Aircraft of Today: A Popular Account of the Conquest of the Air

AIRCRAFT OF TODAY - A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF THE CONQUEST OF THE AIR BY CHARLES C. TURNER AVIATOR amp AERONAUT, LIEUTENANT, R.N.V.R. 1917 PREFACE Several years ago I wrote my first book on aerial navigation, and although at that time few people believed that either aeroplanes or airships would ever be of much use, the subject was sufficiently " in the air " to justify the publication of the volume, which, indeed, proved a very gratifying success. To-day the situation is very different. The Great War has proved the reality of the conquest of the air. Many authorities believe that the air will be the principal battlefield of the future, and that the aerial arm will be the first line of defence for Great Britain. This, however, is perhaps an exaggerated idea. Hitherto known as the " Fifth Arm," the time has come for this branch of the country's defences to take its place as one of the leading military services. Whatever view is taken of these questions, there is no gainsaying the extraordinary interest now taken in aircraft, and the general public desire to be well informed on the subject. My claim to be able to help in a small way to this end rests on the fact that for many years I have studied aeronautics in theory and practice, and have qualified as an aviator and a balloonist and in each branch of aerial navigation I have had some experience. Twenty-five years ago I read Glaisher's " Travels in the Air" and I read it again and again, little thinking that I should one day be a humble disciple of the great aeronaut. Yet it was mainly due to such reading that my interest in the subject was awakened and my subsequent course of action guided, and I took part in aerial voyages in which British and World's records were created. From that time aeronautics has been to me both work and recreation. I have written much about this fascinating new science, and since 1909 have never ceased from urging its tremendous importance in national defence. It is a bigger question now than ever it was, and it is only by the public taking an interest in it that this country will avert the disaster of being excelled by other Powers. It is my hope that the present book may stimulate both study and practice, and thus contribute, if it be only a little, towards this end. CONTENTS: CHAPTER I - FLYING IN ANCIENT LITERATURE. CHAPTER II - EARLY EXPERIMENTS AND PROJECTS CHAPTER III THE PRACTICAL BALLOON - {a) HISTORICAL, (6) PRINCIPLES . CHAPTER IV - THE FIRST AIRSHIPS CHAPTER V - THE FIRST AEROPLANES CHAPTER VI - THE AERIAL OCEAN CHAPTER VII - NAVIGATION OF THE AIR CHAPTER VIII - PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICAL FLIGHT -a) KITES AND SOARING BIRDS, (amp} RESISTANCE OF THE AIR, (c) PLANES, (d) STABILITY AND DESIGN CHAPTER IX - SENSATIONS DURING BALLOONING CHAPTER X - SENSATIONS DURING FLYING CHAPTER XI - LEARNING TO FLY CHAPTER XII - FIRST YEARS OF FLYING. CHAPTER XIII - MODERN AIRSHIP THEORY CHAPTER XIV - FIRST USE OF AIRCRAFT IN WAR CHAPTER XV - THE GREAT WAR : FIRST STAGES CHAPTER XVI - AIRCRAFT AND RAILWAYS CHAPTER XVII - AIRCRAFT AND SUBMARINES CHAPTER XVIII - BATTLES IN THE AIR CHAPTER XIX - THE GREAT WAR : LATER DEVELOPMENTS CHAPTER XX - FLYING DEVELOPMENTS IN SIGHT APPENDIX RECORDS,. AERONAUTICAL TERMS, FRENCH TECHNICAL TERMS, LIFT AND "DRAG" TABLE, SCALE OF WIND FORCE, WIND STATISTICS, DISTANCE OF HORIZON, WEIGHT OF GASES, ETC., HAKDY METRIC TABLES, TEMPERATURE EQUIVALENTS, BIRD FLIGHT ANALYSIS, BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS A Raiding Zeppelin Pilcher's Glider, "The Gull" Lilienthal's Biplane Glider Soaring Pilcher's Glider, "The Hawk" Four Pioneers The British Caudron Biplane A Fight in the Air A German Self-righting Aeroplane A British Self-righting Aeroplane The Zeppelin Airship .... Projects for the Invasion of Britain The Battle of Fleurns An Aeroplane Raid Belgian Aviator with Lewis Machine Gun Giant Russian Biplane War Aeroplane Types Seaplane Types Etc