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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0068.PDF
[fjjGHT] Salisbury Plain. Bristol School.—Jullerot and Busteed each made a trial of the air on Monday, last week, afterwards Lieut. Rees setting out for the necessary tests for \in brevet, which he successfully accomplished, his observers being Major Brooke-Popham and Lieut. Wadham. Lieuts. Vernon, Marix and Littleton each made their first solos in quite satisfactory style, whilst Lieuts. Bowhill and Bigsworth carried out two trips each in good style. Lieut. Vaughan was out with Busteed and jullerot for biplane tuition, the latter then ascending for a trial of a tandem monoplane, afterwards giving Lieut. Tod tuition in the side-by-side. Busteed was up for a couple of trials on an 8o-h.p. monoplane, and also of a school monoplane. England gave Lieut. Xod tuition in the side-by-side, and then in a biplane to Lieut. Vaughan and Mr. Towers. Prince Cantacuzene was out for his first solo on the 8o-h.p. Bristol monoplane with a passenger and put up a long flight round the Plain. In the afternoon the Prince was making a good cross country flight round Salisbury, Shrewton, and Upavon in a wind of fully 20 miles per hour. Jullerot gave tuition to Lieut. Vaughan, and England to Mr. Towers ; Busteed making two tests of a school monoplane. No flying was possible all day Tuesday on account of bad weather, work being confined to the hangars. Very windy all day Wednesday. In the late afternoon Busteed made a trial of one of ths 80 h. p. monoplanes, the velocity of the wind at times being registered at close on 50 miles per hour. This was the only flight made. On Thursday high wind all day com pletely foiled all attempts at school work. Jullerot went for trial on Friday at about 10.30, but gusts were still far too strong for pupils, who spent yet another day on the machines in the hangars. On Saturday, rain and wind yet again compelled indoor work. Royal Flying Corps.—The abominable weather in the early pirt of last week was responsible for several blank days, practically no outdoor work being possible until Monday, when Major Brooke- Popham was out, with Sergt. Bruce as passenger, on biplane 203, the engine of which has been overhauled, testing and practising fire signalling. Another trip of 6 mins. was made with Sergt. Sharpe, but when he went up for the third lime he found the warping not quite right, so landed for machine to be tested. Lieut. Carmichael was on Maurice Farman 214, and put up an excellent flight of 1 hr. and 10 mins., flying at a height of 2,150ft., from which he made his first spiral vol plane" in fine style. He went up again with Mechanic Martin as passenger, and on landing found a rudder wire broken. This was replaced, and a 20 mins. flight was made with Private Willis as passenger. Lieut. Wadham was scouting around the Downs until the mist got too thick, and on landing the skid rubbers broke through taxiing on rough ground. As soon as the fog lifted on Tuesday Major Brooke-Popham was out on biplane 203 with Sergt. Bruce. In a second trial to a great height, passing in and out through the clouds. Lieut. Carmichael on Maurice Farman 216 made a flight to Andover and back ; on landing he subsequently took Sergt. Keegan as passenger for a scouting trip. Another officer was out on Maurice Farman 216. South Farnborough. Royal Flying Corps.—Active preparation? have been taking place during the last few days, pending the departure of No. 2 Squadron to their new quarters at Montrose in Scotland. An advance party proceeded en rcule for Montrose early on Wednesday morning to prepare things for the main body. It is intended to fly the machines belonging to the Squadron to their new base, and up to the time of writing it was not definitely known what day the long journey by air would commence. Parties equipped with tools and spires will proceed by road in motor, keeping in touch with the aeroplanes in case of breakdown through any causes. It speaks volumes for the pluck and enthusiasm of the officers, who have undertaken the responsible and by no means easy task of transporting the machines by air, especially when one considers the distance and the time of the year (when the weather is anything but ideal), saying nothing of the difficult nature of the country over which their journey lies. It is to be hoped that good luck will attend the pilots on their journey. List Thursday the few people who ventured on to Farnborough Common to watch the flying, had an opportunity of viewing a rather strange looking machine, reported by the daily press as a new type of " warplane." The machine in question is an experi mental biplane, constructed and designed in the Royal Aircraft Factory, and was undergoing certain tests on Farnborough Common at the hand* of Mr. De Havilland, with regard to its efficiency. The machine is a biplane with staggered planes of the well-known BE. type, and the lower plane carries a short bluff looking fuselage, in the forward end of which is mounted a water-cooled Chenu engine of the latest pattern. The engine power is transmitted to the propeller placed close to the near end of the short fuselage by means of a shaft-drive, through a gear-box. The propeller in JANUARY 18, 1913. consequence running much slower than the engine. The empennage, rudder and elevators are attached to a large diameter steel tube, on tail boom. This steel tube runs through the propeller huo and terminates in a running bearing in the gear-box. Bracing wires to the planes hold the whole arrangement in such a way as to prevent the tail from twisting. Comparing this arrangement with the ordinary tail boom system, a bursting propeller would produce the same disastrous results, as it would certainly cut the bracing wires loose thus allowing the tail to collapse. ••, A n Last Wednesday although a gusty 40 mile wind prevailed, Uipt. Becke made a couple of fine flights on Maurice Farman 215, on one occasion taking up Lieut. Christie for a short spin. Thursday was a similar day from a weather point of view, and Major Raleigh, No. 4 Squadron^ did two fine spins on Breguets 210 and 213, being up about half an hour, despite the trying conditions of the weather. _ On Friday, weather conditions had improved, and Major Higgins arrived from Salisbury Plain on Maurice Farman 425. Major Raleigh was also practising the handling of a new Maurice Farman 302, afterwards making a couple of very fine flights on Breguet 213. Major Raleigh went out also in the afternoon on Breguet 210, accompanied by Major Higgins. Saturday was a miserably wet day, and no flying took place, it being totally unfit for the machines to be brought out. This week opened rather unfortunately, for, on Monday, Major Raleigh had a very narrow escape from being badly burned. He was out on Maurice Farman 302, and a back-fire from the 70-h.p. Renault engine ignited the petrol at the carburettor, with the result that the machine was totally destroyed. Major Raleigh, up in the pilot's seat, had a very narrow escape, indeed, from serious injury. Major Raleigh was also out on 213 Breguet machine, as was Capt. Beorfor a short while. Lieut. Chinnery was out as well practising straights. On Breguet 210 Major Raleigh made four splendid flights, and had a passenger on each occasion. Tuesday, there was moderate south-easterly wind blowing, and the sun favoured things for the flying men. On Maurice Farman 266, Lieut. Herbert made a couple of fine flights, on one occasion taking Sergt. Mead with him. On Maurice Farman 215, Lieut. Herbert and Dawes were out about 15 mins., Lieut. Herbert after wards taking Lieut. Martin for a short spin. Major Raleigh was also on Breguet 210 for several trips, taking up Sergt. Wright, Sergt. Hunter, Capt. Board and Lieut. Maclean. Tuesday again saw Major Raleigh on Breguet 210, accompanied by Capt. Board for a short flight of 10 mins., and Lieut. Maclean for about quarter of an hour, when they reached an altitude of about 1,400 ft. Lieut. Chinnery was on the same machine for about the same length of time, and Capt. Beor was away about half an hour. Mr. De Havilland was doing some of his usual fine performances over the Common on B.E. 2 and 204. On Machine 211, Sergt. Hunter made two good flights in fine style. ® ® ® ® FLYING AT HENDON. ON Thursday of last week a number of visitors turned up at the aerodrome and several exhibition flights took place. The first of these was given by M. D. Manton who made a few circuits of the aerodrome on the 50-h.p. Grahame-White 'bus. Louis Noel also put up a couple of flights on the 80-h.p. Henry Farman biplane, taking with him on one occasion a passenger. Both flights lasted for about 15 mins. Marcel Desoutter's first attempt at his share of the afternoon's entertainment on the Bleriot monoplane resulted in a broken petrol pipe just as he was about to get away. When this was put right and he at last got going, the engine developed troubles so he had to descend and have matters put right. Ultimately he managed to put in two very good circuits. During the afternoon the new Grahame-White miniature biplane was brought out of its shed and given an airing. Saturday last was too impossible for words ! so we will pass on to what took place the following afternoon, Sunday. In the first place it was beautifully fine, and, secondly, there was a very good attendance of visito-s. The result was a remarkably fine display of exhibition flying which lasted until late in the evening. Louis Noel ascended first in the 80-h.p. Henry Farman biplane, taking with him a passenger. He was followed almost immediately by Manton on the Grahame-White 'bus and Marcel Desoutter on the Bleriot monoplane. Sydney Pickl"S—in a weird form of headgear—made a flight on the Grahame-White 'bus, and Richard T. Gates also went up in the same machine and in the same head-gear. Other contributors to the afternoon's flying were Lewis Turner (and passenger) on the Caudron biplane, with a 6o-h.p. Anzani engine, and H. Blackburn on the 50 h. p. Blackburn monoplane. All five of the above mentioned machines were in the air together at one time during the afternoon. Towards the close of the pro ceedings, Desoutter made a picturesque flight on the Bl&iot mono plane, his machine looking very pretty against the evening sky. 68
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