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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0125.PDF
FEBRUARY I, 191; neighbourhood of the highest point on the top curve. He flies a Bleriot, and at one time the fabric on the top of his wings was in a very baggy condition. But no matter whether he flew level or vol planed, whether he flew in calm or windy weather, that fabric on the top surface of his wings always sagged down between the ribs in exactly the same fashion as if the machine has been resting undisturbed in the quiet atmosphere of the hangar. • • * As against this I have heard of a Bteriot pilot who, flying his monoplane in a big wind, was struck by such a heavy gust that the fabric on the upper surface lifted out a whole row of tacks. Further, my Hendon friend is rather mystified as to the state of the air flow over a wing, and he mentions this case. A monoplane that he remembered had remained in its shed quite a long time and, in consequence, the top surface of the wing had collected quite an appreciable amount of dust. One day a pilot took the machine out. When he returned after the flight, there was just as much dust on the top of the wing as when he started. It could not have been that the dust had been trapped there by any fluffiness of the fabric, for the wings of that particular machine had been doped and were quite highly glazed. • • • Colonel Cody, Ltd., with a capital of ,£120,000, should be a good thing. • • • I hear that Mr. Ernest Esdaile, who is organising the "By air to India" scheme, has been adopted as the Pro gressive candidate for the Norwood Division for the forthcoming London County Council Elections. • • • A further valuable prize has been offered in connection with the flight to India by His Highness Raj Rana Bakadur of Jhalawar. Already prizes have been offered by Her Highness the Begum of Bhopal and the Maharajahs of Bikaner, Jodhpur, Patiala and Cooch Behar. • * • Two pupils at one of our well-known flying grounds were sitting over the fire at their diggings having a [/GGHT heated argument over points bearing on flying in general. The argument turning to flying with hands off the controls, one of them remarked, " Yes, you could do it all right, as long as you didn't attempt it in a remous." " Never heard of a machine of that name before,'' casually replied his friend. * • • One of the most interesting exhibits at the forth coming Aero Show at Olympia will be the hydro-biplane that will be shown by Messrs. J. Samuel White and Co., Ltd., the well-known shipbuilding firm of Cowes, Isle of Wight. It will be remembered that they opened, not long since, an aviation department of their works under the control of Mr. Howard T. Wright. In its general arrangement the biplane will bear some resemblance to the Henry Farman water-Hying machines that visited many of our seaside resorts last year. In detail, however, the two machines have little in common. For instance, the main planes of the new Samuel White hydro-biplane are swept back and have negative wing tips furnished with double-acting ailerons. Besides, a new type of cross section is employed which forms the subject matter of a patent that Mr. Howard T. Wright holds. The chief features relating to this special design of aerofoil, are that it has a wide range of speed and that, as has been found from laboratory experiments, its centre of pressure changes its position but very little for wide variations in the angle of incidence of the plane relative to the air flow. Between angles of incidence of three degrees and fifteen degrees, the centre of pressure does not travel more than two per cent, of the chord length. • • • The machine will be arranged to seat a pilot and an observer, and it will be driven by a Gnome motor of 160 horse-power turning a propeller behind the main planes. Double floats will be employed, of registered design, and each will have three steps. Quite a novel point is that miniature rudders are to be fitted to the ends of the floats in order that the machine may be easily steered over the surface of the water. " OISEAU BLEU." ® ® ® ® FLYING AT HENDON. ALTHOUGH there were only four pilots doing active service up at the aerodrome last Saturday, they managed between them to put up over a dozen nights. There was a stiffish wind—about 25 m.p.h. early in the afternoon, but as the evening advanced it calmed down a bit. A decent number of cars put in an appearance, and they were lined up alongside the first block of hangars instead of inside the enclosures, thus avoiding much of the mud which the recent wet weather has brought very much in evidence. At about 3.30 p.m. M. D. Manton started off on the Grahame- White 'bus, literally flying out of the hangar, for he started up almost inside the latter. He got off rather quickly and flew very steadily for eight minutes, making some exceedingly sharp turns. Just as he came down, Marcel Desoutter got away on his 50-h.p. Bleriot monoplane and gave a five-minute display of " stunt" flying, fjo made nearly a complete circuit of the aerodrome with both his hands raised above his head. This interesting procedure was brought to an abrupt ending by the engine suddenly petering out just as he was passing over the shilling enclosure. He was able to make a safe landing, however, ^and at once had the engine seen to. A few minutes afier, Lewis Turner came out on the ooh.p. Anzani- Caudron biplane, and made a short test flight lasting about four minutes. , „ . A. Cheeseman then put up a few circuits on the Craname- White 'bus; he also went up again on the same machine later in the afternoon. At 4 p.m., Turner started a series of passenger flights on the 60-h.p. Caudron, making in all about four, and one time going outside the aerodrome. Manton also made several passenger flights on the 'bus. Desoutter's Bleriot having been got in flying trim again, he ascended for the second time and remained aloft for nearly half an hour, flying round about at varying altitudes up to 1,500 ft. On Sunday, which was nice and fine, there was a much larger attendance, and a really splendid display of flying took place. The feature of the afternoon was undoubtedly the thrilling duet by Gustav Hamel - who made a welcome return to Hendon—and Marcel Desoutter on two Bleaiot monoplanes. A. Cheeseman, R. T. Gates, and M. D. Manlon—who opened the afternoon's proceedings—each made several flights on ilu- Grahame-White 'bus, while M. Baumann was flying the little Caudron biplane in excellent style ; Lewis Turner was also out on the Caudron. As previously mentioned, Hamel and Desoutter created quite a sensation by both indulging in all sorts and conditions of •'stunts." At times it was impostible to keep in touch with their movements, for while Hamel was doing sp.rals at one end of the ground, Desoutter would be wallzing at the other. They also took it in turns to " cork-screw " round each other, in fact it was one of the best exhibitions of flying we have seen at Hendon for some time. Hamel gave us a second instalment of his remarkable work later on in the day, so everyone went home entirely satisfied with their after noon's amusement—or should have done. i?5
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