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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0915.PDF
AUGUST 23, 1913. I/JJGHTJ BUSY BROOKLANDS. WITHIN the next couple of weeks some very interesting machines will make their appearance at Brooklands. Without reference to the merit of the other machines, I think that the appearance of the De Bolotoft biplane is anticipated most keenly, mainly due to the fact that it is so different to what one is accustomed to regard as more or less orthodox design. It is finished, and ready to go out as soon as the propeller shaft, which has been ordered from Krupp's, arrives. As this has been made of a special steel of M. De Bolotoff s specification, and as he does not wish to put any other material than that for which it was designed into the machine, progress has naturally been somewhat retarded, but it is hoped that everything will be ready in about a week. Great curiosity is dis played as to who will pilot the machine in her preliminary tests, but at present nothing definite has transpired. The Parsons biplane, which, it will be remembered, was slightly damaged the other day owing to the failure of one of the ailerons, has been repaired, and will soon be flying again. Driven by a 70 h.p. Gnome, this machine climbs like a rocket, and it is little wonder when one considers that the machine flew, and flew well, with a 40 h.p. car engine. The fitting of a 70 h.p. Gnome has furnished it with such a surplus of power, that the Parsons paddle wheel stabilizer will now be given a fair trial, whilst it could hardly be said to have had with the heavier low-powered engine. In the Flanders shed I found Mr. Dunkinfield Jones busy putting the finishing touches to the Flanders biplane, which has been re-covered and now flies very well indeed. On this occasion she was minus the engine—one of the new 60 h.p. Isaacson radial engines— which had been sent back to the makers for some slight adjust ments. I understand from Mr. Jones that this engine is now extremely satisfactory, and develops the full rated horse power. It is good news to hear that Mr. Howard Flanders—who is at present in Devon recuperating after his motor-cycle accident—is progressing satisfactorily, although it will probably be some considerable time yet before he will be strong enough to resume his work. In the Vickers and Bristol sheds everyone was busy overhauling engines and machines to have them in good trim for the enormous amount of school work done at these two schools. With Hawker away on the Race Round Britain, there naturally was nothing doing in the Sopwith sheds, where the two 80 h.p. tractors were having a rest in the meantime. A very interesting new-comer at Brooklands is the Cham pel biplane, for which Messrs. Ducrocq and Lawford are agents. Of this interesting machine, which superficially is somewhat on H. Farman lines, but aerodynamically quite different, we hope to have something more to say shortly. Messrs. Martin and Handasyde have just completed a new monoplane similar to the one Gordon Bell was flying. The 120 h.p. Austro-Daimler engine with which this machine will be fitted is at present undergoing repairs, and as soon as these are completed the machine will be flying. Later she will be used as a waterplane, and as the turning her into a waterplane only involves the substitution of floats for wheels, we may expect to see a new addition to the list of British waterplane constructors very shortly. The machine will be fitted with a large single central float, designed and built by Messrs. Martin and Handasyde. Two smaller floats of the same make will be fitted to the king posts of the wings. I came away from the aerodrome with the impression that Brooklands will be well worth watching during the weeks to come. C. M. P. ® ® ® ® FLYING OVER CROWDS— WHEN WILL PILOTS STOP IT? [OVER and over again has the Royal Aero Club made known its strong disapproval of flying over crowds, and time after time have we supported their attitude with many arguments of justification, yet we still continue to receive communications upon the continuance of the practice. Perhaps the following very human document from a reader of FLIGHT who, having consulted us as to the bona fides of a certain pilot, was responsible for his engagement for an exhibition flight, will really bring home to pilots themselves that this feature of their otherwise excellent performances is really unwelcomed by those for whom it is done.—ED.] To the Editor of FLIGHT. SIR,—You will remember me speaking to you about a pilot for a demonstration. Well, he came here, and gave us a very good show indeed. He is a good sportsman, and, in spite of its being very cold flying, he gave us good flights for the money. There is a point, however, which I think you might take up, and that is the undesirability of a man flying over a crowd of people. He did this two or three times here, swooping down towards the people, and then rising again. As regards the actual risk, I daresay there was not a great deal; though it seemed to me that if his engine had failed at a critical time he had very little margin indeed, and a fall into the crowd with the propeller still revolving would have taxed the capacity of the hospital in whose aid the fete at which he appeared was organised. More important, however, is the fact that he frightened people a great deal. At these country shows no one knows how much control a man has over his machine, and many thought he was really going to fail among them, and were badly frightened. One woman was seen to lay her baby on the ground and kneel down and bend over it so as to save it as much as possible. Now this is not an easily frightened fool, but a brave woman, who thought quite clearly and quickly the best thing for her child, and was quite prepared to sacrifice herself for it. Other people left the ground and would not return, and many of my farmer friends, who are sound level-headed men, asked me afterwards whether I thought it safe, as they objected to it. It may be great fun to frighten a crowd and then swoop off, but even if there is no danger, the actual frightening may do a lot of harm. All sorts come to a country show, and a fright might easily cause a crush in which someone might be hurt. Country people do not see flying every day, like you do in London, and if they are to see it at all they have to come on the one day, whether it is the best time or not. Consequently there are all sorts in the crowd, women carrying babies in arms (and otherwise), and tiny children on foot, who might easily get trodden on. Further, it does not do the aviation movement any good. If he had made his swoops over the field in front of the people where he could be seen by all the whole time, it would have shown his power over his machine better, and the people would better have understood his ability. There would be no possibility of anyone thinking that he had made a mistake or was nearly coming down involuntarily. Another small point which all airmen might attend to is to keep their own people off the reserved ground. You cannot at a place like this have the reserved part railed off by permanent railings, and all we could do was to have a roped space and clear it when he flew. It is fairly easy to clear it, but the difficulty is to keep it clear till he has landed. I was acting policeman, and walking up and down the line for a quarter of an hour at a time for each flight, &c, is quite hard work. One explains to the crowd that he may want to land on any part of the enclosure at any time without notice in a hurry, but if they see his own party wandering vaguely about they cannot see why they should not do so too. I don't mean his mechanic and others who have business, but ladies of his party, relations and friends. A pilot would help the organisers of such a meeting as this very much if he gave all his friends the tip to keep absolutely off the course and behind the ropes all the time he is flying. This latter point is perhaps less important than the question ot flying over a crowd, but it should receive attention. I am sure our pilot for the day is far too good a chap to want to do harm for the sake of sensation, or to degrade flying into mere sensationalism, and if this letter can help him and other pilots to recognise the situation in its true colours, it will not have been written in vain. " A LOCAL HELPER." ® ® ® ® Searchlights for Aircraft. BOTH at home and in Germany the military authorities are testing new devices for illuminating areas from aircraft without the position of the latter being disclosed. The invention, which is being tried at Farnborough by the Royal Flying Corps, is the work of Herr Louis Muller, of Vienna, and consists of a little parachute carrying a box, which, when it is tipped overboard, lights up and illuminates a large area. In Germany the experiments are being conducted with electric lights suspended below an airship. In one test, when the airship was 1,200 metres high, the lamp was dropped 700 metres before the light was switched on. 941
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