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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0529.PDF
SEPTEMBER 14, 1922 in constant communication with her pilot. In the gusty wind prevailing it is expected that the Aveline stabiliser will assist materially in avoiding violent movements of the machine. At the start, which takes place at 10.32, the stabiliser is not, of course, operating, but as soon as well clear of the ground it is thrown into gear and one looks forward to the pilot's- account of it on his return the next day. Cobham, on the old D.H.9B G-EAAC, is away next. This machine is an old-timer truly, as its identification letters show, the beginning being made, when these letters were first introduced, with G-EAAA, so that the 9B was the third machine to be registered under the new scheme. Since that time Cobham has flown it many thousands of miles, and has used it on nearly all his European tours. We under stand it is the intention of the de Havilland Aircraft Co. to keep it going as long as at all possible, so as to get an idea of how long an aeroplane really can be used before it becomes worn out. From the appearance of the machine in the race, and the way it got away, it would seem that it still has a good many years to live, barring accidents. Mr. A. S. Butler, on the D.H.37, " Sylvia," makes a very clean start, and with its golden wings the machine looks very pretty, although at anything but low altitudes the gold paint appears merely as a yellow. His Rolls-Royce " Falcon " appears to be running extremely well, and all hope that Mr. Butler, good sportsman that he is, will have better luck than he had in the Aerial Derby. The D.H.g flown by Mr. Piercey, and entered by Col. Darby, looks very spick and span. A streamline fairing has been fitted behind the pilot, and gives the machine quite a racy appearance. We learn from Col. Darby that a special set of deck fairings have been standardised for this type by the A.D.C., so that customers can convert, in a very short time, the D.H.g from a two-seater fighter with gun ring to a single-seater with streamline back and space inside for loads of various sorts. The Siddeley " Puma," as usual, runs as smooth as a clock when the machine starts. - Perry on the A.D.C. 9A, with Rolls-Royce " Eagle " engine, takes off next. Several alterations have been made to this machine, notably the suppression of the nose radiator and the fitting of side radiators instead. The original radiator was intended for the " Liberty " engine, and was somewhat too large for the Rolls-Royce " Eagle." The alteration has resulted in better running of the engine, and has added considerably to the speed of the machine. Mr. Cyril Turner, on " The Sweep," Major Savage's S.E.5A, which is used for "sky writing," starts off several minutes after the D.H.gA. " The Sweep " looks anything but what its name might lead one to expect, being finished entirely in white, a colour which makes the machine look even smaller than the usual S.E.'s. Just before Turner starts, Mrs. Savage hands him a bunch of flowers to cheer him on his long journey and to bring him luck. F. L. Barnard, Commodore of the Instone Air Line, is starting second to scratch. His D.H.4A, also an old- timer, is on the line, waiting the signal. This machine was, we believe, owned by Instones before they started their air services—in fact, before the old A.T. and T. commenced operations on the London-Paris route, when it was used for conveying important documents, or for personal calls, between the various Instone offices. The addition of the cabin top was, we believe, carried out at the Avro works at Hamble. Thus this machine is probably, next to Cobham's D.H.9, the oldest in the race. However, to return to the start, Mr. Reynolds raises his red flag, and Barnard mistakes this for the signal to start, opens out his engine and sails away. Filling up Courtney's Siddeley start. Siskin " before the As a matter of fact he should, of course, ihave waited until the flag dropped, it being the usual procedure for Mr. Reynolds to raise the flag a few seconds before the starting time, by which competitors know that they have but a short time before the signal to go is given. Once he had got away it was out of the question to recall Barnard, and the judges decided to delay his start from Birmingham by the 10 seconds he had " gained " by his faulty start. In the absence of the Supermarine " Sea Lion," which was delayed in the Mediterranean owing to the steamer bringing it back to England from Naples (where it has just won the Schneider Cup) having to call at various ports, the Siddeley " Siskin," piloted by Courtney, is to start scratch. He gets his engine going without trouble, and with its 14 cylinders the Siddeley " Jaguar " appears to run extremely smoothly. We learn from Courtney that the absence of vibration when the engine is running all out is remarkable, and there is an overlapping of explosions which makes the " Jaguar " sound quite different from other radial engines. As mentioned in our issue of last week, the " Siskin " is built for the Air Ministry, and no particulars are therefore permitted to be published, beyond what may be gathered from an external examination. " The machine is a two-seater, in which it differs from the original " Siskin," and the mechanic appears to have some difficulty in wriggling into his cockpit. However, with the assistance of Courtney, he manages it a few seconds before the flag drops, and the " Siskin,' after a very short run, soars into the air in a slight left-hand turn, and the last of the machines is on its way towards Birmingham, the first control. K K K ^ S The winning machine comes to a standstill. C a p t. Barnard greeted by ad mirers. 5S ^ ^ ^ ^ s s
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