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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0642.PDF
two laps of the course at an average speed of 76 • 1 m.p.h. Invain did one look for the larger machine. Then the mystery was solved by Mr. Bolas, who explained that two machineshad been entered, one for the economy and altitude flying, and the other for the speed competition. Instead of buildingtwo complete machines he had made the one fuselage, under- carriage and tail do for both, merely changing the engine, 1/ OCTOBER 18, 1923 Company, whose very pretty little biplane, the " Gannet "(described and illustrated in FLIGHT on October 4, 1923), wasprevented by a refractory engine from taking part in the competitions. This machine is fitted with a Carden two-cylinder, two-stroke engine of 750 c.c. capacity. This engine is an experimental one, designed and built for the competi-tions, and the time available was too short to enable it to get The " Poncelet " at Lympne Lieut. Simonet in the cockpit of his machine " Castar." flight. Inset, the machine in wings and rudder (the latter only because of the differentnumbers). A considerable saving had thus been effected. The Avro firm, to whom the idea of entering " two "machines had not occurred, had a pair of smaller wings for the Avro monoplane ready to be put on, but the officials ofthe meeting refused to let the machine enter, as by substituting the smaller wings, they considered, the machine would havebeen so much changed as to constitute in effect a different type. Thus we had no opportunity of discovering what theAvro monoplane would have done in the matter of speed when the wing area was reduced. Judging from the per-formance of No. 6 with the large wings, her speed should have been quite good with the smaller ones. Everyone sympathised with the Gloucestershire Aircraft through its teething troubles in time. We have no doubtthat had the Carden firm had another month or two in which to discover the various little " snags " that must be expectedto crop up in the evolution of a new type of engine, the " Gannet " would have performed very well indeed. Werather incline to think that Mr. Folland, the designer of the " Gannet," is probably on the right track in having decidedin favour of the two-cylinder vertical two-stroke type of engine. The balance and torque of this type should be verygood, while the simplicity of the two-stroke should appeal to the private owner-pilot who does not care to have to do moretinkering than absolutely necessary. The fact that the two- stroke is not very economical in petrol need not cause anymisgivings, as even a two-strokeshauld give a mileage of at THE " VIVETTE " TURNS TURTLE : In starting for a flight at Lympne the Poncelet light 'plane " Vivette "was caught by a gust under one wing, with the result that she was blown on to one wing tip, buckled the port wheel, and turned over on her back. The pilot was unhurt. The larger photograph shows willing helperscarrying the machine back with her wheels uppermost, in the good old 1910-11 style. In the inset the machine is seen at the moment of striking. 642
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