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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0606.PDF
OCTOBER 19, 1922 GLIDING, Those wishing to get in touch with others interested in matters relating to gliding and the construction of gliders are invited to write to the Editor of FLIGHT, who will be pleased to publish such communications on this page, in order to bring together those who would like to co-operate, either in forming gliding clubs or in private collaboration. HENRY FARMAN is practising gliding outside Boulogne on one of his " Moustiques." Already he has made a consider able number of nights, lasting on an average 4 mins. each. In the meantime, the glider should soon arrive at Itford Hill if it is to take part in the British competition. * * * * SEVERAL well-known aircraft constructors are following with interest the happenings on the South Downs. Mr. C. R. Fairey is staying there en famille. Capt. Geoffrey de Havilland arrived on Sunday last by air, and landed in a field below the hill. Mr. F. Handley Page, in spite of a damaged undercarriage, was also, an interested spectator. On enquiry, we learned that " H. P." had been playing golf, and that in making a drive he kept his foot flat on the ground, with the result that there was a crack as if he had broken his club, and his knee joint was found to be wrenched. He had to go to bed for a fortnight, and Sunday last was his first day out. With the aid of crutches Mr. Handley Page was able to get about, but not without difficulty, and climbing up and down the slopes around Itford is not exactly suitable exercise for a man with a broken leg. Still, wild horses could not have kept " H. P." away from the gliders. All will wish him a speedy recovery. * * * WHILE everyone sympathised most sincerely with M. Barbot, whose machine crashed on Sunday while taking off, it was impossible that tjie happening should not be made the subject of a joke, as would, of course, a mishap to anyone else. Some wag suggested that in the future the Dewoitine should be known as the " Do-it-in." RAYNHAM'S controls have come in for a good deal of criticism, owing to the fact that he operates his ailerons by the simple procedure of pulling on the aileron cable with his left hand, while operating the elevator with his right and the rudder with his feet. It is suggested that if this tendency towards simplicity is allowed to grow we shall see pilots flying barefoot, with the rudder cables wound around their big toes, the elevator strings in their mouth and the aileron cables attached to their ears. * * * RAYNHAM has done well, hasn't he ? Most people would say so. But still he has failed to do what he promised our representative on Sunday last. His scheme, and a perfectly good and unanswerable one it was, was to get off at sunrise and remain up until sunset. Other competitors would then be unable to beat him because " every day in every way is getting shorter and shorter." * * * ALTHOUGH the gliding competition has provided great sport and fine performances, it has sadly disappointed many. From the entries list one was justified in finding on, or at the foot of, Itford Hill a number of strenuous gentlemen pedalling away for dear life and lifting themselves into the air. Up till Tuesday night the only pedals we noticed were those on our " push-bikes," and they showed no inclination whatever to leave mother earth. But we still have hopes. It has been suggested that these direct-lift machines should be made to start from the foot of the hill and alight on the top. And quite right, too. * * * JUST as we are going to press we learn that Mr. Jeyes has crashed on his Aachen glider. Starting on Oct. 18, from Beddingham Hill in a strong gusty wind he fought gamely for \\ minutes, but, on attempting to land, a gust caught the machine and it crashed on a wing tip, turning over and pinning Mr. Jeyes underneath. Fortunately he escaped serious injury, but the machine is a complete "write-off." THE BRITISH GLIDING COMPETITION The Minimum Duration Exceeded on First Day of Meeting LEWES, Saturday, October 14. IN the tent hangars erected on the northern slope of Itford Hill competitors are busy putting finishing touches to their machines. The first of them to arrive on the scene of the gliding competition for the Daily Mail prize of ^1,000 and several subsidiary prizes was Mr. Gordon England, who made one or two short "hops " yesterday to test the trim of his small monoplane. This machine is housed in the upper tent, Fokker starts off on his 37 minutes' flight. as is also Raynham's monoplane and Jeyes' Aachen (Klem- perer) machine, the monoplane which won the gliding com petition in Germany last year. In the next tent M. Barbot's Dewoitine monoplane is standing all ready for the fray. During the early morning hours the other tents remained empty, but several competitors were expected to arrive during the day, notably Merriam's and Sayers' monoplanes. Gordon England had found in his preliminary flights that his rudder was on the small side, and he and his brother, George England, were busy during the day making a slightly larger rudder. About half-past three in the afternoon Mr. Jeyes had his Aachen lifted outside the hangar to try a short hop across the ridge which runs north from Itford Hill. A detachment of the R.A.F. (from Uxbridge) under the com mand of Flying Officer Gowler, have been " lent " by the Royal Air Force to assist in starting and generally handling the machines, and in Jeyes' attempt were hauling lustily on the ropes. When the word " Go " was given, the mechanics hanging on to the wing tip ropes did not let go in time, one of them getting tangled up in the long rubber cords used for starting. As the Aachen monoplane was not designed to carry passengers on its wing tips, it came down somewhat abruptly, and the landing shock broke one of the seat sup ports, and also caused an elevator pullev to come adrift. However, no great damage was done, and Mr. Jeyes and his assistants were soon at work patching up the broken parts. Shortly afterwards, Raynham, Gamm, and half a dozen of willing helpers carried the Handasyde monoplane to the top of Itford Hill, where Raynham tried three starts along the straight, not attempting to go " over the top." His machine got off remarkably well, leaving the ground at a speed of certainly not more than 10 m.p.h., and floated along a few feet above the ground, coming down gently and stopping in a couple of yards. While he was gliding along, Raynham worked his elevator vigorously to test the control, and even at»that low speed the machine appeared to answer extremely well. The rudder control, however, was not quite so good, and Raynham decided to follow England's example and fit a slightly larger rudder. Towards evening the Sayers' glider arriyed on a lorry placed 606
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