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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0596.PDF
OCTOBER 4, 1923 c fO A STUDY IN WAVE-MAKING : On the left, the C.A.M.S. pusher, piloted by Hurel, and, on the right, the Latham type 1, twin-engined flying boat. • • - : Saunders' works in connection with aviation. That, however,is another story, and will have to be told another time. During the wait for the " Pellet " to be finished, the Medinaand Cowes Roads afforded a good subject for study and interest. It seemed that half of the aviation fraternity hadtaken to yachting. Yachting dress—orthodox or otherwise— was the "fashion of the day, and several yachts belonging toaviation people whom one had not previously suspected of aquatic propensities were discovered in the anchorage. Firstand foremost there was Mr. Withers' magnificent steam yacht. Mr. Withers, who is over 80 years of age, is still as interested inflying as ever. In the old days, it will be remembered, no Hendon meeting was considered quite complete without Mr.Withers in his Rolls-Royce following the racing from the paddock. His interest in aviation is still as keen as ever, andon the occasion of the Schneider Cup Race Mr. Withers followed the proceedings from the excellent vantage pointafforded by his yacht, which was one of the two mark boats at Cowes. Incidentally Mr. Withers proved a verycharming host to a considerable number of visitors to the race, who will not quickly forget the days spent at Cowes inSeptember of 1923. Colonel Darby was another flying representative discoveredto be the possessor of a yacht, and for the time being might be considered to have changed from an " aerial Darby," a titlewholly disrespectfully but affectionately applied to him for his interest in aviation, to an aquatic Darby. As Clerk of theCourse, Colonel Darby no doubt found the possession of a yacht, anchored close by the course, a great convenience. Colonel- Alec Ogilvie has long been suspected of having aliking for the sea, and as he was repeatedly seen in a small motor dinghy churning up the water between the pier andthe many yachts anchored in Cowes Roads, it is considered proved that he had a vessel tucked away somewhere on thatpicturesque bit of seascape. One vessel which attracted perhaps more attention thanany other, with the possible exception of the U.S.N. Pittsburg, was a motor-assisted launch carrying a rig with which one isquite unfamiliar, consisting of two mainsails placed the wrong way up and bearing strange symbols for the benefitof those not abie to read the wording " Shell " on the yellow fabric. The new rig could not have been very efficient, asthe motor had to.be kept going all the time, assisted occasion- ally by a form of jet propulsion in which sounds vaguelyresembling music and sometimes inhuman speech, emanating from a large trumpet on deck, were used to assist the progressof the vessel. The noise issuing from this trumpet when translated was said to have stated, with considerable emphasis,•that Sir John Alcock crossed the Atlantic on a shell. Per- sonally we were under the impression that he and Sir ArthurW. Brown crossed the Atlantic on a Vickers " Vimy." At about half-past eleven the Blackburn '' Pellet'' wasfinished, and the officials were notified that Kenworthy would attempt to pass the navigability and watertightness tests.The machine was launched from Saunders' slipways, and, the engine started, taxied dc-wn the Medina to the starting line.Getting into position, Kenworthy opened out his " Lion " engine and commenced taxying. The bows rose at a consider- THE SCHNEIDER CUP RACE : Hurel, on the C.A.M.S.38 (No. 9), gets away well. In the inset is shown one'of his turns around the mark boats. He only completed one lap of the course. 596 - - . _ _ -
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