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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0415.PDF
MAY 13, 1911. THE SECOND (/TiGHT] DISASTER TO THE NATIONAL FUND AIRSHIP. THE great Lebaudy airship built for the National Fund inaugurated by the Morning Post with a view to the purchase and presentation of the dirigible to the British Army is pursued in a most relentless manner by an unkind Fate. It will be remembered that after making a splendid journey from Moissons to Farnborough last autumn the airship was, when entering the hangar, wrecked through the envelope being torn by a girder projecting from the roof of the shed. The repairs have taken a considerable time, but last week everything was ready and M. Louis Capazza, who was in charge, decided on Thursday afternoon that the conditions were favourable and arrangements were at once made for bringing the airship out for one of the tests as originally required, preliminary to the vessel being taken over by the National Airship Fund and being take her, and as the engines had been stopped, the dirigible drifted towards the rising ground. The guide - rope trailed across trees and the sheds and had the effect of bringing the airship broadside on to the wind, so that she became practically unmanageable. In order to bring the airship again under con trol the two 100-h.p. Panhard engines were started up again, but it was too late, as the low altitude at which she was travelling brought her crashing into the fir trees after passing over the Farn borough to Farnham road in front of Woodlands Cottage. These pierced the envelope and the vessel then settled down with one end of its rigid framework supported by the trees and the other end resting on the roof of the house. To this fact the occupants of the car no doubt owe their lives, none of them sustaining more serious THE DISASTER TO THE MORNING POUT LEBAUDY DIRIGIBLE.—The huge airship over Farnborough shortly before the accident. To the left will be noticed Mr. S. F. Cody on his biplane circling round the leviathan. passed on to the Government. A few minutes after seven the ascent was maHe, among the seven passengers on board being M. Capazza, the pilot, M. Julliot, who designed the craft, and Major Sir A. Bannerman, Commandant of the Air Battalion. The ai*ship rose to a height of 780 ft. and at that altitude a wide circuit was made over the neighbourhood of Farnborough. M. Capazza then gave orders to descend, but at the first attempt the airship was not low enough tor the soldiers, who were waiting, to grasp the tow-ropes, and so another but smaller circuit had to be made, but with the same result. A third time the airship travelled round, and although she was then low enough, unf< irtunately she could not be brought to the point where the sapptrs were waiting to receive the ropes. Although they sprinted after the airship they were unable to over- injury than a few bruises. The airship, as may be judged from our photos, became a total wreck, the framework being buckled and broken, while over it all like a shroud hung the tattered envelope. The work of salvage was at once put in hand, and by the aid of searchlights was continued throughout the night. At the part of the road where the catastrophe occurred a great crowd of spectators had assembled, but no one sustained serious injury, although one or two of the onlookers were knocked down by the tow-ropes, &c. Con siderable damage was done to the roof of the house, the residence of Capt. and Lady Follett, but fortunately none of the occupants were any the worse for the unwelcome intrusion. M. Capazza has stated that,.although the damage is serious, the airship can be repaired and made fit for service again in the course of six weeks or a couple of months. The Bristol VI ission in New South Wales. EvinEN'i LY the visit of Mr. J. J. Hammond and Mr. McDonald with their Bristol biplanes to New South Wales has not been without its effrct upon the Government. On the 3rd inst. Mr. Hammond carried Captain Neisigh from Sydney to Liverpool Camp, a distance of 22 mile;., and the officer was able to take a valuable series of notes <>f his observations. On landing at Liverpool the aviator was warmly .ongratulated by Lord Dudley, the Governor-General. On Friday, Mr. Hammond was back at Sydney and created con siderable excitement by fl>ing over the warships lying at anchor in the harbour. During the forty minutes he was circling above the warships Mr. Hammond was accompanied by a passenger, Mr. Coles. His altitude was about 3,000 ft. While Mr. Hammond was flying over the harbour, Mr. McDonald started off on another Bristol biplane and at a height of about 2,000 ft. circled over Sydney. The European Circuit. ELEVEN more entries have been received for the European Circuit, thus making the total number eighteen. All the new comers are from France, and include four Sommer monoplanes to be piloted by Bathiat, Kimmerling, Molla, and Martin, respectively; three Bleriot monoplanes, for whom no pilots have yet been named, and four Deperdussin monoplanes, three of which will be handled by " Pi°rre Marie," Vidart, and Busson, respectively. The various stages of the flight are from Paris to Rheims (125 kiloms.), Liege (195 kiloms.), Spa (30 kiloms.), Utrecht (180 kiloms.), Brussels (150 kiloms.), Roubaix (90 kiloms.), Calais (110 kiloms.), English Coast (40 kiloms.), London (no kiloms.), Calais (150 kiloms.), Amiens (130 kiloms.), Vincennes (120 kiloms.), thus making the total distance about 1,500 kiloms. 417 C 2
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