when used for civil purposes; 

 by the professor, whose aim is to increase knowledge ; 

 and by the industry, in order that it may maintain 

 the superiority which British aircraft has already 

 achieved. Research is difficult, its requirements are 

 costly, and the men who can undertake it are few. 

 To establish separate research laboratories and aero- 

 dromes for each of these special interests is, for the 

 moment, 'Out of the question; here, again, combina- 

 tion is called for^ — combination, too, with the agencies 

 concerned in education. At the same time we recog- 

 nise fully that special problems may be dealt with at 

 other research centres, and we trust that every en- 

 couragement may be given to these for such work. 



Since the commencement of practical aeronautics, 

 research has been directed by the Advisory Committee 

 for Aeronautics, a body, under the presidencv of the 

 late Lord Rayleigh, aopointed by the Prime Minister 

 in the year 1909 "for the superintendence of the 

 investigations at the National Physical Laboratory 

 and for general advice on the scientific problems aris- 

 ing in connection with the work of the Admiraltv and 

 War Office in aerial construction and navigation." 



Full-scale research has been carried out at Farn- 

 borough, in part at the initiation of the Advisory 

 Committee, in part at that of the military authorities; 

 the Committee, however, has no control over the 

 work there, and occupies onlv an advisorv position 

 with regard to it. During the war other centres of full- 

 scale research were established — e.g. the Lsle of Grain 

 and Felixstowe for seaplanes, Kingsnorth and Pulham 

 for airships — and the .Advisory Committee has been 

 kept in close touch with the work in progress at all 

 of these. Its activities have been of the greatest value. 

 In our view, a central co-ordinating body of this kind 

 is essential, and it is now pronosed to establish an 

 Aeronautical Research Committee, to which the 

 duties of the .Advisorv Committee would be trans- 

 ferred, and certain other duties and responsibilities 

 added with regard both to the central research aero- 

 dromes ami to education. The proposed Committee 

 should be in a position to supervise effectively such 

 work as comes within its purview. 



The work in aeronautics conducted at the National 

 Physical Laboratorv would also, usually, be under- 

 taken on the initiation of the Committee, the expendi- 

 ture for surh work forming oart of the budget of the 

 Deoartment of Scientific and Industrial Research. 



In order to connect <-he Committee with the educa- 

 tional, work and to render the onoortunities of research 

 at Farnborou^h and elsewhere available both to 

 teachers and to students, we suggest that arrange- 

 NO. 2627, VOL. \0^ 



ments should be made between the Committee and 

 the Imperial College for dealing with matters with 

 which they are jointly concerned. In this connection, 

 moreover, we suggest that it would be possible in 

 a number of cases for members of the research staff 

 to act as professors or lecturers at the college. 



Constitution of the Aeronautical Research 

 Committee. 



The Aeronautical Research Committee should in- 

 clude representation of (a) the Department or Depart- 

 ments responsible for (i) naval and military aero- 

 nautics, (ii) the regulation of civil aerial tra'nsport; 

 (h) the Department of Scientific and Industrial Re- 

 search, including direct representation of the National 

 Physical Laboratory ; (c) the aircraft industry ; (d) the 

 Imperial College ; as well as (e) other members of 

 scientific attainments. The chairman of the Com- 

 mittee should be an eminent man of science, and 

 in a position independent of the Government Deoart- 

 ments represented on the Committee. He and the 

 other non-official members of the Committee should 

 receive suitable remuneration. 



Functions of the .Aeronautical Research 

 Committee. 



It should be the dutv of the Aeronautical Research 

 Committee to devote itself to the advance of aero- 

 nautical science, and, with this object, in particular 

 (\) to advise on scientific and technical problems relat- 

 ing to the construction and navigation of aircraft ; 

 (2) to undertake or supervise such research or experi- 

 mental work as is proposed to the Committee by the 

 .Air Ministry, and to initiate any research work which 

 the Committee considers to be advisable ; to carrv out 

 such work itself or to recommend bv whom the work 

 should be carried out ; (-^) to take over complete 

 responsibility for the .Air Inventions Committee and 

 for the .Accidents Committee ; (4) to promote educa- 

 tion in aeronautics by co-operating with the governors 

 of the Imperial College ; (.;) to assist the aeronautical 

 industry of the country bv scientific advice and re- 

 search, and to co-operate with any research associa- 

 tion that may be established ; (6) to prepare for the 

 approval of the Air Council a scheme of work and 

 estimate of expenditure for the year, and to administer 

 the funds placed at its disposal by the .Air Council ; 

 and (7) to make reports from time to time to the Air 

 Council. 



Co-ordination of the Research and Educ.xtion.'vl 

 Organisation. 



We have referred to the need for close association 

 between the research and experimental work and the 

 strictly academic portion of the higher education. 

 No school for providing this education can be success- 

 ful unless the students are brought into direct touch 

 with practical problems during their tuition, and unless 

 those engaged in teaching are also engaged in or 

 directing scientific research or experimental design. 



The arrangements whereby the student will divide 

 his oeriod of post-graduate instruction between work 

 on books and at lectures and practical work at re- 

 search stations should apply also in regard to the 

 duties of the teaching staff. These should be such as 

 to enable a professor or lecturer to .spend part of his 

 time in ^ivin£? instruction at the Imperial College, 

 while givin£? the rest to investigations at one of the 

 research centres. 



The School of .Aeronautics should provide advanced 

 instruction as regards aeroplanes, seaplanes, airships, 

 and kite-ballo6ns in (i) aerodynamics; (2) aero- 

 enginesi artd methods of propulsion ; (3) design. 



