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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1442.PDF
ms NOVEMBER 6, 1919 THE FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA IN connection with the flight to Australia, for which the Australian Government has offered a prize of .£10,000, events now appear to indicate that this competition may almost amount to a race. The Sopwith machine entered for this flight left Hounslow some time ago, and was, as recorded in FLIGHT at the time, obliged to descend near Cologne. Some speculation as to the reasons for landing there has been occupying the minds of many interested in the flight. We are informed that the machine and engine are both quite all right, and that what caused the descent was exceptionally bad weather. The machine left Hounslow in reasonablv good weather, but after crossing into France fogs were encountered and it was only occasionally that Capt. Matthews caught a glimpse of the ground. One of these showed him that he was over Ypres, and he had some trouble in finding Marquise aerodrome. However, this he ultimately succeeded in doing, and spent the night there. He left Marquise next morning, again meeting with very bad weather. Through a rift in the clouds he discovered a town below and decided to come down to enquire. After cruising about for nearly an hour he found a landing ground, and discovered that he was at Cologne. Apparently a very strong wind had upset all his calculations, and as he could not see the ground he had no means of ascertaining his actual drift. Continuous bad weather kept the " Wallaby " at Cologne until November 2, when a start was made. Even then, it was only possible to get on to Mayence. In addition to the Sopwith " Wallaby" three other machines are now all but ready for the attempt, and are mainly waiting for an improvement in the weather before making a start. These are : A Martinsyde, an Alliance, and a Vickers-Vimy. As all the machines must start from Hounslow it would appear that the arrival of better weather •will mean the start of all three machines more or less together, and an exciting race may therefore be looked to. The Alliance Machine The machine entered by the Alliance Aeroplane Co., Ltd., is, generally speakirjg, similar to the " Seabird " which flew from London to Madrid. It is a tractor biplane with totally enclosed fuselage. The pilot occupies the rear of the cabin, control being by means of hand wheel and foot bar. Windows in the side allow of looking out laterally and to a certain extent at an angle forward. A triangular opening in the side, level with the pilot's head permits him; if desired, to put his head outside, when he can see fairly well in a forward direction. The engine fitted in this machine is a Napier Lion of 450 h.p. As will be seen from the accompanying photograph, the engine is totally covered in, only the exhaust pipes projecting, and the forward corner of the outer banks of cylinders. The fuel tanks, which have a capacity of about 500 gallons of petrol, are mounted inside the body, in front of the cabin. The machine has a maximum speed of about 135 m.p.h. Lieut. Roger Douglas, who will pilot the machine, was born in Queensland, and enlisted in the A.I.F. at the outbreak of War. He was at the landing on Gallipoli with the' AustraUan Machine Gun Battahon ; from there he went to Egypt, and ultimately arrived in France with the first con tingent of the A.I.F. He was Sergt. in those days, and for bravery in the face of the enemy at Pozieres in 1916, was awarded the D.C.M., afterwards receiving his Commission on the Field. He gained a further decoration, viz., theM.C, at Polygon Wood in September, 1917. Having thoroughly proved himself on land, Lieut. Douglas sought fresh fields to conquer and joined the Australian Flying Corps. After doing good work in France, he was selected as instructor of Photo, bv Birkett. THE FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA : Lieut. Roger Douglas, M.C., D.C.M., who will pilot the Alliance machine, and his navigator, Lieut. J. S. L. Ross, of the Australian Flying Corps. THE FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA Photo, by Birkelt. Side view of the Alliance machine, 450 h.p. Napier Lion engine ,444
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