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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0291.PDF
APRIL 28, 1921 " . -'•" has proved to be much smaller than one would expect from model tests. In other words, the efficiency of the planes is better than the arrangement would lead one to think Be that as it may, it is probably longitudinal and directional control that will prove to be the bugbear of the tandem triplane arrangement. Closely connected with this question of longitudinal control is the problem of taking off. Before this can be done, unless the machine is simply pulled along the water until there is enough force on the wings to lift it, without altering its attitude, the nose will have to be brought out clear of the water, while the rear of the hull is depressed, and one cannot help wondering whether this is a practical proposition. It is true that the machine did actually get off, but then she carried, in addition to pilot and mechanics, 1J tons of ballast only, which is a relatively small proportion of the weight of the 100 passengers. With full load the matter might be considerably more difficult. Signor Caproni certainly deserves praise for his bold departure on such a large scale, and it is to be regretted that the accident has effectively stopped further experiments, but one hopes that some useful data may have been collected, which will show definitely whether or not the design is worth repeating. Following are the main data relating to the machine : Span, 98 ft. 6 ins.; length o.a., 79 ft.; chord, 9 ft. 4 ins.; total wing area, 7,680 sq. ft. ; weight of wings, 12,300 lbs. ; weight of boat, 6,400 lbs. ; weight of fuselages and nacelles, 3,520 lbs. ; weight of engines, 10,600 lbs. ; total weight empty, 32,800 lbs. ; weight all on, 55,000 lbs. ; cruising speed, 87 m.p.h. ; fuel consumption, 1,100 lbs./h. ; duration, 5 to 6 hours. THE MONACO SEAPLANE MEETING A " Fly-Over " for Caudrons IT cannot truthfully be said that the seaplane meeting at distance, or whether he thought it unsafe to alight in the Monaco was a greater success this year than it has been little harbour with such a fast machine, he actually alighted in the days gone by. As a matter of cold fact, the word fiasco outside the Tir aux Pigeons, where there was a considerable comes very near to describing the period between April 13 swell, and in so doing punctured his boat, which commenced and 20. To begin with, the meeting was robbed of a great to sink. Boats quickly came to his rescue, and the machine deal of interest, as far as we are concerned, by the absence was towed into port in a badly bent condition. Here occurred of any British machines in the entries list. The Italian an amusing incident. As the somewhat bedraggled Maddalena representatives arrived late, and when they did turn up they stepped ashore from his submerged flying boat a customs were, for various reasons, prevented from taking part in officer approached and asked him if he had " anything to the competitions. Of the French machines entered, the one declare." The good official appeared quite unconscious which most nearly approached modern ideas was wrecked of the humorous side of the situation, and it will be under- during one of its preliminary test flights, and there was then -' ••'-'••' • • • - • •- -left only the Caudrons and a Spad. The latter came to grief in going out of the harbour, " and then there were two."Maicon's three-engined Caudron came down and damaged its floats at Antibes, " and then there was one "—Poiree'ssingle-engined Caudron. Truly not a very brave show. The sum total of the whole affair is that Maicon pockets to come to grief outside the harbour. In the morning the 52,000 francs, and his fellow-pilot Poiree 24,000 francs. Both weather was clear, but during che day it became more and more have earned their money easily, and frpm a sporting point of overcast. Nevertheless both Lalouette on the Spad and view the whole thing has been devoid of interest. It would " - ------- - ..-._.. . *-- ^. A probably be possible to unearth in various odd corners of the Kingdom a half-dozen pre-War machines and to put up with covered the nautical mile in 48; sees., and Poiree in 49$ sees, them a far more sporting event than the Thirteenth Monaco Lalouette then disappeared in the mist and clouds for his Meeting. Perhaps the number had something to do with altitude test, and was away for about an hour. He then the failure. It is to be hoped that the Schneider race at hove in sight again, and after making a circuit alighted Venice, which is the classic seaplane race of the year, will in front of the Tir aux Pigeons, puncturing one of his floats. The machine commenced to sink, and, with his altimeter on his arm Lalouette climbed on top of the fuselage, from stood that the moment was not opportunely chosen. Need- less to say, Maddalena was not in the best of tempers, and but for the intervention of a naval lieutenant there might have been an " incident." On April 20 the second speed race was to be flown, for which Maddalena had brought over his Savoia racer, only Poiree on the Caudron " C.51 " came out for the speed over a nautical mile and for their altitude tests. Lalouette be a more interesting event. On April 19 the " Petite Croisie're," Monaco-Cannes-SanRemo-Monaco was flown the course having to be covered where he was rescued by boats and the machine taken in tow. twice. In this event the competitors were to be divided into two classes : the weight-carrying machines which carried all the instruments, ballast, etc., required for the Monaco- In the afternoon the weather had got very bad, but Maicon and Poiree came out on their Caudrons and started on the speed race, Poiree getting away first. As Maicon was caking Ajaccio-Monaco flight, and the smaller machines which off it was thought that one of his engines was not running were not required to carry any load. Four machines had very well, but he started off, evidently hoping that it would qualified for the event—Maicon's three-engined Caudron pick-up on the way. About an hour went by without news " C.39," Poiree's single-engined Caudron "C.51," Lalouette's of Maicon; then a telephone message related that he was Spad, and Maddalena's Savoia, which was to be piloted by down at Antibes, and that he and his mechanic were safe. Bologna. The Caudron '' C.39 " was the only entrant in the When Poiree returned, after completing his flight over the large class, the other three machines being in the second set. course, he related having seen, after he had turned at Cannes Maicon started off at 1.30 p.m. in the direction of Cannes, and was on his way back to Monaco, the other Caudron and shortly afterwards was seen a couple of miles off Monaco, going down toward Ancibes, and then, on touching the making for San Remo at a very low altitude. His first sea, heel over to port and commencing to settle. As he lap of "the course was covered in 1 h. 13 mins. i2| sees., his knew that the door of the cabin was on the starboard side, he second lap taking 1 h. 12 mins. 28| 'sees., giving a total felt sure the occupants would easily be able to leave the time of 2 hrs. 25 mins. 4ifsecs. As the two laps of the course machine, and consequently IIP did not alight to offer assist - amount to approximately 176 miles, Maicon's speed works ance. When, later, Maicon returned to Monaco he explained out at about 73 m.p h. In the small machine class, Poiree what had happened. A spark from the starting magneto, started off at 4.30 p.m., and completed the two laps of the he thought, had set on fire something or other, which he did course in 2 hrs.' =, mins. 7 sees., or at an average speed of not observe at the time. When near Antibes he suddenly 84-5 m.p.h. The Savoia " Mishaps discovered the fire, which had spread to the woodwork, andshouted to the mechanic to attempt to put it out. Blinded , ,, . „ , , „ . ,, ,, , ,c by the smoke, he could not see to make a landing, and the In the meantime, Bologna, who was flying Maddalena s m>achine side.slipped into the sea near Antibes. And thusSavoia, Maddalena having gone back to Sesto Calende, brought out his machine and commenced taxying out of the harbour. He quickly got up speed, and, when just between M. Laurent-Eynac is Satisfied the two lighthouses got "unstuck," but apparently too F i ith ended the thirteenth Monaco meeting. IN an interview with our French contemporary L'Auto, unstuck, bu soon, as the machine dropped into the sea again wit con- M. Laurent-Eynac, the French Secretary of State for Air, siderable force the boat springing a leak and the machine expressed himself very satisfied ^ltn the Monaco meeting, only being salved with great difficulty and hoisted on to the saying that Maicon's flight to Corsica and back in very bad north quay bv the faithful old Pofyphdme. weather proved that the seaplane is a sea and airworthy About five o'clock a dark speck appeared in the direction craft, and that Maicon's flight had blazed the trail for the of Mentone This turned out to be the Savoia racer, which first France-Tunis air line. The first stage of this route, he Maddalena had brought across from Sesto Calende in order said, will be from Antibes to Ajaccio, the second from Ajaccio to fly in the speed competition on April 20. The machine to Antiocho in Sardinia, the third and most difficult from came along at a good pace and at first it was thought that it Antiocho to Bizerta in Tunis. Antibes will thus become a would alight as did Janello last year, just at the entrance to very important seaplane base for commercial air lines, and the harbour However whether Maddalena misjudged Ids will be the air port of Cannes and Nice.
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