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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0019.PDF
JANUARY 6, 1916. gSJgJl) EBDJES IN the last copy to hand of our excellent French con temporary VAerophih I came across a few particulars of the accident which cost poor Gaston Caudron his life. He was making a flight at the Military Aerodrome at Bron (Rhdne), on December 12th, in one of the twin- engined Caudron biplanes. Mounted in the nose of the central nacelle was a wooden model of a machine gun which was carried for experimental purposes. This dummy during the flight became dislodged and got wedged in in such a way that it locked one of the controls, with the result that the machine became unmanageable and fell to the ground. In the terrible smash that followed, poor Caudron, as well as M. Desmarais his designer and Jeame his mechanic, was killed. After a ceremony at Lyon the obsequies were held at the Madeleine Church in Paris on December 18th, at which M. Robert Esnault-Pelterie spoke on behalf of l'Aero- Club de France, Colonel Bouttieaux on behalf of l'Aero- nautique militaire, and M. Lucien Millevoye, deputy, on behalf of the groupe parlementaire de l'aviation. XXX While chatting to Mr. Fletcher at the offices of the London and Provincial Aviation Co. the other day about the new tractor biplane, of which parts are now getting finished, we were looking over the detail drawings, when among them I came across one which was slightly out of its element in that particular drawer. Inquiry revealed I' ' r THI$ 'r-m ! that the straying sketch was the work of one of the L. and P. instructors, Mr. Sykes, who seems to have a happy turn of wit and the skill to be able to put it on to paper, as may be judged by the little effort in question annexed hereto. The farmer's dialect must look after itself; I'm no judge. xxx However, we are getting away from biplane drawings, just as I did when sketch. In addition to the various wood parts of the new L. and P. 'bus, a lot of the metal fittings are coming through, and a very promising lot they look. By a the L. and P. I found Sykes' liberal, but judicious, employment of Duralumin, Mr. Fletcher has managed to keep down weight to a sur prising degree without in any way detracting from the strength. In fact, with the exception of the wiring plates, nearly all the metal parts are made of this metal, even the tubular wheel axle, which, although being, if I remember rightly, i\ in. outside diameter, only weighs about four lbs. The wings too are coming out very light, the ribs, which are made of spruce webs and flanges, weighing only about four oz. each. They are of a section somewhat similar to the R.A.F. 6, with a slightly modified lower camber. Everything going well, it is hoped that the 'bus will be ready to take the air in something less than two months' time. The trials will be awaited with interest. XXX It is inevitable that with such a great number of Voisin biplanes in use for bombing expeditions a large percentage should be struck by enemy projectiles, and as a rule no great notice is taken of such hits by the pilots in charge unless bullets get home in a vital part of the machine. Some time ago one of these machines returned from a successful aerial duel with an Aviatik, and it was found that it had no less than eight bullet holes in it, all of which indicated that the Germans came pretty near scoring a bull with several of their shots. Five went through the nacelle in the immediate vicinity of the pilot's and passenger's quarters. The other three lodged respectively in the pilot's coat, in the observer's shoe, and in one of the pipes of the engine. This is the fourth time that this particular Voisin—No. 860—has been in a " scrap " with a German machine, and its pilot, Lieutenant Dampierre, who is second in command of l'escadrille Voisin 21, has had many narrow escapes. XXX Walter L. Brock, of air race fame, who is now, as pointed out in " Eddies " some time ago, connected with the Thomas Brothers Aeroplane Co., of Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A., has been busy lately testing the new Thomas machines. One of these, the second seaplane built for the U.S. Navy, was doing excellently during the trials, several new improvements having been effected in her construction. On the eve of her acceptance trials she had been flying well, carrying her full load, when on coming down from 2,000 ft., at so steep an angle the pilot was unable to flatten out in time, and she dived into the sea, being completely smashed. Brock and. his passenger, luckily, were none the worse for their ducking, with the exception cf a slight shock, xxx During that fine flight of his from Toronto, Canada, to New York City, Victor Carlstrom caused the Customs officers of the port of New York a lot of trouble without knowing it. How it all came about is thus described in our New York contemporary, Aerial Age:— " The trouble began when George F. Doherty, of the brokerage firm of M. L. Eckstein and Co., 21, State Street, informed Collector Malone that he wished to 19
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