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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0366.PDF
APRIL 27, 1912. JOGHT] LONDON AERODROME FIRST SPRING MEETING. THERE is not a particle of doubt that, thanks to the energies of the proprietors of the London Aerodrome, much enthusiasm in the sport and science of aviation is being instilled into the heart of the Ixmdoner. Not only for that reason should aviation well-wishers be pleased ; for in these days, when support is most lacking, it is a joy to see at least one organisation getting financial return for their enterprise. Fully 15,000 people paid for admission to the enclosures on Saturday, April 20th. Motorists seemed to form the greater percentage of those in the centre en closure ; for, even at four o'clock, when cars weie still arriving, the writer counted no fewer than 183. No doubt the fine spring weather was a secondary influence in directing the crowd to the aerodrome. Blowing at 10 m.p.h. at about ten o'clock in the morning, the wind gradually rose throughout the afternoon, and while the competitions were in pro gress it maintained an average velocity of about 18 m.p.h. This, however, did not distress the com petitors in the slightest. Four events figured on the programme—a speed handicap, a cross-country race, a figure of eight speed contest, and an altitude contest. It was originally intended that the cross-country race should lie over a course from the aerodrome to St. Albans and back, but in order to give the spectators a better spectacle than would be afforded by the competitors merely starting and arriving, it was decided to change that course for one from the aerodrome round Harrow Church and back, the course to be traversed twice. We cannot help thinking that perhaps a better turning-point than Harrow Church can for future races be found, for the reason that the hangars to a great extent ait off the view of competitors departing and returning. One would imagine that the Elstree Reservoirs would form an excellent turning-point, as in addition to being a good landmark for pilots, the crowd would be able to keep the competitors in sight through out the whole distance. Uo„ . Five of our best pilots, Messrs. James Valentine, Gustav Hamel, Bentfield C. Hucks, Lewis Turner, and W. H. Ewen, contested the Mr. Mr. B. C. Hucks, on a Gnome-Blerlot, passing before the Tudges' box at Hendon on Saturday last Lewis Turner flying the Grahame-White Farman in the Figure of Eight Competition. events. Although the flying they did was of the highest possible order, it was nevertheless a pity that some of the other entrants did not put in an appearance to furnish a greater variety of different types of aeroplanes. Most of them had been temporarily deprived of their machines for some reason or other. Mr. S. F. Cody's biplane had been smashed up at Farnborough, Mr. Prenseil's Bleriot had been reduced to its lowest terms a fort night since, the machine that M. Bleriot is giving to Mr. Salmet, to replace the one he disintegrated in returning from Paris had not arrived, and Lieut. Wilfred Parke had had the misfortune that morning to drop into an air hole at Brooklands, and similarly crack up his Avro biplane. Mr. Grahame-White's flying of his Nieuport monoplane was sadly missed on Saturday, for although he was present he was so busy dashing about from place to place superintending things that he really never had an opportunity of getting into the air. Valentine, on his 50-h.p. Bristol two-seater monoplane, arrived during the morning at half-past eleven, bringing with him Mr. Ronald Charteris as passenger. The first out in the afternoon at a quarter to three was M. Rerie Caudron, who was over here in England attending to the delivery and tuning up of the first Caudron biplane that Mr. Ewen has received for British consumption. It is really won derful what this diminutive little biplane will do with only a 35-h.p. air-cooled engine. The well-known French aviator ran along before the enclosures into the wind, and was at a height of at least 300 feet by the time he turned at the far end of the ground. Still climbing he went on up to 700 feet, circling meanwhile, and at the end of probably ten minutes, planed down spirally at a wonderfully small angle. Considering the wind blowing at the time the steadiness that the machine exhibited in the air was an eye-opener for many. Next out was Hucks, testing for the first time a Bleriot of very mixed pedigree. Its fuselage and wings were those of the 100-h.p. Gnome racer on which Grahame-White had successfully carried off the Gordon- Bennett trophy at Belmont Park in 1910. The stabiliser and elevators belonged to the Gnome-Bleriot he flew at the last meeting, and which he has since cracked up. For power plant he had the 50-h.p. Gnome out of the same machine. Never theless, it climbed quite as quickly as Hamel's standard 50-h.p. Gnome-Bleriot, and was certainly as fast, if not faster. Lewis Turner made a short flight just afterwards, and at a quarter to four started oft in the figure of eight competition, flying one of Grahame-White's Farman biplanes. The course was by no means an easy one, and an engine misfiring very badly did not tend 366
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