FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0613.PDF
JULY 6, 1912. Mr. Alec Ogilvie flew over Grain Island about half-an-hour after the arrival of the Farman. He flew at a height of 1,700 feet with Mr. Fowler as passenger and endeavoured to locate the Farman by means of field glasses, but it was fully twenty minutes before it could be sighted on the sand on account of its dark brown colouring so closely resembling the sand. On Saturday evening, Mr. Alec Ogilvie tested his N.E.C.-engined Wright with four (average n-stoners) up and fifteen gallons of petrol on board, those on board being Mr. Ogilvie, Mr. Leawright, Lieut. Briggs and Mr. Fowler. The machine had no difficulty in rising and flying a good straight, at some near future date no doubt we shall see it do a climb to some two or three hundred feet, with the same load ; Colonel Capper was much impressed with the machine and, in fact, so much so that he entrusted his wife to the care of Mr. Ogilvie for a passenger flight, with which she was greatly- pleased. The Hon. Maurice Egerton was out on Sunday in the triple-twin machine. Mr. Ogilvie was doing considerable passenger ® ® FROM THE BRITISH Brooklands Aerodrome. WEDNESDAY last week Raynham did a solo in the morning and in the evening Alston and Wadham were up with Raynham. At the Bristol school Hotchkiss was first out for solo, but found it very bumpy. Kemp and Bendall also did circuits solo. At 8 o'clock Hotchkiss was out again and afterwards Bendall put up two circuits with Capt. Macdonnell and Lieut. Waldron. Wind much too bad for pupils' solo. Hotchkiss, for the Bristol, was out with Capt. Macdonell on Thursday, doing two right-handed turns, afterwards taking up Summerfield. Bendall did a solo, and then went up twice with Capt. Macdonell. Herbert and Webb-Bowen, at the Sopwith School, doing circuits solo, and Wadham straights solo. At the Martin-Handasyde School, Antoinette type machine out for first time, doing straights with Bell up, in spite of very gusty wind and engine only firing on about five cylinders. On Friday, at the Bristol school, Hotchkiss put in a solo, then took up Beedon, one of the school mechanics, Bendall following for two circuits with Willis. Bell was doing circuits on the Antoinette machine again, with the engine still firing very poorly. Saturday afternoon a new machine of tractor biplane type was tested, giving very satisfactory results, getting off in a remarkably short run even with three up. Raynham was also up on a Farman, and Webb-Bowen did two circuits solo. Bendall started to do a circuit, but just as he got off the ground a gust caught him under the right wing and blew the machine on to the left wing and side of the elevator, finally the whole machine being smashed, the pilot only sustaining concussion, and is now rapidly recovering. Webb-Bower,, at Sopwith school, got his certificate on Sunday morning, flying very steadily. Wadham was doing solo circuits and eights, and again the same in the evening. In the evening, Monday, Raynham was at work on Farman with pupils as passengers, and then Powell did solo circuits on same machine ; Hedley solo straights and Wadham went for his certificate successfully. Bell and Sopwith were on the Burgess Wright, Sopwith afterwards taking out the Coventry Ordnance handling this machine like a light racing machine, and afterwards his own machine of the same type, which has been built by the combined efforts of Sopwith and Legrist. The result is satisfactory, the machine lifting almost immediately it starts forward. It has a very decent gliding angle, and its capacity for lifting weight seems un limited. Bell was on the Martin-Handasyde machine, doing repeated circuits, and is beginning to remind us of his famous banked turns with which he used to astound the Brooklands people in the past. A blank day on Tuesday, wind in the morning and wind and rain in the evening. Vickers School.—MacDonald was out Wednesday last week on No. 5 machine testing, and next day early he was again testing her before he handed her over to Capt. Darbyshire, who was out for 45 mins., doing straight lines and getting on well. On Friday MacDonald was again putting No. 5 through its paces, this time in a gusty wind. He had her up for 10 mins. on Saturday in the after noon, going over Byfleet in a very gusty wind, the machine handling well considering the conditions. On Sunday very early Mr. Beatty, on No. S, was doing good circuits. MacDonald, on the same machine, in the afternoon putting in one circuit. Monday, late in the evening, Capt. Wood was on No. 2 doing straight lines to test the machine, getting up to 90 ft. in the length of the ground. Eastbourne Aerodrome. ON Wednesday last week the wind was too strong for practice, but Thursday morning was a dead calm and the machines were out by 4 a.m. Lieut. Brown did some fast rolling but had some difficulty at first in keeping the Anzani straight. Lieut. Bone made 6l J/ycfif] work on N.E.C. machine, taking up Mrs. Fowler, Mr. Leawright and Mr. Fowler as passengers. Monday, July 1st, like June ist, started with a dull and rainy day, and finally, at 4.30 a thunderstorm broke over the ground, more or less clearing the atmosphere for the evening, although there was a large amount of mist about. At 5.30 Commander Samson came out on the Henry Farman, which has now had its front elevator removed, and, from a spectacular point of view is greatly improved if not from a controlling point which I should imagine also. Lieut. Briggs was doing straights on school machine. Captain Gordon out on Farman with passenger. During climbing test the machine climbed about 200 ft. per minute (70 engine). Commander Samson did some speed tests with her, and she seemed to be about on the 55-m.p.h. mark. Mr. Alec Ogilvie out on N.E.C. with Mr. Fowler as passenger, climbing to height of 1,000 ft. in a flight of 48 minutes. The " Etrich" monoplane having had new skids and propeller fitted is now awaiting a favourable opportunity for practice. ® ® FLYING GROUNDS. his first flight most successfully but landed outside the ground, fortunately doing no damage. In the evening Lieut. Brown was doing straights with his tail well up. Lieut. Bone made several short flights, but did not manage the machine quite as well as he did in the morning. Mr. F. B. Fowler had the two-seater out for a short time and went out later with Gassier as a passenger. On Friday, practice again commenced early. Lieut. Brown made several excellent runs and Lieut. Bone made a short flight, but found the wind rather trying. Mr. Fowler then had the 50-h.p. Gnome- Bleriot out. By this time the wind had freshened con siderably, and in trying to start with wind on his beam, the machine side-slipped and came down on one wing, smashing the whole of the landing chassis as well as the propeller and wing. Further practice was rendered impossible by the wind. In the evening Lieut. Brown was out again and Mr. Lerwill, another new pupil, had his first lesson. Mr. Lerwill is the first Eastbourne man who has joined and his progress will doubtless be watched with great interest locally. Lieut. Bone landed rather heavily and put one of the Anzanis out of action. On Saturday evening Lerwell was out first, Lieut. Brown did some good rolls and Lieut. Bone was doing short straights. Sunday morning saw Lieuts. Bone and Brown and Mr. Gassier out again. On Monday evening Mr. McClean turned up and made several fine flights taking up Lieuts. Brown and Lyttelton as passengers. Tuesday morning he left the aerodrome about 5 a.m., carrying his mechanic, Smith, as passenger with the intention of making a non-stop to Eastchurch. Later a wire was received to say he had been obliged to land at Mark Cross near Tunbridge Wells, on account of fog and rain. After Mr. McClean left, Lieut. Brown put in some rolling practice. London Aerodrome. Colllndale Avenue, Hendon. Bleriot School.—Wind having been pretty bad all Monday last week dropped towards evening, and at 8 p.m. Mr. Hall did a couple of circuits. Tuesday and Wednesday, wind and rain were alter nating all day, and no school work was possible. Next day at 5 a.m., weather being fine—no wind or mii-t—M. Aubert did two circuits on brevet machine, preparatory to attempting the tests for his brevet, but landing somewhat steeply slightly damaged the Lieut. Gregory, R.N., testing the new Etrich monoplane at the Royal Aero Club's Eastchurch flying grounds.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
