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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0637.PDF
JUNE 17, 1920 99 * THE MARTINSYDE MACHINES AMONG the pioneer firms of British aviation is that The S.I. (191 s) of Messrs. Martin and Handasyde—or, as they are The first Martinsyde machine to be built for now styled, Martinsyde—who were among the first to settle at the little colony at Brooklands in the very earliest days of flying in this country. In those days the firm produced monoplanes exclusively, war purposes was a small scout with 80 h.p. Gnome engine. This machine became known as the S.I, and was supplied throughout the year 1915. In the accompanying drawings and photograph the machine and very beautiful machines they were, with their is shown with a Vee undercarriage, but the first few graceful outlines which resembled those of the famous models were fitted with a four-wheeled chassis of Antoinette monoplanes flown by Latham and other great strength. On several occasions this form of famous pilots of that day. It was not until about undercarriage was proved enormously strong, but 1914 or early 1915 that Mr. Handasyde was persuaded to design a machine of the biplane type, he having always been a firm believer in the superior efficiency of the monoplane. However, he has since then provided ample proof of his ability to design biplanes also, and some of the modern Martinsyde machines are among the finest in the world. It is worthy of note that in some inexplicable way Mr. Handasyde has managed to make his biplanes quite as pleasant to the eye as were his original monoplanes, although their " eyeableness" is of a somewhat different type. For sheer beauty of •outline the Martinsyde machines have never been surpassed, and the remark- able thing is that on analysing the •designs one finds that this grace of •outline is obtained, not by fine flowing curves, but by a series of straight lines The Martinsyde S.I, 80 h.p. Gnome engine WMJ. IVUJ I^UL uy a, JL.11L.0 \JI. .luaiciiu iiii\yo , forming broken curves. It is, we believe, a fact that as it necessarily reduced the speed somewhat it was artists obtain greater strength and more dignity in their drawings by breaking up the curves of their drawings into series of short straight lines, and possibly this principle also lends strength and beauty to a solid thing like an aeroplane. * All the scale diagrams of the " Milestones " series are to a uniform, scale, and are thus immediately comparable as regards relative size. Previous instalments in this series appeared as follows: Airco, January 9, 1919; Bristol, January 23, 1919 Sopwith, February 6, 1919 ; Avro, March 20, 1919 Armstrong-Whitworth, April 3, 1919; Vickers, June 12, 1919 Sage, July 24, 1919 ; Blackburn, December 11, 1919. soon discarded in favour of the usual Vee under- carriage, which was found quite sufficient for all normal requirements. The S.i, as will be seen from the table of performances, had a very good turn of speed, which was thought more of in those days than climb and other considerations. Her manoeuvrability was also very good, and especially was she a very fine looper. The G.100 (the "Elephant"). (1915) ' ; The next machine to be designed and built (duringthe summer of 1915) was a single-seater long-distance The Martinsyde G.100, 160 h.p. Beardmore engine
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