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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0824.PDF
HENDON SECOND FAVOURABLE weather on Saturday last, enabled all three items on the programme for the second August meeting at Hendon to be carried out with great success. There was a good attendance also, About fifteen thousand all told ; in fact it was quite like old times. A number of machines made their appearance too, although most of the favourite pilots were still away exhibition flying, &c. Mr. W. Moorhouse paid a short visit to the Aerodrome and we think we saw M. Pierre Verrier there as well—of course without their machines. The three events on the programme consisted of a •cross-country handicap, a grand speed handicap, and an altitude contest. Each of these provided no small amount of excitement, the first two especially, thanks to the splendid handicapping of Messrs. Delacombe and Reynolds. Numerous trial flights were made before the first event, the cross-country race, started. The course for this item was to Elstree and back twice, a distance of about 18 miles. Quite a good number of machines lined up for this event, viz.:— Lewis Turner (50-h.p. Gnome-rebuilt-Howard-Wright biplane), Louis Noel (80-h.p. Henry Farman), Marcel Desoutter (50-h.p. Gnome B16riot monoplane), James Valentine (50-h.p. Gnome Deperdussin), and G. Sabelli (50-h.p. Gnome Hanriot). W. H. Ewen was to have flown the Caudron biplane, but did not start. The limit man was Sabelli, giving the others the following handicaps:—Turner 13 mins., Noel 4 mins. 30 sees., Desoutter Lmins. 15 sees., and Valentine I min. 15 sees. Desoutter turned ck before he had left the Aerodrome, as his engine was missing rather badly. The others all completed the first circuit in the same order in which they started, but Valentine did not continue •on the second trip, as he missed the course at Elstree. Turner was the first back, to be followed close behind by Noel and Sabelli repectively. Turner's time for the course was 30 mins. 16 sees. Noel's, 32 mins. 37 sees., and Sabelli's, 33 mins. 45 sees. After a short interval the first heat of the grand speed handicap over four laps of the aerodrome was held, there being four starters :— J. Nardini on the 50-h.p. Gnome Deperdussin (scratch), Lieut. Spencer Grey on a 50-h.p. Gnome Blackburn monoplane (1 min. 25 sees.), Lewis Turner on the Howard-Wright biplane (2 mins. FOREIGN AV The Pommery Cup Competition. QUITE the best flight so far registered in the Pommery Com petition, which calls for the longest flight in a straight line in a single day, was that of Bathiat on Saturday last, when, starting from Calais at 5h. 38m. 4fs. a.m., he steered a southward course with the intention of getting to Biarritz in one day. He was mounted on a Sommer monoplane fitted with a Gnome engine and Chauviere propeller. His first stop was at Amiens, but it was only of sufficient duration to replenish the tank, and at half-past eight he reached St. Cyr and made another stop of a few minutes for the same purpose. A stop for lunch was made at Chateau Renault near Tours, and then he started for Poitiers, where he arrived at half-past two. Some time was spent in looking over his machine and filling up tanks, &c., but he got away again at five minutes past three. There was then a long run of two hours and a half to Bordeaux, where a landing was effected at the Croix d'Hins Aerodrome. He was in the air again at five minutes past six heading for Biarritz, but was brought down at Contis le Bains, about 83 kiloms. short of his destination. He had, however, succeeded in covering in a day 820 kiloms., which is a substantial advance upon best previous record, that of the ill-fated Bedel, who in April last went from Villacoublay to Biarritz, a distance of a little over 656 kiloms. The distance covered is practically the same as that from London to John o' Groats " as the crow flies," or from Paris to Edinburgh. On the previous day, Brindejonc des Moulinais left Villacoublay on his Morane monoplane with the intention of going to Berlin and, if possible, reaching the Russian frontier. After covering 230 kiloms. in 1 hr. 27 mins. he stopped at Villers-sur-Mers, and restarting at half-past eight, was reported three-quarters of an hour later over Verviers, but on landing at Rude near Clervaux in Luxembourg, he decided to abandon his attempt. The same day, Guillaux, on his Clement-Bayard monoplane left Biarritz in the direction of Bordeaux and covered 195 kiloms. in 1 hr. 13 mins., but on coming down at Coutras, 16 Idioms, from Libourne, announced that he would not go on. An English Attempt for Pommery Cup. ACCOMPANIED by Miss Trehawke Davies on a Bleriot mono plane Mr. Astlcy left Issy at 5.29 on Tuesday morning in an attempt to fly to Berlin for the Pommery Cup. They made a landing at Mezieres at 11.20, from whence they were away again at a quarter to two, and were next reported at Bonn, about half way to Berlin, -at 7 p.m. SEPTEMBER 7, 1912. AUGUST MEETING. 40 sees.), and A. Blackburn on a 50-h.p. Gnome Graham-White biplane. The last named came down after the second lap. On his first lap Nardini overtook Turner just before the end of the latter's second lap, and passed Grey in the next lap, but it was not until he was close upon the finish that he passed Turner and crossed the line first, 4 sees, ahead of the latter (time, 9 mins. iof sees.), Grey on the Blackburn came in a good third. Four more started in the second heat as follows :—Sabelli on the Hanriot (scratch), J. Valentine on the 45-h.p. Anzani Deperdussin, Desoutter on the Bleriot (21 sees.), and L. Noel on the 80-h.p. Gnome-Henry Farman. Noel managed to keep ahead and come in first (time, 7 mins. 4 sees.), whilst Desoutter and Sabelli had a stiff fight for second place 6 sees, behind, the former doing the trick by a bare \ sec, Valentine coming in third about 1 min. behind. In the final, which was held shortly after, Nardini was at scratch, giving starts of 4 rains. 10 sees, to Turner, I nrin. 37 sees, to Noel, and 57 sees, to Desoutter. This time Turner came in first (time, 12 mins. 45 sees.), Nardini and Desoutter making a dead heat for the second place, Noel following 9 sees, behind. By this time it was getting late, and shortly after 7 o'clock Desoutter and R. T. Gates, the latter on the Henry Farman biplane, went up for the altitude prize. Both machines climbed very rapidly and were soon lost in the gathering darkness. In order to enable the pilots to find the Aerodrome, petrol fires and red flares were lit. Gates was the first down, having reached 2,900 feet and Desoutter suddenly appeared from apparently nowhere shortly after, having beaten Gates by 150 feet. Whilst the altitude contest was in progress Lewis Turner was passenger carrying on the Howard- Wright. Plenty of exhibition was seen on the following Sunday, proceed ings being opened at 3.30 p.m. by Lewis Turner, followed 10 mins. after by Marcel Desoutter. Later, Jules Nardini came out on the Deperdussin, and numerous exhibition flights were given by these three aviators for the rest of the afternoon, Turner doing quite a lot of passenger carrying. Just before 6 o'clock Lieut. Porte, R.N., and Captain G. W. Dawes, R.F.C., as passenger, arrived from Salisbury Plain on the 100-h.p. Anzani Deperdussin. ® ® French Military Aviation, THE new scheme for the organisation of French military aviation has now been published, and comes into effect on October 1st next. It provides for the provision of the aeronautic corps into three groups. Of the first group, the central portion, consisting of two aerostation companies and one aviation company, will be stationed at Versailles, with sub-sections at Chalais Merdon, Douai and Etampes, and with depots and workshops on the military grounds at Paris ; and of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, loth and nth army corps; and in Morocco and Tunis. The second group, also consisting of two aero station companies and one aviation company, will have its central quarters at Rheims, with five sub-sections at Chalons, Verdun, Toul, Epinal and Belfort, while there will be depots and workshops on the. grounds of the 6th, 7th and 20th army corps. The third group, consisting of one aviation company, will be centred at Lyon, with sub-sections at Avor and Pau, and depSts and workshops on the grounds of the 8th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th army corps, and at Amberieau. Artillery Experiments in France. THE use of aeroplanes as " eyes " for artillery was demonstrated at Toul last week and drew together a very large number of French Military Officers. Batteries at five different points were ordered to be in a state of defence at 5 a.m. and about 7 a.m. an aeroplane scouted over the country and reported that the targets representing the enemy were about five miles away on a slope between the Avrainville Woods and the Jaillon Plain according to the directions furnished by the observers, each battery opened fire and another aeroplane was sent up to observe results and within a short time it was reported that the targets had been demolished. A Thousand Aviators in France. ON the last day of August the Aero Club of France issued its one thousandth pilot certificate, the fortunate holder being an Italian, Carmanati de Brembilla. It is estimated that at the present time there are more than 2,000 aviators who have qualified for certificates in various countries under F.A.I, rules. Aeroplanes at French Manoeuvres. THE arrangements made for the Grand Manoeuvres which are to take place at Poitou shortly allow for the use of sixty-one aero planes, including twenty Bleriots, fourteen Maurice Farman, seven Henry Farman, nine Deperdussins, four Hanriots, three Borels, two Nieuports and two Breguets.
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