October 30, 1919] 



NATURE 



18- 



and especially for wing construction. The bulk produc- 

 tion of aero-engines presented grave difficulties. Every 

 part had to be made to close limits so as to be inter- 

 changeable, and it was necessary to maintain the 

 highest quality with the minimum amount of skilled 

 labour, l-'or a period the supply of magnetos was 

 both inadequate and unsatisfactory. The Germans 

 had acquired practically a monopoly in this direction, 

 and it became essential for us to build up a new 

 industry on the results of careful research and experi- 

 ment. The fact that in these circumstances a total of 

 8,000,000 h.p. was produced during the last twelve 

 months of the war represents one of the greatest 

 achievements of engineering organisation. 



Synchronised gun-firing through the propeller was 

 first brought into use by the enemy, and the success 

 of the Fokker was due, not to superior design, but to 

 this characteristic armament and to the relativelv 

 high engine power. On the other hand, throughout 

 the war the only stable machines were British. For 

 observation work, night flying, and fli'^ht in fo? and 

 cloud the advantages of a stable machine are obvious. 

 Instability, inasmuch as it favours rapid and 

 unexpected manoeuvres, was for a time regarded 

 as an advantage in aerial fighting, but later experi- 

 ence proved that a well-designed aeroplane could be 

 made stable and yet remain quick and light on the 

 controls. 



Seaworthiness, no less than airworthiness, is re- 

 quired of the .seaplane, and this implies a machine of 

 considerable size and weight. Most of the best sea- 

 planes in use in 1918 had a total weight of four or 

 five tons each, a speed of nearly 100 miles, and 

 engines of about 700 h.p. 



The machines used by the special aeroplane-ships 

 were principally small fast scouts, but one t\-pe was 

 of sufficient size to carry an i8-in. torpedo. In 1918 

 seventy aeroplanes were carried by the Fleet as part 

 of the regular equipment. 



Airships proved to be of great importance in con- 

 nection with naval work. The smaller non-rigids 

 were used for patrol duty along the coast and convoy 

 service, and by their means a submarine could be 

 detected and attacked while still at a considerable dis- 

 tance below the surface. The success achieved was 

 extensive, and ships convoved by airships were prac- 

 tically immune from submarine attack. The larger 

 non-rigids served as scouts in naval operations. 



The SSZ had a speed of 50 miles and a gross lift 

 of about two tons ; the North Sea type a lift of 

 11 tons and a speed of 60 miles. 



Compared with the achievements in other directions 

 the record of British work in connection with the 

 development of rigid airships is not entirely satisfac- 

 tory. In this field, where consistent policy and firm- 

 ness of purpose were essential, the .Admiralty vacillated 

 str.angely. The May-fly, constructed at Barrow in 

 iqio, was admittedly an experiment, and although an 

 accident ended her career aftor the first few mooring 

 tests, she had already served her purpose in providing 

 the experience and data necessary for a more perfect 

 construction. Nothing further was done, however, 

 until after the war had started. 



In Germany, on the other hand, painstaking plod- 

 ding had built up success on the ruins of a dozen 

 failures. 



Improvements in the rate of climb of aeroplanes 

 and the invention of the incendiary bullet brought an 

 end to the effectiveness of the Zeppelin as a bomber, 

 hut as a scout in long-range naval operations its 

 influence remained considerable, and the recent suc- 

 cessful journey of R ^^4 indicates the possibilities of 

 ihe rigid airship in times of peace. The useful load 

 increases rapidly with size, and a ship 15 per cent. 

 NO. 2609, VOL. 104] 



larger than R 34 in linear dimensions could have 

 carried 100 people to America. 



What is popularly known as an invention, or nn 

 idea of revolutionary importance emanating from one 

 person, has played relatively little part in the recent 

 development of aeronautics. Success has been due to 

 systematic investigation and the combined effort of 

 many scientific workers, trained designers, and prac- 

 tical constructors. With some exceptions the same 

 holds true in the case of engine construction. Inven- 

 tions there have been (8000 are duly recorded in the 

 files of the Air Inventions Committee), but equipment 

 and armament and accessories appear to have offered 

 most scope for brilliant new departures. 



Several inventions notably influenced the course of 

 the war. The successful manufacture of incendiary 

 bullets put an end to the Zeppelin raids, tracer bullets 

 increased the accuracy of aim, and synchronising gear 

 made it possible to fire through the propeller at the 

 rate of nearly 1000 rounds per minute. A satisfactory 

 self-sealing petrol tank was manufactured after many 

 unsuccessful attempts, and greatly diminished the risk 

 of fire. Much ingenuity was displayed in connection 

 with bomb-sighting and navigational instruments. 

 Wireless telephone and directional wireless were intro- 

 duced. A trustworthy turn-indicator and improved 

 compass made accurate navigation through clouds 

 possible. Armoured aeroplanes were constructed ;' 

 special machines were atso designed for carrying 

 37-mm. quick-firing guns for use at the Front and 

 against submarines; these guns fired a li-lb. high- 

 explosive shell. 



The increased efificiencv of the anti-aircraft artillery 

 and the high rate of climb of the defending machines 

 put a check on daylight aeroplane raids, while at 

 night and in mist both searchlights and guns could 

 be trained on the enemy, even if invisible, by means 

 of sound-directors. A screen of kite-balloons sup- 

 porting nets formed part of the night defences of 

 London, and justified its existence by the moral effect 

 produced on the enemy pilots. 



The use of airships near the fighting zone or within 

 reach of enemy aeroplanes was impossible owing to 

 the inflammable nature of the gas they contained, 

 and, in spite of all precautions, the loss in kite- 

 balloons was serious. The propo.sal to replace the 

 hydrogen bv helium came from a member of the 

 Board of Invention and Research, and in iqii; ex- 

 periments were started with a view to the ultimate 

 production of several million cubic feet per month. 

 The boldness of the idea is best emphasised by the 

 fact that at that time it took weeks to obtain the few 

 cubic inches of gas required for the preliminary per- 

 meability tests. Progress was accelerated when 

 .\merica came into the war, and at the time of the 

 armistice a supply of 350,000 cubic ft. per week was 

 ensured. 



The above outline of engineering activities during 

 the war is both incomplete and imperfect. It may, 

 however, serve to emphasise and illustrate the two 

 features which characterised the period and made vic- 

 tory possible. 



The first is : Large production, obtained by organisa- 

 tion, standardisation, and co-operation. 



The second is : Rapid progress resulting from the 

 stimulus to research and invention and the imme- 

 diate application of the results obtained. 



The required organisation did not arise as a natural 

 development of the pre-war industrial activity: it was 

 called into being bv dire necessity and applied with 

 grim determination. Before the war the British 

 nation was anti-militarist, non-scientific, and strongly 

 individualistic. To achieve victory the nation ac- 

 cepted universal conscription, and submitted to the 



