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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0933.PDF
OCTOBER 28, 1911. f/DGHTl >IES. THE firm of Armand Deperdussin has, since its advent into the arena of aeroplane construction at the last Paris Salon, characterized its doings by a vigour which scarcely has been equalled and certainly not excelled. The latest addition to their staff' of pilots, amongst which is numbered such men as Prevost and Vidart, is the celebrated Jules Vedrines, who attained fame by his marvellous flying on the Borel-Morane monoplane. Thus the Borel firm have suffered another loss, for it was only quite recently that Morane dissociated himself from the combination together with Saulnier, who is directly responsible for the design of the Borel-Morane monoplane. However, it is likely that the business of the Maison Borel will not suffer to any appreciable extent, for they are still continuing to construct at their works at Meudon the Borel-Morane monoplane of the type that was chiefly popularized 'by its performances in the Circuits of Europe and Britain. Besides, they have such first-class men as Frey and Tabuteau amongst their pilots, so what need they fear? It is really not curious that things which have travelled by aero plane bear an enhanced value. Take, for instance, the aviators themselves—" things" was perhaps the wrong word to have used— they are undoubtedly regarded as something out of the ordinary, especially by members of the fair sex. Newspapers, letters and post-cards have all been subjected to similar treatment, and their respective intrinsic values have been increased thereby. For this reason it seems as though the aeroplane will form a very valuable advertising agent until that fond day when aeroplanes will be as numerous as are motor cars to-day. The latest "stunt" in this respect is the delivery of boots from Northampton to London by aeroplane. Moorhouse, who undertook to carry out the service, made his first delivery on Thursday of last week, when, despite a thick fog and a high wind, he flew to Hendon with a load of twelve pairs. • • • One of the Avro biplanes at Brooklands has been got ready for an attack on the British Michelin duration prize, and, with Raynham at the lever, should make a good showing. In order to protect the pilot against cold, the cockpit has been covered in in such a manner that only the upper hall of his head emerges from the fuselage, and undoubtedly this covering will do much to diminish head resistance. The machine has been tuned to carry 24 gallons of petrol, enough to last for over six hours. Another contestant for the same record is C. L. Pashley on the Humber monoplane with Humber 4-cylinder engine. Since the brothers Pashley have acquired its ownership, both machine and engine have been giving good accounts of themselves. Hunter, of the Goupy and Avro biplane, was mainly responsible for the tuning of the engine, and now so well is it running that Pashley finds no difficulty in rising to 500 ft. in one circuit. Capt. Guy Livingston, C. Compton Paterson, and E. F. Driver have joined forces to form a company—The African Aviation Syndicate, Ltd.—for the purpose of exploiting aviation in South Africa; and, considering the undoubted merits of the prime movers, —Livingston as a business man, Paterson as constructor-pilot, and Driver as pilot—their success is almost assured. The former sailed for Cape Town on the 26th of this month, at which place he will make arrangements for the first series of exhibitions. Paterson, who has designs on a particularly noteworthy flight, in which Table Mountain will play an important part, will follow, together with Driver, on the nth of next month. They will take with them a new biplane, which Paterson has been constructing at the motor body works of Messrs. Law tun, Cricklewood, and a Gnome-B16riot of the latest type. The latter machine is one already too well known to our readers to need description, and as for the former I am reserving the description until next week, when it will be dealt with in detail. Sufficient for the moment to say, that, although light and handy, it is about as strong as anything yet seen in biplanes, especially as regards wing construction. For my edification, Compton Paterson walked about inside the cellule to demonstrate this latter feature. The business programme of the Syndicate does not consist exclusively of catering for flight exhibitions, for they intend to form a school and establish works. In addition they have obtained the sole agencies for the Colony of Bleriot monoplanes, Chauviere propellers, and a noted make of automobile. The Chanter monoplane on Nieuport lines at Hendon is gradually nearing completion, and is being fitted with a 35-h.p. Anzani engine ot the latest type. As Chanter is shortly proposing to transfer his headquarters to the Shoreham aerodrome, it is unlikely that the machine will be flown until he has settled down in his new home. That E. V. B. Fisher is making good progress towards recovery from the bad fall he experienced at Brooklands a fortnight or so ago will be welcome news to his many friends. As his memory has not at all suffered, it seems that the extent of his injuries is a very severe shock, and in this case it should not be long before he will be able to take up flying again. • • • That the Blackburn monoplane, which Hucks as been flying on his extended exhibition flight tour in the West country, has, with the exception of one broken propeller and a damaged wing-tip, suffered no damage whatever, is surely a fine tribute to the soundness of its general construction, and particularly that of the landing gear. Moreover, it must be remembered that his flights were not made from prepared aerodrome surfaces, but in some cases from the sort 01 ground that, in France, has been selected to test the landing qualities of the contestants in the official military tests. As for the machine, it is in as good condition as the day it left the works, save lor its travel-stained and signature-covered appearance. • • • I hear that one of our best-known constructors has vacancies for an apprentice, and also a premium pupil, the latter to receive practical instruction in the higher branches of the science from the principal of the firm. As this is quite an unique opening, any applications addressed " Tuition," care of FLIGHT offices, will be put forward in the right quarter. • • • The Bristol school at Brooklands is steadily on the increase, chiefly owing to the energies of Fleming and Pizey, both ot whom are not merely first-class aviators, but first-class business men as well. With the interests of their school so much at heart, they certainly seem like succeeding in their aim to make the school unsurpassed for sound organization. • • • One of the directors of a noted firm supplying lubricants, who has a particularly heavy correspondence to deal with, has invented a machine with which he can append eighteen signatures to as many letters at one operation. Think of the time and trouble that would be saved by many of our aviator heroes in complying with requests for autographs by the use of such a contrivance. " OisEAti BLEU." ® ® ® ® Tlght'Rope Launching for Aeroplanes. WITH the object of demonstrating that special platforms are unnecessary for the launching of aeroplanes from battleships, which he considers may be safely performed by running along a wire, Lieut. T. G. Ellyson has been carrying out some important experi ments at the Hammondsport training grounds of the Curtiss factory in America. A cable was stretched from a platform 150 ft. high down to the surface of the water, and the hydro-aeroplane slid along this wire by means of its flat-bottomed box, which does hydroplane duty. The machine is maintained in balance on the main cable by two auxiliary wires on either side, As the aeroplane is designed for alighting on water, and tests have already been made which proved that such a machine can be successfully hoisted on board, the satis factory conclusion of the present series of experiments should go a long way to remove the principal obstruction in the way of the use of flying machines in connection with battleships. 935
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