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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0758.PDF
I/HGHTI SEPTEMBER 2, 1911. FROM THE BRITISH FLYING GROUNDS. Brooklands Aerodrome. COMMENCING with Wednesday last some interesting flying was witnessed. Lieut. Hall, R.N., a clever pupil of the Bristol Co., took out the school biplane for a fine spin of 30 minutes, practising turns. After a second flight he unfortunately "pancaked," which temporarily put the machine out of action. The "Dragon Fly," after flying so well yesterday with Messrs. Hamel and Morison, was again out for trial, this time for circuit flying with Mr. Morison steering. Starting off and rising steadily, one could but remark how gracefully the machine flew, everyone wanting to congratulate Messrs. Martin and Handasyde, but, to the consternation of the onlooker, Mr. Morison, in taking a turn to avoid flying over the sewage farm, made a terrific swoop to earth, the machine lost way, and a gust of wind completed the disaster, turning the machine round as it fell. Mr. Morison had a marvellous escape. Of the machine, the chassis, propeller and all the forepart of the fuselage were badly damaged, the engine dis lodged, tanks battered, and the rows of radiating tubes cut to pieces. The wings, except for one tip, escaped, as also the tail. Undeterred by this, Mr. Petre took out the Hanriot monoplane, and making a clean upward sweep, was soon circling round over the sheds in fine style. Later, Mr. Herbert Spencer gave an interesting flight on his biplane with a passenger, banking at the turns and flying in vigorous style. The strong gusty wind on Thursday did not keep Lieut. Snowden- Sraith from venturing on his Blondeau-Farman, and he had a rough time. It is seldom one sees a machine wobble under the pilotage of this clever aviator. The Avro school has been busy, Raynham and Noel flying nearly every day, and teaching their pupils, Young and Hunter. Both are in the straight flight stage, and should shortly be making circuits. An Avro biplane is expected in the next few days. It is to be exactly the same as the one on which Pixton made his name as a cross-country flyer. These machines are excellent flyers, and the appearance of the new biplane will, we expect, be the signal for a batch of new pupils. In the hands of Ronald Kemp and Petrie, the Flanders mono plane is making steady progress towards reliability, a " Beney " propeller having been fitted this morning with satisfactory results, the machine going strong. Kemp has flown many circuits, and is very pleased with the behaviour of the machine, which is fast, easy to control, excellently constructed, and has a great deal of natural stability. It takes a passenger with the greatest of ease, and, so Kemp informs us, will in all probability take two. Fitted with a Mr. E. V. Beauchamp Fisher, one of our most skilled aviators, in the pilot's seat of his Hanriot monoplane with which he has been doing so much fine flying at Brooklands. Mr. Fisher has now joined Messrs. Vickers, Ltd. 760 60-h.p. Green, which needs no recommendation, this monoplane should meet the demand for a good machine at a reasonable figure. It will, we expect, be entered for the British Michelin—we hope to see it among the foremost. From Thursday to Monday is rather a long cry, but that is the time we have been held up by the wind. This morning Mrs. Hewlett, the plucky lady aviator, was taking round the Farman biplane in fine style, Mr. Blondeau following with passenger pupils. In the Deperdussin School Mr. Sanderson, one of the pupils, was out doing straight flights on the school monoplane, landing and doing " grasshopper " jumps across the ground, when, finding the machine making straight for a ditch and not having room to pull up, he jumped out and tried to jerk the tail round, but its speed caused it to slip through his fingers, which were cut rather badly on a wire. Luckily the machine, although it persisted in going into the ditch, only damaged a skid. Brooklands shows signs of getting ready for a busy season, and new firms are coming and old firms extending their premises, as Messrs. Deperdussin are opening an additional hangar to take in new machines, one a two-seater ; these will be in charge of Lieut. Porte and Mr. Gordon Bell. Messrs. Vickers, with Mr. E. V. Fisher in charge, have taken several of the new hangars. Mr. Barber, of Valkyrie fame, will also occupy two others. When these, as they shortly will be, are in full swing, Brooklands will be one of the finest aerodromes in the world for seeing the newest and most varied types of aeroplanes. Mr. C. Ronald Kemp is joining Messrs. Handley Page, and Brooklands habitues will wish him success. London Aerodrome, Collindale Avenue, Hendon. Grahame-Whlte School.—There was no flying to record up to Saturday last, when, as a sort of preliminary canter for the first aerial post, which takes place on September 9th, Mr. Driver flew to Windsor, with Capt. Vandweyer as passenger. Owing to the wind turning very gusty, Mr. Driver was prevented from returning the same day, so had to remain with his machine until Monday morning, when an excellent flight was made back to theatrodrome. Later on Saturday Greswell also attempted the flight, but whilst winging his way over West Drayton the weather became very rough, which unfortunately prevented him from proceeding further, and he at once returned to the aerodrome. There was no flying on Sunday, and on Monday the weather was very unsettled, but did not prevent Hubert from making a flight of about 20 minutes' duration at a height of 400 ft. He then had to descend owing to the rain. Later in the afternoon Driver took up the Farman, with Mrs. Stocks as passenger, for a flight of about a quarter Of an hour, Mrs. Stocks taking the control lever for most of the time. 'Driver then mounted the machine again and carried with him as passenger Lieut. Stopford for a flight of a similar duration. Rain then again set in, making further flying impossible. Valkyrie School.—On Wednesday last week the school pilot made a short flight on the school machine, and then gave up the controls to Ridley- Prentice, who carried out several straight flights. Later, Mr. Copland Perry mounted the machine, and accomplished four circuits in good style. Mr. Barber then brought out the Valkyrie racer, fitted with the new propeller patented by the Aero nautical Syndicate, Ltd., and put up some excellent flights of an exhibition character, descending presently in order to give passenger flights to Miss Meeze and Mr. Heron. Later, Mr. Ridley-Prentice was out again on the school machine, making very good progress for over half an hour. His flights were made over the whole length of the aerodrome, ascending to 40 and 50 ft., in order to perfect his landings before attempting bigger flights. He has demonstrated how quickly a pupil can attain pro ficiency by closely following instructions. The machine was ready at 5 a.m. on Thursday, but fog was responsible for a lengthy delay. Towards 8 a.m. it cleared and permitted Mr. Copland Perry to get some good practice at an altitude of 200 ft. In the afternoon of Monday last Mr. Ridley-Prentice, after putting fn some good practice, showing steady improvement, handed over the machine to Captain Loraine, who had his first lesson. After five minutes' instruction in the manipulation of the controls, Captain Loraine •
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