The Aeroplane Speaks [11]
at the end. Screw means to machine a thread on the butt-end of the wire, and in this way the wire can make connection with the desired place by being screwed into a metal fitting, thus eliminating the disadvantage of the unsatisfactory loop.
``And who on earth are they?'' asked the Loops, trembling for their troublesome little lives.
``Oh earth indeed,'' sniffed Efficiency, who had not spoken before, having been rendered rather shy by being badly compromised in the Drawing Office. ``I'd like to get some of them up between Heaven and Earth, I would. I'd give 'em something to think of besides their Debits and Credits--but all the same the Designer will get his way in the end. I'm his Best Girl, you know, and if we could only get rid of the Directors, the little Tin god, and the Man-who-takes-the-credit, we should be quite happy.'' Then she abruptly subsides, feeling that perhaps the less said the better until she has made a reputation in the Air. The matter of that Compromise still rankled, and indeed it does seem hardly fit that a bold bad Tin god should flirt with Efficiency. You see there was a little Tin god, and he said ``Boom, Boom BOOM! Nonsense! It MUST be done,'' and things like that in a very loud voice, and the Designer tore his hair and was furious, but the Directors, who were thinking of nothing but Orders and Dividends, had the whip-hand of HIM, and so there you are, and so poor beautiful Miss Efficiency was compromised.
All this time the Pilot is carefully buckling his belt and making himself perfectly easy and comfortable, as all good pilots do. As he straightens himself up from a careful inspection of the Deviation Curve[[10]] of the Compass and takes command of the Controls, the Throttle and the Ignition, the voices grow fainter and fainter until there is nothing but a trembling of the Lift and Drift wires to indicate to his understanding eye their state of tension in expectancy of the Great Test.
[[10]] Deviation curve: A curved line indicating any errors in the compass.
``Petrol on?'' shouts the Fitter to the Pilot.
``Petrol on,'' replies the Pilot.
``Ignition off?''
``Ignition off.''
Round goes the Propeller, the Engine sucking in the Petrol Vapour with satisfied gulps. And then--
``Contact?'' from the Fitter.
``Contact,'' says the Pilot.
Now one swing of the Propeller by the Fitter, and the Engine is awake and working. Slowly at first though, and in a weak voice demanding, ``Not too much Throttle, please. I'm very cold and mustn't run fast until my Oil has thinned and is circulating freely. Three minutes slowly, as you love me, Pilot.''
Faster and faster turn the Engine and Propeller, and the Aeroplane, trembling in all its parts, strains to jump the blocks and be off. Carefully the Pilot listens to what the Engine Revolution Indicator says. At last, ``Steady at 1,500 revs. and I'll pick up the rest in the Air.'' Then does he throttle down the Engine, carefully putting the lever back to the last notch to make sure that in such position the Throttle is still sufficiently open for the Engine to continue working, as otherwise it might lead to him ``losing'' his Engine in the air when throttling down the power for descent. Then, giving the official signal, he sees the blocks removed from the wheels, and the Flight-Sergeant saluting he knows that all is clear to ascend. One more signal, and all the A.M.'s run clear of the Aeroplane.
Then gently, gently mind you, with none of the ``crashing on'' bad Pilots think so fine, he opens the Throttle and, the Propeller Thrust overcoming its enemy the Drift, the Aeroplane moves forward.
``Ah!'' says the Wind-screen, ``that's Discipline, that is. Through my little window I see most things, and don't I just know that poor discipline always results in poor work in the air, and don't you forget it.''
``Discipline is it?'' complains the Under-carriage, as its wheels roll swiftly over the rather rough ground. ``I'm bump getting it; and bump, bump, all I want, bang, bump, rattle, too!'' But, as the Lift increases with the
``And who on earth are they?'' asked the Loops, trembling for their troublesome little lives.
``Oh earth indeed,'' sniffed Efficiency, who had not spoken before, having been rendered rather shy by being badly compromised in the Drawing Office. ``I'd like to get some of them up between Heaven and Earth, I would. I'd give 'em something to think of besides their Debits and Credits--but all the same the Designer will get his way in the end. I'm his Best Girl, you know, and if we could only get rid of the Directors, the little Tin god, and the Man-who-takes-the-credit, we should be quite happy.'' Then she abruptly subsides, feeling that perhaps the less said the better until she has made a reputation in the Air. The matter of that Compromise still rankled, and indeed it does seem hardly fit that a bold bad Tin god should flirt with Efficiency. You see there was a little Tin god, and he said ``Boom, Boom BOOM! Nonsense! It MUST be done,'' and things like that in a very loud voice, and the Designer tore his hair and was furious, but the Directors, who were thinking of nothing but Orders and Dividends, had the whip-hand of HIM, and so there you are, and so poor beautiful Miss Efficiency was compromised.
All this time the Pilot is carefully buckling his belt and making himself perfectly easy and comfortable, as all good pilots do. As he straightens himself up from a careful inspection of the Deviation Curve[[10]] of the Compass and takes command of the Controls, the Throttle and the Ignition, the voices grow fainter and fainter until there is nothing but a trembling of the Lift and Drift wires to indicate to his understanding eye their state of tension in expectancy of the Great Test.
[[10]] Deviation curve: A curved line indicating any errors in the compass.
``Petrol on?'' shouts the Fitter to the Pilot.
``Petrol on,'' replies the Pilot.
``Ignition off?''
``Ignition off.''
Round goes the Propeller, the Engine sucking in the Petrol Vapour with satisfied gulps. And then--
``Contact?'' from the Fitter.
``Contact,'' says the Pilot.
Now one swing of the Propeller by the Fitter, and the Engine is awake and working. Slowly at first though, and in a weak voice demanding, ``Not too much Throttle, please. I'm very cold and mustn't run fast until my Oil has thinned and is circulating freely. Three minutes slowly, as you love me, Pilot.''
Faster and faster turn the Engine and Propeller, and the Aeroplane, trembling in all its parts, strains to jump the blocks and be off. Carefully the Pilot listens to what the Engine Revolution Indicator says. At last, ``Steady at 1,500 revs. and I'll pick up the rest in the Air.'' Then does he throttle down the Engine, carefully putting the lever back to the last notch to make sure that in such position the Throttle is still sufficiently open for the Engine to continue working, as otherwise it might lead to him ``losing'' his Engine in the air when throttling down the power for descent. Then, giving the official signal, he sees the blocks removed from the wheels, and the Flight-Sergeant saluting he knows that all is clear to ascend. One more signal, and all the A.M.'s run clear of the Aeroplane.
Then gently, gently mind you, with none of the ``crashing on'' bad Pilots think so fine, he opens the Throttle and, the Propeller Thrust overcoming its enemy the Drift, the Aeroplane moves forward.
``Ah!'' says the Wind-screen, ``that's Discipline, that is. Through my little window I see most things, and don't I just know that poor discipline always results in poor work in the air, and don't you forget it.''
``Discipline is it?'' complains the Under-carriage, as its wheels roll swiftly over the rather rough ground. ``I'm bump getting it; and bump, bump, all I want, bang, bump, rattle, too!'' But, as the Lift increases with the