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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 1117.PDF
NOVEMBER 13, 1914. The new Grahame-White " pusher " biplane to which reference was made in " Eddies " last week, put up several very fine flights at Hendon on Saturday last. With Flight-Commander C. Grahame-White at the helm, and Mr. Manton in the passenger's seat, she made several circuits of the aerodrome, climbing at a good rate, and doing some steeply-banked turns with all the grace one is accustomed to admire when "G.-W." is in control. Later, Mr. Manton took up two passengers in the same machine, and made a prolonged flight over the outskirts of the aerodrome, the additional weight of the extra passenger not appearing to affect the lifting power to any appreciable extent. Three up with an engine of 60 h.p. only is not bad ! Besides this new machine, two more school biplanes of the front elevator type are nearing com pletion. They will be fitted with 50 h.p. Gnome engines, and give the impression of being immensely strong. The workmanship and finish are such as no firm need feel ashamed of in a " show " machine; and, in fact, they give the impression that they are too well finished for school work, remembering that it may be the fate of such a machine to be "piled up" on one of its first flights. They cannot, however, but give the pupil every confi-® ® THE RECENT FATALITIES. The Upavon Fatality. AN inquest was held on Thursday of last week in con nection with the fatal accident to Sub-Lieut. P. B. Murray which was briefly recorded in our last issue. The officer had been at the Central Flying School since September, having previously obtained his pilot's certificate on a hydro-biplane at the Lakes Flying School, Windermere, and he was regarded as more than usually competent, having regard to his short experience. The evidence showed that when he started his flight the weather was clear but subsequently a thick fog arose. A shepherd on Challton Down saw the deceased pass through the fog overhead and shortly afterward heard a crash. Some time was spent in locating the wreck owing to the mist, and then it was found that the machine had its nose buried in the ground, while the pilot was dead, still strapped in his seat. It was estimated that the machine struck the ground at a speed of about one hundred miles an hour. Death was due to dislocation of the neck, and the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the airman was killed owing to his machine accidentally striking the ground. The Fatal Accident to Mr. Busk. AN inquest was held at Aldershot on Saturday to inquire into the accident which caused the death of Mr. E. T. Busk, of the Royal Aircraft Factory. According to one witness, the deceased was flying at a height of about 1,000 ft. when a small light appeared in the front of the machine, developing into a fierce flame. After gliding for a little way the machine fell to the ground. Mr. Heckstall Smith, assistant superintendent at the Aircraft Factory, said the accident was due probably to the engine backfiring. The engine had been adopted as the standard factory type, after many months' exhaustive experiment. A verdict of " Accidental Death " was returned, the jury expressing the opinion that the death of Mr. Busk was a loss to the country. [/LIGHT] dence in the strength of his mount; and, after all, good finish is always on the right side. XXX Resting with a number of other biplanes in the new huge G.-W, shed is the tractor biplane built for the " Circuit of Britain." This machine will now be fitted with a land chassis and used as a land-going machine. Judging from her performance as a seaplane previous to her smash, this little biplane should develop a very good turn of speed when the extra head resistance of the floats is removed, and her appearance in the air at Hendon is looked forward to with interest. It would not be surprising if she developed a speed of over 90 m.p.h. XXX Several of the pupils at Hendon took advantage of the calm weather last Saturday, and apart from school practice one or two were " ticketing in great style, doing well banked figures of eight and neatly judged landings. If the two pupils whom I saw going for their brevets are fair representatives of the pilots being turned out at the various schools at Hendon—and there is no reason to suppose that they are not—we should soon have enough capable aviators to manipulate the new machines that are rapidly materialising from the various British works at such a highly satisfactory rate. " VEOLVS." ® ® A portrait of Mr. Busk and reference to his career will be found on page 1114. The Seaplane Fatality. AN inquest was held at Netley on Monday in con nection with the death of Reginald Jordan Alston, a designer of the Sopwith Aviation Co., Ltd., who was drowned in the seaplane accident last week. Mr. Victor Mahl, the pilot, said that while making a trial flight at a speed of 100 m.p.h. the machine suddenly dived at an angle of 45 degrees into the water. A verdict of "Accident Death" was returned. Double Fatality in France. IT was officially announced in Paris on the 5th inst. that Capts. Remy and Faure had been killed in an aero plane accident at Issy les-Moulineaux. No details were given as to the cause of the accident, but it appears that the machine fell on to the roof of a house and both officers sustained injuries which proved fatal. Double Fatality at Johannisthal. NEWS was received in Amsterdam last week that two German naval aviators had fallen while practising at Johannisthal, and sustained injuries to which they succumbed shortly afterwards. ® ® ® ® Missing Naval Airmen. ANNOUNCEMENT was made by the Admiralty on Tuesday last as follows :— " Flight Lieut. Charles Francis Beevor, R.N., with Sub-Lieut, the Earl of Annesley, R.N.V.R., as a passenger, left Eastchurch to fly abroad at a quarter past three o'clock on Thursday last. The machine never reached her destination. Careful search has been made with aeroplane, seaplane, and patrol ships, but no tidings of the missing airmen have yet been received. " Lieut. Beevor was a skilful and daring pilot, who had been much employed in this war in dangerous enterprises, and who had also seen severe service in the Balkan War. His loss—if it so proves—with that of Lord Annesley will be keenly felt by the officers and men of the Naval Wing." 17
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