FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1912
1912 - 1196.PDF
I/0GH3 AGAIN it is our painful duty to record the passing of two men prominent in the world of aviation—Lieut. Wilfred Parke, of the Royal Navy, and Mr. Arkell Hardwick, manager of Messrs. Handley Page, Ltd. They had set out on Sunday morning last on the 70-h.p. Gnome-engined Handley Page monoplane to fly from Hendon to Oxford. Reaching the Wembley Golf Course, the machine was seen to turn back in the direction of the London Aerodrome, to sway unsteadily and then drop to earth nose fore most. The ill-fated monoplane was smashed almost beyond recognition, and the pilot and passenger were found among the wreckage, dead. They must have been killed instantaneously. As for the causes of the catastrophe, there is little doubt, in the first place, that la-t Sunday was an extremely treacherous day on which to fly. There was not a continuous high wind, but the air had been left from the previous day's sorm in a very disturbed condition. Occasionally there would be periods when the wind was blowing with considerable force, only to be followed by practically a dead calm. Such at any rate were the conditions as observed on the ground. It may have been different up above, but as to the actual conditions in the higher levels on that day no one will ever know. But it docs not seem natural to attribute the accident solely to the unfavourable weather conditions, for Lieut Parke was a pilot who had gained, during the 19 months since he took his brevet, an extremely thorough experience of flying all sorts of types of aeroplanes in all kinds of weather. The opinion as to the cause of the accident, as expressed by one of our best known pilots, who was present at the start from Hendon, and who saw the accident happen in the distance, was that it was primarily due to the poor running of the motor. He noticed that as the machine was leaving the aerodrome it was flying with its tail lower than it should have been. The monoplane was then something like 500 ft. from the ground, and Lieut. Parke was apparently making efforts to climb to a higher aliitude. This, owing to the unsatisfactory running of the engine, he was unable to do, and on reaching Wembley and finding the machine only alxiut 200 ft. above ground he supposed that the pilot saw the helpless ness of continuing and decided to return to the aerodrome. Turning down wind to return to Hendon, the machine seemed to take in an even more cabri attitude, and it was his supposition that the monoplane lost so much speed relative to the air that, being struck by a heavy gust, the pilot found his controls insufficiently operative to restore balance. A side slip Tesultcd which gave rise to a vertical nose dive, and the monoplane crashed to earth before the pilot wa* successful in flattening out his downward path. Such is one theory as to the conditions that brought about the DECEMBER 21, 1912, THE WEMBLEY FATALITY. catastrophe. As for the official explanation of the accident, we can but await the findings of the Accidents Investigation Committee of the Royal Aero Club. „' ,, , ,, ,, , . In the death of Lieut. Parke, England has lost another of her best men and while the world of flight can spare none who volunteer for service yet it is impossible not to feel an added sense of regret when one so eminently useful meets his end. Of one thing, at least, we may be sure, Lieut. Parke faced the enemy to the end. In flight he was fearless. No man who succeeded in coming out smiling from his terrible dive over Salisbury Plain would be likely to meet with any other experience in mid-air that would unnerve him. His unfailing cheermess endeared him to all, and his intense interest in the scientific aspect of aviation caused him to be of inestimable service to those engaged in trying to make flying machines safer and the art of flying more perfect. , Since he took his certificate on April 25th, 1911, on a Bristol biplane, Lieut. Parke had flown many types of aeroplanes. He had had experience of both monoplane and biplane flying, and during his flying career had flown the Sanders, Bristol, Avro, Farman, Short and Cody biplanes and Avro and Handley Page monoplanes. As a pilot, it is scarcely open to doubt that a more versatile flyer ever existed. His ability was universally acknowledged, and the present writer can testify to that as having, on several occasions, flown as a passenger with him. To his credit will always remain the distinction of being the first Britisher to fly a machine, the Avro enclosed monoplane, in which the pilot is totally enclosed by the fuselage. That in itself is no mean achievement, and illustrative of Lieut. Parke's fearless nature, for there were very few pilots who- relished the idea of entering and operating an aeroplane, as one would a submarine, until Lieut. Parke had shown the way. Mr. Arkell Hardwick had for some considerable time past acted in the capacity of manager to Messrs. Handley Page, Ltd. In his work he was very popular, for with his organizing abilities he had an unvarying good humour. He had followed a more varied career than falls to the lot of most men. He left home while he was still quite young and went to sea. On one of his voyages he was washed overboard but had the good fortune to be rescued. By a devious way, working in many parts of the world, he came back to England, not to remain long, however, for he joined the Mashonaland police, and a'terwards served in the South African war. FLIGHT readers the whole world over, we are sure, join with u& in offering our heartfelt sympathies to the Rev. A. W. and Mrs. Parke, the late Lieut. Parke's father and mother, and to the late Mr. Arkell Hardwick's widow, for the sad bereavement both families have sustained. ® ® ® ® PARLIAMENT AND AIRCRAFT. ON Wednesday of last week, Ccl. Seely, the Minister of War, was subjected to a long questioning in the House of Commons, and as will be seen from the following report a good deal of information regarding the R.F.C., &c., was obtained. Mr. Joynson-Hicks asked the Secretary for War what was the total number of biplanes, apart from school machines, in use in the military wing of the Royal Flying Corps; how many machines, biplanes, and monoplanes were on order ; and how many machines had been ordered since September 30th. Col. Seely : Fourteen biplanes are in use in the military wing, three of which are at present under repair. Sixteen machines are on order. No machines have been ordered since September 30th, but tenders for eighteen have beer, invited. Mr. Joynson-Hicks further asked the Secretary or War what progress was being made in the organisation of the Royal Flying Corps as outlined by him ; and whether one aeroplane squadron out of the seven promised had yet been placed upon an efficient basis. Col. Seely: Steady progress is being made. One airship and kite squadron, three aeroplane squadrons, the Flying Depot, the headquarters military wing, and the Central Flying School have been formed, but the personnel of these units is not yet complete. Mr. Joynson-Hieks : Does a squadron which is formed mean a squadron ready to go 10 war ? Col. Seely : It is a little difficult to say of a new art like flying, and a new thing like the Flying Corps, when it would be ready to take the field, but, as I say, steady progress is being made. Mr. Joynson-Hicks: Are these squadrons on paper or are thev effective? v v * Col. Seely : They are not squadrons on paper ; they are very real, and they have made great advance. In another reply to Mr. Joynson-Hicks, Col. Seely said that there had been 193 application* to join the Royal Flying Corps from officers and civilians. Of these 154 had been accepted, 25 were rejected, and 14 were under consideration. All the rejections were due to the unsuitability of the applicants, and none to lack ot facilities for training. Mr. Joynson-Hicks inquired whether money was still available, without a Supplementary Estimate, to complete the development of the Royal Flying Corps and Central Flying School in accordance with the promise of the Secretary of State in April last. Col. Seely : The reply is in the affirmative. Mr. Joynson-Hicks wished to know whether the Clement-Bayard airship, which cost this country ^18,000, still existed ; if not, whether any use was being made of her engines and other equipment. Col. Seely : The airship has been dismantled, but the parts stilT exist. No use has yet been made of the engines, which are, however, now being te ted with a view to being used. Mr. Lee : Can the right hon. gentleman say why no attempt was- made by his Department even to give a trial to this ship after it arrived in England, and why it was allowed to remain until a portion had rotted away ? Col. Seely: It is a long time since the Clement-Bayard airship came over, and we have had to buy our experience in the matter of airships at a much le-s cost than other countries. I cannot go- into the whole matter in a reply at question time—it is rather a long story—but I should be glad to is^ue a memorandum. In reply to another question from Mr. Joynson-Hicks, Col. Seely said : The delay in completion of the aeroplanes due from British manufacturers has not been caused by any dila- toriness on the part of the Government inspectors ; but the necessity for constant inspection may have caused a portion of the delay in some cases. Further orders are being placed. On Monday, in the House of Commons, Mr. H. Baker (Financial Secretary to the War Office), in answer to Mr. Joynson-Hicks, stated that ihere are no aeroplanes attached to the' Army in India at present, as the proposals of the Government of India on this subject have not yet reached the Secretary of State. Meanwhile, manoeuvres in India will be conducted as heretofore. 1196
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
