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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0011.PDF
JANUARY 6, 1912. "Wood put in some circuits on the Hewlett-BIondeau machine, while Oill practised on the Deperdussin. Fleming on a Bristol with Smith as passenger did two circuits. Warren went for a straight flight, during which, for some reason, he switched off and pancaked, luckily without damage to landing-chassis. Fleming then took him .up again as passenger, followed by Smith and Lane. 'Brighton-Shoreham Aerodrome. LAST week-end has seen the successful completion of two machines—the Collyer-England tractor biplane and the Chanter monoplane. The first-named made straight flights on Saturday and Monday, with Dowland in control, and was put through a fair amount of rolling by both England and Dowland. Mr. M. Chanter took his new monoplane out on Monday, and was in the air with her shortly after leaving the shed. On Tuesday, she was out again, Tinder the pilotage of her owner, and gave still better results. Ross, Gassier, Kent and Davies, were out on the Chanter school JBleriots. London Aerodrome, Colllndale Avenue, Hendon. Grahame-White School.—Last Saturday saw the return of dement Gresswell, who has been recuperating in Devon since his strenuous work in connection with the Aerial Post. He was out on the School Farman No. 3 for a couple of circuits, prior to taking up a lady passenger for a ten-minute flight. On Monday of this week, the weather had so improved that quite a number of the pupils turned up and had good practice ; amongst them being a new-comer, H. C. Biard, who has been gaining useful •experience in the assembling of engines, &c, in the workshops, as could easily be seen by the manner in which, from the first, lie grasped the main points of control ; and he looks like becoming a very proficient aviator. Gates was also out, and put up some very fine steady straight flights with excellently judged landings. Raphaite was practising rolling and appears to be getting much more certain of his controls. Again on Tuesday much practice was put in and Biard indulged in some really good rolling, being in full control of the 50-h.p. Gnome- engined machine. Ewen School.—At the W. H. Ewen School things are assuming -a very business-like appearance. A very useful supply of spares is being stocked for both Deperdussin and Bleriot machines. On Saturday, M. Paul Dubois joined the school and had his first lesson. Last Wednesday Mr. Ewen made a splendid flight on his 28-h.p. Deperdussin, passing round by Edgeware and Millhill. At a height of 300 ft. he shut off the engine, and made a beautiful glide which -extended from one end of the aerodrome to the other. Again on Saturday Mr. Ewen made a short flight for the benefit of some intending pupils. ® ® NEW ARMY AIRCRAFT THE painstaking but very energetic research that progresses at the Army Aircraft Factory, under the superintendence of Mr. Mervyn O'Gorman, has resulted in another experimental aeroplane taking the air. The machine—from what we are allowed to see of it at the polite distance of a spectator among the casual public that frequents the Plain on the " off chance "—is a large biplane with an absolutely silent engine. It has been said that it is a remodelled version of the Duke of Westminster's old Voisin, but it seemed to 11s that there was more remodelling than anything else, and every thing that one could see about the machine was of singular interest. In the control, the entire wing surfaces seem to be warped, which appears to give exceedingly powerful balancing action for the main tenance of lateral equilibrium. The detail construction also gives •evidence of extreme care, and the application of thejprinciple of stream line form together with the complete absence of visible rigging wires ® ® Spirited Contest for Coupe Femina. THE closing days of the Old Year saw a keen duel between Mdlle. Helene Dutrieu and Mdme. Jane Fferveu for the Coupe Femina, which was held during the year, with a record of l67'2 Idioms. Mdme. Herveu had been practising under Legagneux's guidance on a Bleriot monoplane at Compiegne, and on the 28th ult. she covered 97 kiloms. in ih. 4m. 503., then having to come down •owing to rain, while on the 30th she covered 151 kiloms. in ih. 44m. 23s., only to be brought down by a broken petrol pipe. Her best performance was on the last day of the Old Year, when 248 kiloms. (154 miles) were covered in 2 hrs. 41 mins. This, how- •ever was not sufficient to win the cup. At the same time Mile. Dutrieu was flying on her Farman biplane at Etampes, and covered 2$4'12 kiloms. (158S miles) in 2 hrs. 58 mins., and this, for the third Salisbury Plain. Air Battalion.—On Wednesday of last week, Barrington Kennett was out on the Nieuport monoplane and made a twenty-five minutes' flight, mostly at a height of 1,000 ft. Capt. F'ulton was also up on the Bristol military biplane and finished a very good trial by a spiral vol plant from a height of 900 ft., Lieut. Reynolds likewise putting in some useful scouting practice on a Bristol biplane. On Thursday owing to bad weather there was no flying, but plenty of work was done in the hangars. There was a welcome change in the weather on Friday, however, and Barrington Kennett was again the first out, making several good flights on the Nieuport machine. Capt. Fulton and Lieut. Reynolds were also in the air on the Bristol biplane, the latter going for a thirty minute jaunt round Bulford Camp, Amesbury and Stonehenge. Lieut. Reynolds also made some passenger flights during the afternoon. A distinguished visitor was General Altham, who was greatly interested in the flying. Mr. Cockburn was busily testing the engine of his new biplane. On Saturday, Lieut. Reynolds put in some high flying practice, but was greatly hampered by the fog, which prevented him getting much higher than 800 ft. Capt. Fulton was also flying around the camp, and on Sunday he made his first flight in the Bristol single-seater mono plane. The machine behaved splendidly under his guidance, and apparently gave the greatest satisfaction. Lieut. Conner was up to a height of 2,000 ft. on the Bristol extension biplane, and glided down from that height with his engine shut off. Capt. Fulton and Lieut. Conner were also on their Bristol biplanes on Tuesday. Bristol School.—The usual activity of the Bristol Schools was resumed on Friday last week, when in the afternoon a test flight was made by Mr. Jullerot, who decided that the weather was too rough and treacherous to commence tuition flights. On Saturday the weather was more favourable to flying, and all the pupils who had by now returned to the school were taken for passenger flights, Lieut. Murray, the last pupil to join the school, receiving six lessons. Lieut. Bower, who has again taken up resi dence at Salisbury Plain, this time for tuition on the monoplane, went for a trip on the school monoplane. The weather conditions proving more favourable for flying practice and tuition on the Sunday, it was decided to open the school on that day. Work commenced in the morning, and was continued during the afternoon, Lieut. Murray again having a number of passenger flights. Although this pupil only joined the Bristol school within the last few days, his progress has been so rapid that he will be making solo flights over the Plain during the coming week. Lieut. Borton then took one of the Bristol biplanes, and twice made a circular flight over the neighbouring village of Bulford. Mr. Bendall afterwards piloted the machine for half an hour, when he made a beautiful flight, which made it certain that yet another name would soon be added to the already large list of Bristol certificated pilots. Three solo flights were made in the afternoon on the school monoplane, including one by Capt. Fulton, of the Air Battalion. ® ® FACTORY AEROPLANE. in the tail are both points worthy of comment. The engine is evidently a Wolseley, and has the propeller in front. A rough guess at the speed would place this figure at about 60 m.p.h. The gliding angle seems to be very fine too, as far as one can judge of these things by the eye. The propeller is of the four-bladed type ; and, apart from the silence of the power-plant, another feature of especial importance is the fact that the engine can be started from on board. Mr. G. de Haviland has been acting as pilot with great success, and among the passengers has been the superintendent of the factory, whose object in this aeroplane construction work, it may be as well to emphasize once more, is research, not competitive manufacture. In fact, we believe the inclination of the officials is to give British constructors who are building military machines access to the information obtained by means of this research work. ® ® time, secured the prize for her. On the previous day she made a flight of 140 kiloms. The Ae.C.F. Criterlum. ALTHOUGH several determined attempts were made, no one succeeded in beating the record of 740*255 kiloms. covered by Golje on his Nieuport in 8 hrs. 16 sees., and so he is the winner of the Aero Club of France Criterium. On the 30th, Moineau, on a Breguet, had a try, but after covering 300 kilometres was forced down by the weather. Tabuteau, on his Morane, and Gobe on a Nieuport, both intended to have another go at Pau on the last day of the year, but were prevented by the bad weather, whilst Fischer, on his Farman biplane, at Bouy, in an attempt, only covered 140 kilometres, when he had to land. II
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