FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0960.PDF
Grauw, Vernon, Coppens, Wood, Cuthbertson, Bolton, Liddell, Griffiths, Launoit, Sherwood, Tomson, Laidlaw, Yiule, Cox, Hamtiaux, Pauli, Dobson, Fraser and Sherwood. Instructors: Edouard Baumann, Felix Ruffy, Ami Baurnann, and Clarence Winchester. Mr. H. S. Liddel should have completed his certificate tests by the time this report appears, and several other students are on the point of passing for their brevets. Northern Aircraft Co,, Ltd. The Seaplane School, Windermere.—With instructors last week : Hallet (35 mins.), Harvey (20), Holden (18), H. Ingham (26), P. H. Ingham (14), Lawton (39), Jeffries (9), Lindner (19), Ruthven (23), Sutton (27) and Lieut. Stubbs (36). With Instructor as passenger: ® ® A LOOK ROUND A RUN down to Brooklands used to be one of the little pleasures to be looked forward to in the old days before it became munitionised and militarised, and when, in spite of less bustling, there was always enough going on to keep one keenly interested from the time one entered the gate until leaving again, and that was seldom till dusk began to creep over the landscape and stop all air- work. The old spirit that then reigned has departed to return no more, I am afraid, until after the war, whilst the new, which has taken its place, bears the impress of the strenuous times in which the nation is living. Even Mr. Cummings at the gate wears a military appearance, and looks at you, as you enter, with the suspicious scrutiny of a sentry. Nevertheless, there is a vast field to interest, and, moreover, to educate, as was evident on a recent visit to some of the hives of industry down in the "bowl." Entering the group of sheds which, in the days of old, housed the Bleriot school machines, but which have now, by removing a number of dividing walls, been converted into extensive shops, one is, in fitting " harmony," greeted by the siren-like dirge of the saws, the purring of planing and spindle machines, the rasping of files, and the blended notes of the hundred and one different sounds from the various machine tools of an aeroplane factory. It is, indeed, an object-lesson to pass through the numerous departments, from the smallest shops in which fittings are made to the large shed where the machines are erected. Never a point is missed, if you are under the guidance of Mr. Chereau, the general manager of the British Bleriot firm. In this erecting shop there is nearly always at least one complete unit standing with its propeller dead up to the doors that open out on the aerodrome, its tanks full and everything ready for testing. Not, however, just now machines directly associated with the firm's name, but models bearing other names now of world-wide celebrity. By way of example, last week the majority of the machines coming through the works were Avro biplanes, each one under licence of the Avro firm. The excellent workman ship put into these machines was apparent to the most casual observer, and in this connection it should be remembered that, being laid down less than a couple of years ago, the Bleriot plant is equipped with the most up-to-date machinery for the production of aeroplanes. $ ® Mr. Redmond and a Taube- ONE of the exciting incidents of Mr. Redmond's visit to the front occurred while he was speaking to the Royal Munster Fusiliers on the 18th inst. Writing from the British Headquarters, The Times correspondent stated that Mr. Redmond's visit had to Barber (16 mins.), Benson (15), Coats (23), Lawton (10) Macintyre (12), Robinson (27), and Ridgway (61), Figures of eight: Reid (29 mins.) and Coats (31). Instructors : Messrs. W. Rowland Ding and J. Lankester Parker. Machines: N.A.C. 80 Gnome biplane and Blackburn monoplone, TOO Anzani. Messrs. Reid and Coats passed test A for R.A.C. certificate. Jack Coats went for his ticket after only 90 minutes' tuition. He was unable to finish owing to mist and failing light, but amply proved his instructor's confidence in him. He flew high and well, and his performance is all the more creditable, in that an 80 seaplane takes a deal more handling than a landplane, as many a land pilot has found to his edification and cost. ® ® BROOKLANDS. The organisation of these works, under the direction of Mr. Chereau, ably assisted by Mr. Davidson, his works manager, is now in such perfect order that every thing appertaining to aeroplane construction is made at the works, with the exception of bolts, wire strainers and propellers, which articles, however, Mr. Chereau hopes to be able to include among those manufactured on the spot before long. In addition to the Avros, a batch of Bleriot two-seaters will be coming through shortly, it having been shown by long experience that for school work these are hard to beat, owing chiefly, one imagines, to the extreme flexibility of the Bleriot under carriages. While remaining true to the original in general design, this new batch will, I am told, show considerable improvements in detail construction suggested by Mr. Chereau, and the result, it is hoped, will be a machine considerably faster and better in every way. A visit to Brooklands without a look in upon the firm of Messrs. Martin and Handasyde would be but an apology for a call Weybridge way, and in this case it happens to be easy to combine duty and inclination, for Martinsyde workmanship and finish are a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. Once in their works one immediately notes, in various stages of construction, the new machine to which reference was made in Eddies some time ago. Being censorily restricted in describing new 'planes, it is impossible to give any adequate idea of the design and unique workmanship of this machine. And as to its performances, these are such as to make one stare in wonderment. Had I previously entertained any doubts as to the standing-up powers of Martinsyde machines they would have been quickly and thoroughly settled after an inspection of the fuselage of the Martinsyde scout No. "o," which had recently been sent home for repairs. In spite of it having seen very strenuous work and having had any amount of rough handling,'including school work, and having had a couple of undercarriages and goodness knows how many wings smashed, the fuselage, when returned to the works, was as true as the day it left the shed for the first time with Raynham on board to go through its test flights. Enough said ' P. ® ® be curtailed owing to a Taube flying overhead exactly at the moment of his address. The neighbouring British anti-aircraft batteries immediately opened a brisk fire, and as they were not successful in bringing the machine down it was thought advisable not to prolong the ceremony unduly. 924
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
