844 The Outline of Science 



To-day we have aircraft fitted with engines totalling over 1,500 

 h.p. and flying at speeds of over 200 miles an hour. 



Three Great Flights 



Within less than twenty years from the first flight of the 

 brothers Wright, flights across the Atlantic, to South Africa, 

 and to Australia were made. The first of these was that of 

 Alcock and Brown from Newfoundland across the Atlantic to 

 Ireland, the journey being made in just over sixteen hours, 

 against the normal period of six days for boat travelling. This, 

 however, must be looked upon in the nature of a "show" per- 

 formance; it is unlikely that we shall see just yet a regular 

 aeroplane service across the Atlantic. This service is more likely 

 to be carried out by airships, and it will be recollected that the 

 R. 34 made the trip from New York to Norfolk in just over 

 three days, which was less than half the time required by the 

 average liner. When speaking of commercial air routes it must 

 be remembered that if an aeroplane has to make a very long 

 non-stop flight, it has to carry an enormous quantity of petrol. 

 The lift of an aerplane is limited, and if most of the weight is 

 taken up by petrol very few passengers and very little cargo can 

 be carried, and flying ceases to become a commercial proposition. 

 If flights are made in shorter stages sufficient petrol can be car- 

 ried with a greater load of passengers and goods. Probably 250 

 miles is about the economic limit of aeroplane aerial transport 

 stages. 



The next epoch-making flight was that of Ross Smith and 

 Keith Smith from England to Australia. This flight has a very 

 direct bearing on commercial aviation, as it was not so much in 

 the nature of a "stunt" as the Atlantic flight, but was carried 

 out in stages with remarkable regularity. A schedule was laid 

 down, and owing to the excellence of the machine was carried out 

 almost to the hour, the whole trip being made in thirty days. 

 The chief difficulty encountered on this trip was the lack of 



