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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0048.PDF
f/UCMT] JANUARY 21, 1911. Mr. Valentine, who is now flying the Macfie biplane at Brookknds. were also being tuned up, including Captain Maitland's Howard Wright, which Lieut. Watkins has brought back from Shorncliffe, a couple of Bleriots, Mr. Astley's Sommer, the Macfie biplane, and the Weiss and Hanriot monoplanes, with which Mr. Eric England was experimenting. In the afternoon the big Ham mond triplane, with twin propellers, was brought out of its shed, and indulged in rolling practice for some time. Soon after lunch Mr. Sopwith was at work again, and flew over to Molesey, on the return journey passing over Hurst Park. His little trip was the signal for several others to follow suit, Mr. Ducrocq making the same journey on his Farman, as also did Mr. Morrison on his Bleriot. Lieut. Snowden Smith arrived at Brooklands at about half-past two, and was very interested to hear of these cross-country trips. He then took up the Hewlett and Blondeau Farman just to see that everything was right, and finding it as usual decided to venture also on a cross-country trip. With no other directions than " Go out that way, turn to the right, and follow the Thames" he started off, and did in fact follow the Thames to Shepperton, Sunbury, and Bushey Park. Turning there he kept the river as his bearing back to Chertsey and Esher, where he was seen to turn and to reach the track at the opposite side fiom which he had started. He was absent from the aerodrome for about three-quarters of an hour, and this was by far the longest flight, although not intentionally so. The aviator had not had any time to examine a map or to make out any guiding points before hand, and hence his journey was not as direct as it might have been. Later in the afternoon, Mr. Sopwith carried Miss May Sopwith for a cross-country trip but this time in the opposite direction to Cobham. Laffan's Plain. ON Saturday last Mr. G. de Haviland successtully put his biplane through the tests required before the War Office actually acquired his machine. It will be remembered that his first attempt resulted in considerable damage to the machine, which has since been repaired. The machine is slightly smaller than the best known types, being about 5 ft. deep and 30 ft. wide. Mr. Haviland made three flights of just over 20 mins. each, at a speed varying between 35 and 40 miles an hour, but never higher than 50 ft. He also made a flight of 70 mins., only descending then by reason of the cold. In addition to the above-mentioned test flights, Mr. Haviland accomplished three with passengers, including Mr. Green and Mr. Hiscock, one of the passengers turning the scale at 14 stone. Later in the afternoon a fine flight was accomplished at a slightly greater altitude, intense interest being added to the doings when Mr. S. F. Cody joined Mr. Haviland in the air. Mr. Cody's large aeroplane quickly overtook the smaller machine, flying over and past it, rising to a height of nearly 200 ft. After a flight of about 4 miles, Mr. Cody endeavoured to test the gliding capacity of his machine, and planed to the ground, after shutting off the engine power, from a height of 200 ft. Later he executed two more glides —one from a height of over 200 ft.—measuring from the time the engine was shut oft to the time he landed over 500 yards. On none of these occasions was there any dip or vol plant' when the power was shut off. Then to demonstrate the weight-carrying capacity and balancing of the flyer Mr. Cody took up two passengers, Mr. E. Leroy, in the passenger seat, and Mr. E. Leon, of the P.G.R. Motor Spirit Co., the latter standing on the main front rail of the bottom plane, some distance from the centre. Thus there was nothing to counter balance the latter passenger's weight on the opposite side. A fine flight was accomplished in this order by Mr. Cody over his Michelin Trophy course, the balance of the machine being unaffected by the uneven distribution of weight, and by the fact that Mr. Leon was standing on the left-hand side, the side on which the turns were taken. The weight of Mr. Cody and his two passengers amounted to over 38 stone, in addition to which the machine was also carrying 236 lbs. of petrol and oil. Mr. Valentine on the Macfie biplane passing over Mr. Ducrocq's Henry Farman at Brooklands last Saturday. So
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