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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 1014.PDF
fpJGHf] SEPTEMBER 20, 1913. ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE OF REPORT No. 17. THE ROYAL AERO CLUB. REPORT ON THE FATAL ACCIDENT TO MR. S. F. CODY AND MR. W. H. B. EVANS WHEN FLYING AT FAKNBOKOUGH ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 7TH, 1913, AT ABOUT 10.30 A.M. Brief Description of the Accident.—Mr. S. F, Cody was flying a Cody Biplane fitted with a 100 h.p. Green motor, with Mr. W. H. B. Evans as a passenger, on Thursday, August 7th, 1913, at about 10.30 a.m., at Farnborough. The flight was made from Laffan's Plain, over Farnborough, Bramshot and Cove, and after being in the air for about 8 minutes the aircraft was descending as if to alight on Laffan's Plain. At a height of 200 feet the aircraft buckled up and fell headlong, the pilot and passenger being thrown out in mid-air, striking the ground some 30 yards distant from the spot where the aircraft fell. Both the pilot and passenger were killed, and the aircraft, which fell through some tree«, was wrecked. Mr. S. F. Cody was granted his Aviatot's Certificate No. 9 on June 7th, 1910, by the Royal Aero Club. Report—The representatives of the Accidents Committee visited the scene of the accident within a few hours of its occurrence, and made a careful examination of the wrecked aircraft. Evidence was also taken from the eye-witnesses of the accident. The Committee sat on Tuesday, September 9th,i9i3, and received the report of the Club's representatives. From the consideration of the evidence, the Committee regards the following facts as clearly established :— 1. The aircraft was built at Farnborough by Mr. S. F. Cody in- July, 1913. 2. It was a new type, designed for the Daily Mail Hydro-aero plane Race round Great Biitain, but at the time of the accident had a land chassis instead of floats. 3. The wind at the time of the accident was about 10 m.p.h. 4. At about 200 feet from the ground, the aircraft buckled up and fell to the ground. A large piece of the lower left wing, comprising the whole of the front spar between the fuselage and the first upright, was picked up at least 100 yards from the spot where the aircraft struck the ground. 5. The fall of the aircraft was broken considerably by the trees, to such an extent that the portion of the fuselage surrounding the seats was practically undamaged. 6. Neither the pilot nor passenger was strapped in. Opinion.—The Committee is of opinion that the failure of the aircraft was due to inherent structural weakness. Since that portion of the aircraft in which the pilot and passenger were seated was undamaged, it is conceivable their lives might have been saved had they been strapped in. Royal Aero Club, 166, Piccadilly, London, W. September 16th, 1913. FLYING AT HENDON. THE enclosures were well filled last Saturday, on the occasion of the Autumn Meeting, many people having returned to town from the holidays. A 20 m.p.h. breeze was blowing early in the after noon, but later in the evening it was quite calm. Two exciting contests took place—a speed handicap and a cross-counlry handicap —the latter being substituted for the altitude contest originally down on the programme. A trio of Grahame-White biplanes, piloted by W. Birchenough, R. H. Carr and Marcus D. Manton, opened the proceedings at 2.40 p.m. Manton ascended to several hundred feet and then returned to earth by way of several right- and left-hand spirals. W. L. Brock, now an active member of the Grahame- White colony, next came out on the So h.p. "G.-W." Bleriot, which formerly belonged to Gustav Hamel. Brock appeared to be as much at home on his new mount as on the " Deps." ; he says the Bleriot seems to be very slow after the " Dep."—the 110 h.p., of course. Brock was followed by Philippe Marty, on the 50 h.p. Rhone-Morane-Saulnier, and shortly after Robert Slack brought out the 80 h.p. Morane-Saulnier. The next pilot to come out was Pierre Verrier, on the Aircraft Co.'s Maurice Farman. These pilots made several flights prior to the start of the Speed Handicap, Brock, Manton and Verrier taking passengers. The Speed Handicap was flown in two heats of six laps each and a final of eight laps, and there were four starters in each heat. Those in the first heat were R. H. Carr (4 mins. 29 sees.) and Marcus D. Manton (3 mins. 57 sees.) on 50 h.p. *' G.-W." biplanes—Manton flying the new 'bus—Pierre Verrier (2 mins. 3. sees.) on the 70 h.p. Aircraft Co.'s Maurice F'arman, and Philippe Marty (scratch) on the 50 h.p. Morane-Saulnier. Carr kept ahead until near the end, Manton and Verrier slowly but surely gaining on him all the time. On the last lap all four machines placed themselves in exactly the reverse order in which they started, viz. : 1st, Marty ; 2nd, Verrier ; 3rd, Manton, and 4th, Carr. Manton not being placed in the final, Louis Noel took over the 50 h.p. " G.-W." 'bus in the second heat. Birchenough on an old type " G.-W." 'bus was the limit man (5 mins. 28 sees.), Noel received 4 min^. 57 sees., and W. L. Brock on the 80 h.p. Bleriot got 49 sees, from R. Slack (scratch) on the 80 h.p. Morane-Saulnier. Noel obtained the lead from Birchenough during the third lap, and retained this position for the rest of the heat. Brock, however, was rapidly catching up, and crossed the line only eight seconds behind Noel, Slack, whose engine was running very badly, coming in third, seven seconds after Brock. The final heat resulted in a magnificent finish, all four Flight " Copyright, A STRANGER WITHIN OUR GATES —Tho n;>^„,i t A •, , . IO40
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