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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0890.PDF
I/O GHT OCTOBER 5, 1912. FLYING AT HENDON. THERE was quite a gusty wind blowing nearly all Thursday after noon last week, and very little flying was possible. Two trial nights were made about 6 o'clock. While it was yet light, on the new Graliame-White biplane (piloted by Lewis Turner) and one of the Henry Farmans. About half-past six Raynham arrived from Brook- lands on a 70-h.p. Renault-Flanders two-seater monoplane. This machine resembles the earlier models vety closely, there being apparently more travel for the wheels and a very pronounced dihedral, while the fuselage is a little wider at the front to accom modate the 8-cylinder V-type engine, the mounting and housing of which are amongst the neatest points of the machine. Lieut. Porte look a short spin around the outskirts of the aerodrome with a lady passenger on the tooh.p. Anzani-Deperdussin. Night Flying;. To use an Irishism, " It was a fine day for night flying " on Thurs- iay the 26th ult., when a series of very successful flights were made. except for one or two experimental essays at Hendon and a few lemonstrations under the parental care of the Daily Mail, this was .he first time that an exhibition proper of illuminated night flying lad been given. A large attendance was in evidence at the brightly lit up aerodrome as early as seven o'clock, but the first flight of the meet did not take place till about 8.30 p.m., when Lewis Turner got away on the new G.-W. biplane, which was fitted with a row of small electric lamps under the leading edge of each plane. The machine also carried a port and starboard light and a powerful head lamp, current for all of which was supplied by a set of C.A.V. batteries. From time to time Turner would switch off all the lights, when, owing to the ground mist, intensified by the reflection of the moonlight, the rattle of the 50-h.p. Gnome was the only indication of his position. The machine circled the aerodrome for about 10 mins., after which a perfect landing was made in front of the enclosure. It was a considerable responsibility to make the first Might at the first Illuminated Aerial Exhibition, and great credit is due to Mr. Lewis Turner for his excellent display and fine finish, particularly in view of the fact that he was piloting an almost new machine. After a short interval Richard Gates took up the 80-h.p. Gnome- Henry Far man, also outlined with electric lamps, and it was announced that he would " Morse " messages to the judges' box by means of a searchlight on the machine. Various versions of these messages have been published, but it certainly appears to the writer that a new system of signalling, of remarkable speed, must have l>een devised for the purpose. During Gates' flight, Grahame- White ascended on his own works-built biplane and executed some effective marujeuvres, the most sensational of which was when he --wooped towards the spectators with the headlight only illuminated, and then switching that oft absolutely disappeared into the gloom. Once during the evening, from the writer's position on the field, a darkened machine passed right across the face of the moon—quite a thrilling t xperience, and one of the most effective bits of the evening. Shortly after 9 o'clock Marcel Desoutter took out the Gordon Bennett 50-h.p. Gnome-Bleriot, which was fitted with a head and a tail lamp ami a Klaxon horn. His ergine was not pulling very ® « well and he flew rather low, but what he lacked in light he made up in noise, the sixpenny and shilling enclosures going wild with delight as he passed over them tooting away on this well-known road clearer. Even the occupants of the half-crown enclosure " could scarce forbear to cheer " at his landing. Sydney Pickles then essayed a trip on the 35-h.p. Anzam-Caudron biplane-brilliantly Ut up—but was prevented from rising more than about 10 feet by the formation of ice in and around his carburettor. The tiny machine would have looked extremely effective in the air after the great Henry Farmans, and no one was more disappointed than Pickles himself. Travers and Nardini took up the Henry Farman and the Deperdussin respectively and covered several circuits of the aerodrome, after which, a little before 10 o'clock Turner, L»uis Noel and Travers, the latter with Capt. Tyrer as passenger, ascended on the Grahame-White and Henry Farman biplanes and flew round and round the ground with their machines fully illuminated. Each time Capt. Tyrer passed over the dummy "Dreadnought," which had been erected in the middle of the ground, he dropped a bomb, and great excitement ensued when the erection was seen to burst into flames. The three machines, which had been simultaneously circling the ground, then descended, after which, during the burning of the " Dreadnought" a fine fire work display brought the proceedings to a close. There were several clever set pieces, one of which was a representation of Grahame-White seated in a monoplane. The quality of the flying, while not being of the trick variety, was exceptionally high, the landings being particularly good. Gates' atlerrissage by the unaided illumination of his own headlight was a very fine exhibition of skilful handling. Only one suggestion can we offer should the management decide to hold further meetings of this character, and that is that the machines should not be left between the spectators and the fireworks, where for a good many they somewhat spoilt the effect of several of the set pieces. Saturday's Military Meeting. High gusty winds and mist were responsible for the abandonment of flying at the Naval and Military flying meeting on Saturday. There was nothing doing for most of the afternoon until Lieut. Parke took out the new G.-W. machine, and made several straights across the ground against the wind. Before and after there was a good deal of galloping around with gun carriages on the part of the military present, and Hamel got away on his own 50-h.p. Bleriot, the engine of which was in anything but good tune ; once or twice he swooped down almost unpleasantly close to the spectators in the half-crown enclosure, a large number of whom got severe attacks of " cold feet." On landing, Mr. Hamel was fortunate enough to have Mr. Hall's Bleriot No. 38 placed at his disposal, so he proceeded to climb for altitude, the prevailing grey mist giving a weird effect of loneliness to the little machine away ever so high up in the air. During Hamel's flight, Lieut. Spencer-Grey made several attempts at flight on an Anzani-Deperdussin, but was unable to get it to rise owing to engine trouble. <$ ® The Bore! hydroaeroplane, which took part ln the St. Malo competition 890 ' 9t
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