But by way of the air, granted even a speeding-up on land and sea, should go the high-speed traffic of the future. By a greater efficiency in lifting surfaces and by reductions in the resistance a craft offers to its own passage through the air; by the provision of systems which will permit a pilot to reduce plane-area when his machine has gained altitude and he desires a maximum speed; by the equipping of craft with motors developing thousands of horse-power for a very low weight—by such means, and by a general improvement in design, it should be possible, eventually, to attain flying speeds of 150, 200, and even 250 miles an hour. From London to New York by air liner, in less than twenty hours; such, for instance, should be an attainment of the future.
It seems probable, in the development of the commercial aeroplane, we shall have machines for touring and for pleasure flights—craft not of large size but in which efforts are made to obtain a greater reliability and comfort. Then it appears likely that aircraft may reach a practical use as carriers of mails and of light express goods; first of all in localities, and under conditions, which favour specially an aerial transit. And from this phase we should move to the passenger-carrying craft; to the days when we shall be able to spend a week-end in New York, as readily as it has been the habit to do in Paris; when we shall be able to reach any part of the world in a journey by air lasting, say, a week or ten days. Then, as a recompense for the lives that have been lost, and for a conquest that has been so dearly won, the world will enter upon an age of aerial transit—the age when frontiers and seas will act as barriers no longer, when journeys that now last weeks will be reduced to days, and those of days to hours; when first of all Europe, and then the world, will be linked by airway.
THE END
INDEX
- Aerodromes, their evolution, [14]
- Age, its relation to flying, [11]
- Alighting, operation of, [ 51]
- Biplanes and tuition, the "pusher" type, [ 16]
- Bleriot, Louis, study of his methods as a pilot, [ 84]
- Certificate of proficiency, tests for, [ 54]
- Cody, S. F., [ 90]
- Commercial possibilities of aviation, [ 107]
- Conneau, Lieut. J. ("Beaumont"), [ 87]
- Constructional weakness in aeroplanes, risks of, [ 60]
- Controllability of aeroplanes, problems of, [ 33]
- Cross-country flying, pupils' first experiences, [ 92]
- Dual-Engine machines, [ 79]
- Engine failure, risks of, [ 65]
- Enjoyment of learning to fly, [ 12]
- Farman, Henri, pioneer work as an aviator, [ 86]
- Fees for tuition, [ 13]
- First flights, pupil as passenger, [ 39]
- Health and flying, [ 10]
- Human factor in relation to accidents, [ 71]
- Improvements in aircraft which spell safety, [ 76]
- Industry of aviation, its expansion, [ 100]
- Instructors, qualifications necessary, [ 15]
- Latham, Hubert, temperamental study, [ 86]
- Learning to fly not dangerous, [ 11]
- Manual dexterity, need of, [ 12]
- Opportunities for the newcomer in aviation, [ 101]
- "Rolling" (handling a machine on the ground), [ 43]
- School aeroplanes, types of, [ 16]
- —— aeroplanes, need for ample supply, [ 15]
- —— biplane, its controls, [ 34]
- Schools, modern, their conveniences, [ 18]
- Sensations of flight, [ 41]
- Speed in its relation to flying, [ 31]
- Speed, promise of the future, [ 109]
- Straight flights, [ 44]
- Sustaining planes, their operation, [ 32]
- Temperament, the ideal for flying, [ 22]
- Time required in learning to fly, [ 19]
- Touring by air, [ 105]
- Turning in the air, [ 46]
- Vedrines, Jules, his piloting, [ 90]
- Vol-plané, the, [ 48]
- Weather, its effect on tuition, [ 38]
- Wind fluctuation, dangers of, [ 62]
- —— flying, [ 80]
- Wrights, Wilbur and Orville, [ 82]