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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0241.PDF
MARCH I, 1913. Lieut. Calderara's " hydrovol" in flight. Lieut. Mario Calderara, of the Italian Navy, who pioneered service aviation in his own country, and who trained several of the pilots who flew in the Tripoli campaign. above the water line and is so disposed relatively to the floats as to eliminate any tendency to slew sideways when first striking the water. A considerable portion of the weight is carried on the large tail, which is mounted at the rear extremity of an openwork frame that is more like those used on the Farman biplanes than it is like anything ordinarily employed in monoplane construction. Realising that the occupants of aeroplanes used in service work at sea may often be in difficulties through disablement that necessitates their landing on the water in foul weather, the designer has been at some pains to construct the floats and their attachments so as to form a complete unit that can in emergency be used as a rati. With the same object in view it has been sought to make the wings readily detachable, so that under such circumstances if the machine was obviously in danger of founding the wings might be cut adrift. Small sails can be hoisted on the uprights, and a successful experi ment of this kind has actually been made. Lieut. Calderara's present machine has a 100-h.p. Gnome engine, but another is building for the Italian Navy under the supervision ® ® of the designer's brother, who is an officer in the Italian Army, and will be fitted with one of the new 160-h.p. Gnome engines. The engine and propeller are situated behind the main wings, the cockpit for the passengers is in front of the engine and the cockpit for the pilot is in front of that for the passengers. In front of the pilot again, the body projects still further to afford space for a gun or other appliance. As seen in the illustrations, which have very courteously been supplied to us by Lieut. Calderara himself, the wings of the machine have a pronounced dihedral angle, but in future this feature will be abandoned. Hinged balancing planes of 88 sq. ft. surface each, are let in to the trailing edges of the wings, ana are operated by the single wheel control, which also works the front and rear elevators and the twin rudders. We also give diagrams prepared from rough sketches made by the designer, showing the shape of the floats which weigh only 53 lbs. each, and the arrangement of the structure immediately above the floats. ® ® BROOKLANDS AERO CLUB FIRST ANNUAL DINNER. ON Friday evening of last week, at the Trocadero, the Brooklands Aero Club held their first annual dinner, under the chairmanship of Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith. About 30 members and guests were present, the guest of the evening being Mr. Mervyn O'Gorman, Superintendent of the Royal Aircraft Factory. Replying to the toast of " The Visitors," Mr. O'Gorman made a speech that struck a note well worthy of attention, for he emphasised the importance of co-operative progress among members of the aeroplane industry, and showed why the individual success of one firm should be applauded by others as redounding to the common good that all had at heart. Proposing the health of the Chairman, Major Lindsay Lloyd, who has himself done so much to make Brooklands popular among motorists and fliers, paid high tribute to the pioneer work of Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, who has been a leading spirit of the Brook lands Aero Club since Brooklands first became a flying ground. Incidentally Major Lloyd announced that arrangements had been made by which Mr. Gustav- Flamel would visit Brooklands to give exhibition flights, and also that the Shell Co. had very generously offered a prize of £$o to be competed for among Brooklands pilots in such manner as they themselves might decide best. Mr. Cody, after saying that he hoped to make more frequent appearances, went on to defend his Cathedral. He believed our present aeroplanes were but mosquitoes as compared to the machines which would be in use within the next ten years. His next machine would be a great deal bigger than any of his previous biplanes, and he felt sure it would be more effective. ® <% ® ® Mr. Hucks at Newcastle. FLYING was very much in the air at Newcastle on Saturday, as not only did Mr. Hucks make a number of ascents on his Bleriot at Gosforth Park, but there was the arrival of several of the Army aviators. Mr. Hucks was unable to make his projected flight along the Tyne from Scotswood to Tynemouth on account of fog, but he went up several times and gave exhibitions of fancy flying. In the intervals between his trips Mr. Hucks gave impromptu lectures on his experiences, greatly to the del'ght of the spectators. 247
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