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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0428.PDF
Supermarine Aviation Works, Vwhose chairman, Mr. G. L. Wood, was presented to the Prince by the Mayor of South ampton. Mr. Wood then presented Commander J. Bird, Managing Director of the firm, and Captain H. Leigh-Mossley, Mr. J. Dickinson, and Mr. Cowdy, directors of the company. Mr. W.'T. Elliott, Mr. H. Victor Paine, Mr. R. J. Mitchell, Capt. Biard, Mr. C. R. Gray, and Mr. W. P. Cross were also presented, and after receiving Captain Cardona, Chief of the Royal Spanish Naval Air Service, the Prince was conducted through the works where the famous Supermarine flying boats are designed and constructed. No. 1 erecting shop was visited first, and there His Royal Highness inspected some of the amphibian bombing machines under construction for the Spanish Government, on whose behalf Captain Cardona is at present staying in this country. Photographs of the first of these machines were published in FLIGHT recently, and one of the accompanying photographs shows some later machines on the deck of the Spanish vessel sent up to Southampton to take them back to Spain. Tank-making and sheet metal work in general was the next item to be inspected, and a complete display of wing assembly and engine erection. Proceeding through the pro gress department, works office and finished stores, the Prince saw a fine display of stainless steel fittings, one of the features of all Supermarine aircraft. Wings, tail planes, fins, ailerons, rudders, streamline wires, wire cables and some samples of wire splicing were shown next, en route to erecting shop No. 3, where several " Seagulls " and samples of Supermarine boat hull building were greatly admired by the Prince. Some time was spent in the hangar of Imperial Airways, Ltd., which adjoins the Supermarine works, where Mr. Hubert Scott-Paine and Colonel Frank Searie were presented to His Royal Highness. Col. Searie is, of course, managing director of LAX., while Mr. Scott-Paine is managing director of the Marine Air Navigation Co., which firm was one of the four incorporated in the newly-formed Imperial Airways, Ltd., of which Mr. Scott-Paine is now a director. The last item on the programme of the Royal visit was the inspection of the Supermarine " Swan," a large amphibian pas senger-carrying flying-boat with two Napier " Lion " engines, and one of the latest tvpes to leave the company's stocks. By then time was getting short, and the Prince had, as a matter of fact, stayed at the Supermarine Aviation Works JULY 3, 1924 ten minutes longer than planned, so interested had he been in what Commander Bird had to show him. Inspecting the boy scouts and ex-service men on his way to the gate, the Prince of Wales left amid loud cheers, having first con gratulated the directors of the firm on the excellent work being done by the Supermarine Aviation Works. His Royal Highness proceeded to the docks, where, amid scenes of the greatest enthusiasm, he opened the new floating dock and attended various other official functions during the afternoon. By the Supermarine works a large'number of visitors were entertained on board two yachts for the rest of the day, who will not easily forget the charming hospitality of Commander Bird and his co-directors. A diversion was caused during the afternoon by an involuntary full-dress bathe by Mr. Jerry Shaw, London representative of the " Shell" company. It was, of course, inevitable that Mr. Shaw should be asked if he thought he was a " Shell "-fish. When last we saw him he was attired in a naval uniform and bowler hat, the while his own clothes were drying. In view of the distinction bestowed on the Supermarine Aviation Works, Ltd., by the visit of the Prince of Wales, and as the firm has lately been somewhat reorganised, it seems not inappropriate to state briefly the present consti tution of the firm. The chairman is Mr. G. L. Wood, who is very prominently connected with the Norwich Union Insurance Co. Commander James Bird, who has been associated with the firm for very many years, is managing director. London director of the firm is Capt. Leigh-Mossley, who until recently held a post in the Contracts Department of the Air Ministry. These three gentlemen constitute what may be termed the working directors. In addition the board of directors includes Mr. James Dickenson, a very well-known barrister, who specialises particularly in every thing pertaining to company law, and Mr. C. J. H. Cowdy, who is the accountant to Llovd's Corporation. Chief Engineer and Designer is Mr. R. J. Mitchell, who is now regarded as one of our foremost flying-boat designers. Capt. H. C. Biard is Chief Test Pilot to the firm, and is probably one of the very finest flying-boat pilots in the world today. It will thus be seen that the Supermarine Aviation Works are in a very strong position, and there is every prospect that the firm will now reap the reward to which long years of pioneer work have entitled it. PROGRESS IN THE BIG FLIGHTS ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHTS DURING last week the British and American World-Flyers passed each other in the course of their opposite journies round the world. They passed each other during flight, between Akyab and Rangoon, on June 25. Strange to say, although Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren saw the American team, the latter did not see him ; it had been hoped that the " rival " flyers would have met at Rangoon, and exchanged greetings, compared notes, etc., but owing to Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren's delay at starting from Akyab, this did not materialise. The weather at Akyab, which had been delaying Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren from starting off on the new Vickers " Vulture," improved sufficiently to warrant an attempt on June 25, and Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren left for Rangoon at 9 a.m. He soon encountered very bad weather, and after covering about 100 miles, flew into a heavy monsoon. They decided to turn back, and landed at Kyaing Creek, where they waited for two hours before being able to resume their journey. It was while waiting here that they saw the American flyers pass overhead. Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren resumed his flight along the coast of Burma, meeting with mixed weather conditions, and on two occasions he attempted to turn inland for the overland cut to Rangoon. Eventually he succeeded, and crossing the Yoma mountains just reached the plains on the other side, and landed at Yandoon on the Irrawaddy River. Starting off again an hour later, about half an hour's flight brought them safely into Rangoon, very late in the evening. On June 27 they left Rangoon and proceeded along the coast as far as Tavoy, whence they intended to ••cross the H U Across America in a Day LAST week brief reference was made to Lieut. R. L. Maughan's trans-American flight on June 23. We now give fuller particulars of this splendid effort. He was flying a Curtiss " Pursuit " biplane fitted with a Curtiss engine, aud left Mitchel Field, New York, in the dawn at 3.59 a.m., arriving at Dayton, Ohio, at 7.5 a.m. Here a broken fitting caused a short delay, but he left again at 8.15 a.m., and his next stop was a short one for fuel at St. Joseph, Mis. Other mainland to Bangkok. Bad weather prevented this, how ever, and they had to postpone their departure until the following morning. Even then matters were little better, and they experienced an exceedingly rough and dangerous passage over the moun tains. However, they made Bangkok safely after two hours' flight over 150 miles of dangerous country. They continued from Bangkok on June 29, across Siam, and all went well until they reached the mountains near Thakek, which were obscured by clouds. For a long time they endeavoured to get over, and it was not until they climbed well above the clouds that they were able to make for Vinh, steering by compass. After a short stop at Vinh they proceeded to Haiphong, where they stayed for the night. On June 30 they left Haiphong shortly after 10 a.m., and passing through varied weather arrived at Hong Kong at about 5 p.m., where they received a" very hearty welcome. In the meanwhile the Americans—Lieuts. Smith, Wade and Nelson, on the three Douglas World Cruisers—were continuing their flight in the opposite direction. They left Bangkok at 10 p.m. on June 25, and made a splendid flight, through bad weather, to Akyal)—a distance of about 320 miles—in 4£ hours. The following morning they continued their flight to Calcutta, stopping en route at' Chittagong. They had to make a detour of about 10 miles in order to avoid a severe storm. The three machines were flown down the Hooghly River to Maidan on June 20, where they were hoisted out of the water and their floats replaced by wheels preparatory to the flight across India. H H short stops were made at North Platte (12.49 p.m.) and Cheyenne. Maughan arrived at Crissy Field, San Francisco, at 9.48 p.m. (Pacific Coast time) or 1.48 a.m. of June 24, New York time—21 hrs. 49 mins. after he had started. Hjs actual flying time was 18 hrs. 26 mins., and the distance covered was 2,670 miles. After his arrival he received congratulatory telegrams from President Coolidge and Maj.-Gen. M. M. Patrick, Chief of the United States Army Air Service. 428
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