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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0630.PDF
nterest attaches to the two new Bristol monoplanes, which are to be piloted by M. Pierre Prier and Mr. O. C. Morison. The general arrangement of the design of these machines can be gathered from the photographs which we publish on p. 633. The most striking features of the design are the substantially built under-carriagp, the covered-in body and the small art a of the rudder and tail. There will be another team of two British-built monoplanes — those constructed by the Blackburn Aeroplane Co. At the last Olympia Show this machine, which is of the Antoinette type, attracted a good deal of attention by reason of its well finished appearance. In the hands of Mr. Hucks it has proved to be a very fast machine. Of the two other Brit'sh monoplanes very little is knjwn as to their capabilities, but the Handley Page machine, when exhibited at the last Olympia Show, elicited a good deal of favourable comment although the design was considerably off orthodox lines. The leading edge of the main plane has a crescent form and the dihedral angle is present to a minor degree in the upturned flexible wing tips. The Morane machines are similar in many ways to the Bleriots, and the chief difference in outward appearance lies in the under carriage, the general arrangement of which can be gathered from our sketch. It will be noticed that short skids are fitted alongside the wheels. The other French monoplanes are quite distinctive in appearance, the Deperdussin, by the way, in which the engine and propeller protrude in front, and by the sharp corners to the rudder, which is hinged to the stabilising fin above the fuselage, and the elevating flaps which are hinged to the rear edge of the fixed tail plane. Another feature by which they may be recognised is the two short masts to which the stay wires on the upper side of the main plane are attached. The Nieuport machine is a squat looking little flyer, but by its victory in the Gordon-Bennett race it proved itself a remarkably efficient machine. Its distinguishing features are the semi-circular elevating flaps, which are hinged to the fixed tail plane, and the central skid, in which respect the machine resembles the Handley Page monoplane. The Etrich monoplane to be flown by Lieu1. Bier has quite an unusual appearance, due to the flexible tips at the extreme rear extremities of the main plane, as well as the girder frame-work which strengthens the main spar. The two masts which pass through the main plane to carry some of the stay wires, and have wheels at their lower end, are also unusual features. Turning to the dozen machines of the biplane type, it will be observed that five are "Bristol" products of the British and Colonial Aeroplane Co. These Bristol biplanes are similar to that used by Tabuteau in the European Circuit, and differ from the ordinary type of machine, chiefly in the monoplane tail with the single rudder beneath it, while another point of difference is that the skids are continued up to meet the elevator outrigger framework, as in the Maurice Farman biplane. The pilot is also prottcted by a torpedo-shaped screen. The Howard Wright biplane remains unaltered from the time it was fully described in the pages of FLIGH r on December 24th last year. A point by which it may be known when flying is that the tail is of the cruciform type. The Grahame-White " Baby" biplane is also practically unaltered since it was exhibited at Olympia, and fully described in FLIGHT for March 25th last. It has a biplane tail, with an elevator flap fixed to the top plane, and twin rudders beneath it. The Avro biplane has the engine and propeller in front, which fact alone would almost enable anyone to recognise it, as the B'eguet biplane machine, which is the only other biplane in the competition so fitted, is of quite disinctive appearance. Tne Avro biplane has a fixed tail plane, with elevating flaps and a single rudder. The machine on 1 which Mr. Cody in'ends to take part in the contest is a new one, but its design follows the general lines of that with which he won the Mkhclin Tr. >phy last year. The machine, however, has no balancing ailerons between the main planes, and double rudders are fitted at the rear instead of the crucifo m tail used on the old machines. In this respect Mr. Cody is reverting to the design of one of his earliest biplanes. An outstanding feature of the Breguet machines, of which two are to take part, is the all-steel framework. As we have said the propeller is arranged in front of the main planes, the upper of which is of much larger span than trie, lower one, and the cruciform tail is hung on a universal joint. There is also a small fixed plane at the rear of the monoplane type body. The remaining biplane is that built by Henry Farman for Wynmalen. Here again it will be quite easy to know it from the other biplanes because there is no elevator, and although the tail is of the monoplane type, the rudders are in duplicate, one being placed at each side of the elevating flap. It is to be regretted that no Wright or other machine fitted with the B itish built N.E.C. engine, which showed up so well for steadiness and reliability in the Gordon-Bennett Race, has been ent red to take part, as its performance in such a contest would have been watched with more than ordinary interest. THE PILOTS. The Pilots In the Order ol Starting with Official Numbers. Aviator. t. Andre Beaumont ... 2. H. J. D. Astley ... 3. Brindejonc des Moulinais 4. R. C. Fenwick 5. Lieut. J. C. Porte, R.N. 6. Ronald C. Kemp ... 7. C. Compton Paterson 8. O. C. Morison 9. Jules Vedrines 10. James Radley 11. G. Blanchet... Aeroplane. Bleriot monoplane Birdling monoplane Morane-Borel monoplane Handlty Page monoplane Deperdussin monoplane Avro biplane Grahame-White " Baby" biplane Bristol at rop'ane Morane-Borel monoplane Antoinette monoplane Breguet biplane 12. Lieut. R. A. Cammell, R.E. Ble>iot monoplane 13. E. Audemars ... ... Bleriot monoplane 14. James Valentine Deperdussin monoplane 15- ••• Biistol aeroplane 16. E. C. Gordon-England ... Bristol aeroplane 17. C. P. Pizey Bristol aeroplane 18. Piene Prier Bristol monoplane 19. C. Howard Pixton ... .„ Bristol aeroplane 20. S. F. Cody Cody biplane 21. M. Tabuteau ... ... Bristol biplane 22. F. Conway Jenkins ... Blackburn monoplane 23. Olivier de Montalent ., Breguet biplane 24. Gustav W. Hamel Bleriot monoplane 25. Lieut. Reynolds .. ... Howard Wright biplane 26. Robert Loraine Nieuport monoplane 27. B. C. Hucks ... ... Blackburn monoplane 28. C. T. Weymann Nieuport monoplane 29. H. Wynmalen H. Farman biplane 30. Lieut. H. Bier Etrich monoplane Of the thirty flyers who balloted to take part in the event, it seems strange that " Andre Beaumont," who is Lieut. Conneau of the French Navy in real life, and who, by his victories in the Paris-Rome race and the European Circuit, has made his name famous throughout the world, should have drawn the first place, and his friends not unnaturally look upon this as a favourable omen! 632 The second place fell to Mr. H. J. D. Astley, who intended using a machine designed by Mr. Macfie, partly upon the lines of the Dunne, but this unfortunately was damaged in its trial outing on Monday last, and Mr. Astley, therefore, will have to fly another machine entered as the " Birdling." The aviators constituting the Bristol team have all proved strikingly their masterly powers to pilot their way across country, and readers of FLIGHT hardly need any introduction to them in the persons of Messrs. Got don-England, C. P. Pizey, Howard Pixton, O. C. Morison, Pierre Prier, and Tabuteau. The records of the tour of Mr. Gordon-England and Mr. Pizey in the South of England will still be fresh in their minds. It is unfortunate that Mr. Graham Gilmour will be unable to take part as originally intended owing to his certificate having been suspended by the Royal Aero Club. Mr. O. C. Morison's recent voyage from Paris to Shoreham, Mr. Howard Pixton's daring flights in the gusty winds which have been experienced at Brooklands during the p 1st week or so, M. Prier's non-stop run from London to Paris, and M. Tabuteau's winning of the International Michelin Trophy, are all incidents of which this sextette of flyers may well be proud. Of the remaining British pilots, Mr. Cody is another fascinating p-rsonality who by his recent flights to Hendon, and to and from Brooklands in order to keep his engagements there, has demonstrated his ability for cross-country work, and great things are expected of his new machine. Mr. James Radley, who is entered to fly an Antoinette, is the holder of the British speed record, which he gained at the Lanark Meeting last year, and Mr. Gustav Hamel has shown himself to be a " Bleriot" flyer of the first order, although in the recent Gordon-Bennett race he was unfortunate. Mr. Robert Loraine, whose flights on his biplane from Blackpool to Ireland and from Bournemouth to the Isle of Wight marked him out as a clever and capable pont-to-point flyer, has been practising steadily at Mourmelon on the Nieuport monoplane he will use in the event, and Mr. J. Valentine had some experience on his Deperdussin in the European Circuit which should stand him in good stead. Mr. Compton Palerson, who is taking Mr. Grahame-White's place as pilot>on the "Baby" Grahame-White machine, has had lengthy experience—as time goes—of biplane work, both in actual construction-as well as flying. The British Army will be well repre-
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