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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0841.PDF
JUNE 26, 1919 passed Epping and Hertford ! After a short interval Capt. Saint came along on the Airco 9, and a little later the Bristol monoplane was sighted slightly off the course. On reaching the aerodrome, Maj. Smith circled round and landed, ap parently with engine trouble. We were then informed that Maj. Carr had been forced to land at Hounslow with engine trouble, and then the other G.W. Bantam passed over, piloted by Chamberlayne, only to be forced to land later at Epsom. After a comparatively long interval, Lieut.-Col. Henderson, on the Avro, c^umpleted the first lap, after which all eyes were anxiously turned for the arrival of the sporty little Avro Baby. This latter wonderbus floated by almost before we were aware of it, for its 10-year-old Green engine was remarkably silent. It did not seem very long after this that the cry went up that the first man on the second lap was sighted, and the excitement to see who it was grew intense, for judging by the times of the first lap, both the Nieuport and the Martinsyde looked as though they would fly the Airco 4 R. pretty close. As the first machine drew near the distinctive form of the latter machine was easily recognised, and sweeping past the line amidst enthusiastic applause the victor wheeled round and landed neatly in the centre of the aerodrome, where there was a rush of people to welcome him and carry him shoulder-high to be pre sented to Queen Alexandra. Whilst these demonstrations were in progress, a second machine arrived, and this proved to be Nisbet's Martinsyde, which, after crossing the line, made a very pretty landing, and taxied up to the enclosure. Presently two machines were seen approaching the aerodrome very close together These were Manton's Airco 4 and Diaper's B.A.T. Bantam. They crossed the line with only a matter of seconds between them, and it was doubtful for some time who had won third place. There was a certain amount of disappointment in some quarters at the non-arrival of the Nieuport, which, it transpired, had to come down at West Thurrock with a punctured carburettor float. The remaining Airco machine, piloted by Saint, was not long in reaching home, and at about 6.30 Henderson on the Avro brought his exceedingly plucky and meritorious flight to a conclusion, which, judging by the fact that he did not lose any too much time in landing after crossing the line, he was very glad to do. A few minutes after a cheer went up. It was the arrival of the Baby. There was undoubtedly something about the performance of this precocious infant that appealed to everyone—and it did it with such apparent ease and without the slightest fuss. Just 190 miles at an average speed of 70 m.p.h. in a wind certainly round about 30 m.p.h. And this after a flight from Southampton that same morning ! Before finally putting the Baby to bed—and about time • •• • • -•'; ' **• fi s k.$yp^/ • ' Mr-; ^^ * Afc^B* .«jg.. • "..,.' *^ ••:,.< - *M '•J "Flight" Copyright. THE AERIAL DERBY.-The starter, Mr. C. T. Glaze- brook, at work, with Maj. Ledeboer handicapping. too at this late hour—its nurse put it through some astonish ing acrobatics, beyond description in mere words. Suffice it to say that it did practically everything that the modern larger machines can do—and we are not so sure that it. did not do them better. And so ended a verv interesting Aerial Derby. THE MACHINES OWING to the fact that a certain amount of secrecy was maintained in regard to some of the machines entered for the Aerial Derby, a few of the identification diagrams published in FLIGHT last week were, we are afraid, a little inaccurate. Naturally enough, the firms who had entered machines were not over anxious to give away too much information about them before the race, hence in a few instances the silhouettes were a little misleading. However, this week we are in a No. 1.—The B.A.T. Bantam flown by Mr. C. B. Prodger. 841 " Flight " Copyright. The engine is a 170 h.p. A.B.C. Wasp.
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