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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0851.PDF
SEPTEMBER 30, 1911. On the following day Mr. Gates took his second lesson, and succeeded in leaving the ground, making long hops. Raphaite was doing short hops, and Mrs. Stocks was flying quarter circuits. Taking advantage of the calm at the end of the day, Fowler, a new pupil of the Grahame-White School, commenced his tuition by rolling on the school machine. In addition, Mr. Gates and Mrs. Stocks indulged in further practice. Saturday morning was devoted to more rolling by Raphaite and Fowler. Little flying was seen at the aerodrome on Sunday, for the school was closed down for the day. M. Saltnet made several extended flights on his Bleriot-Gnome during the afternoon in a considera' le wind, mostly at an altitude of about 2,000 ft. Salmet's flying is noticeable from the fact that he rarely ever makes a left- hand turn, always preferring to take the right. His machine is the one which Weir used in Scotland a month or two ago. The only other event of interest was Raynham's depanure for Brooklands on the Avro biplane. Raynham originally in tended to fly over the Michelin ciicuit, starting from Hendon, but he had to return to headquarters in order to have his planes attended to. The fabric had sagged so much as to seriously interfere with his machine's inherent efficiency. After three circuits he descended to make adjustments to his engine. At his second attempt he rose easily to 300 ft in the course of two circuits and then struck out across country to Brooklands, disap pearing from sight at an altitude of over 1,000 ft. Early on Monday morning Mrs. Stocks brought out the E.N.V. Farman and flew many times from one end of the aerodrome to the other. Mr. Gates was also doing stra'ght flights, and Fowler was accustoming himself to the controls without leaving the ground. Soon after 10 o'clock Hamel rose on his Bleriot and set off for Windsor carrying two bags of mails. Owing to the breaking of one of his Gnome inlet valve counterweights he was forced to descend near Langley, from which place he took the mails to Windsor, a distance of about four miles, by car. He was delayed at Langley by the wind until after 6 o'clock. No further flying oc-urred that day at the Grahame-White School, but on the next morning Mrs. Stocks signified the termina ion of the straight flight stage of her tuition by covering two circuiis of the aerodrome. At the same time Fowler and Raphaite indulged in more practice, while Gates continued making straight flights. Salisbury Plain. Air Battalion.—Owing to the officers being away for the funeral of Lieut. Cammell, who will be greatly missed at Salisbury, there is very little to report. On Friday, the " Gamma " sailed over from Aldershot, and Capt. Maitland brought her down practically at the same spot at which he met with his accident thirteen months ago. The airship stayed for about two hours, returning to Aldershot after the officers had taken lunch. On Monday all the Air Battalion, with the exception of Capt. Fulton and Lieut Conner, left for Aldershot, and will not be back until November 15th. Capt. Fulton and Lieut. Conner are staying on for a few days, and on Tuesday they were out doing some scouting practice. f/TJGHT] Bristol School.—Last week was very windy, but Pixton, after trying No. 9 machine, took Capt. Steele Hu cheson for a passenger flight on No. 12 for 15 mins. ; Busteed also taking Lieut. Cross and Lieut. Hooper for flights of 15 mins. each. Jullerot, after having No. 9 engine adjusted, gave her a spin, Gilmour afterwards trying the same machine, she behaving very satisfactorily. Next day Gilmour ascended and found things beautifully calm, in fact the conditions were ideal. He then took Lieut. Hooper and Capt. Steele Hutcheson for flights of 10 mins. each. Pixton after a solo on No. 9 pronounced it in perfect order. Busteed carried Lieut. Cross for a flight, reaching a height of 1,000 ft. Lieut. Cross then made his first solo perfectly, ascending to a htight of 80 ft., and remaining up for 8 mins. Mr. Smith Barry followed with a solo of 10 mins. at a height of 200 ft., while Mr. Lee also went up for a flight, coming down after 10 mins. from a height of 200 ft., and making a much better landing than he had previously done. It was blowing big guns all day Wednesday, raining in torrents, nothing being able to be done out of doors, but instruction was very active in the sheds. Hotchkiss made a solo on Thursday morning to ascertain what the conditions were like, and came down after fifteen minutes reporting things to be perfect. Busteed then carried Lieut. Strover for a flight of 10 mins., Pixton made a trial on No. 12, Mr. Smith Barry two flights of 10 and 15 mins., Lieut. Cross two 8-minute flights, Lieut. Strover one flight of 8 mins., as did also Cipi. Steele Hutcheson and Lieut. New01. In the evening Gilmour siaru d off the work by taking up a lady passenger, and afterwards Mr. Smith Barry. Busteed then ascended with Lieut. Hooper. Lieut. Cross made one flight of 10 mins., Lieut. Newail, Mr. Smith Barry, and Lieut. Strover afterwards each making solos of 8 minutes' duration. On Friday Bmteed made a solo to test the weather, afterwards giving two passenger flights to Lieut. Hooper. Two solos each were then performed by Lieut. Newall, Capt. Steele Hutcheson, Lieuts. Cross and Strover, who are all developing into very good flyers. Saturday was too windy for solo flying by pupils and for the expected tests of the monoplane, whilst the day finished up with pouring rain. Jullerot made trials on Sunday, Busteed following with Balder as companion, after which nearly all the pupils made solos, Pixton flying the machine back to the sheds. On Monday Jullerot was up early to ascertain the conditions, and finding things very favourable, Busteed started off the nvirning's work by taking Lieut. Hooper for a flight. Lieuts. Cross, Newall and Mr. Lee followed with solos, and each completed a circui in fine style. Afterwards Lieut. Balder made a circuit. The morning's work was brought to a close by Mr. Smith Barry, Capt. Steele Hutcheson and Lieut. Strover making solo flights. All the pupils at the school are now, with few exceptions, waiting opportunities to pass their official tests. NEW RACING TYPE BLERIOT MONOPLANE (No. XXVII). -Many details in the design of Bleriot's two-seater model are incorporated in the new single-seater racer with which Bleriot is now experimenting over the sands at Hardelot. The "main body is constructed in the form of a double-ended wedge, at the front of which protrudes the 50-h.p. Gnome engine, mounted in position without the employment of a bearing between the propeller and the engine. The stabiliser, as in the two-seater model, is constructed integrally with the fuselage and at the rrar edge is hinged the elevator. The overall length of the machine is 7 metres, and the wings, which have a supporting surface of 12 sq. metres, span 8'90 metres from tip to tip. This new model, which weighs 430 kilogs., has been timed to attain a speed of 130 kiloms. an hour. 853
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