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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0466.PDF
LAST week reference was made to the fact that two or three of the aircraft firms which had confidently been ex pected to enter machines for the Lympne light 'plane com petitions in September had decided to refrain from partici pating in this event. We are sorry to have to add, this week, to the list of non-entrants the name of the English Electric Company. Some months ago, it will be remembered, this firm had extremely bad luck in having an experimental flying boat damaged on its first trials. While taxying to take off the machine struck some floating object in the water, and received considerable damage to the hull. The result was that the firm's programme was considerably delayed, and after thoroughly going into the matter it was decided, not without reluctance, that as time did not allow of re building the " Kingston " and building a light 'plane two- seater as well, the former was the more important, and the light 'plane had to be dropped, although the designs had been completed and some of the parts actually been made. KNOWING how very interested Mr. W. O. Manning is in the light 'plane, and remembering that he designed the first light 'plane in Great Britain, and thus may justly be regarded as the pioneer of the present low-power aeroplane movement. the enforced non-participation of the English Electric Co. in the Lympne meeting will be generally regretted, and we are sure all our readers will be as sorry as are we to learn that there will, after all, be no two-seater success or to the amazing " Wren " of last year, at any rate in the com petitions. It is to be hoped, however, that when the present rush is over the English Electric Co. will find the time to build a machine for general light 'plane work later on. IT is with considerable satisfaction that we are able, through the courtesy of Short Brothers of Rochester, to publish this week the scale drawings and particulars of the two-seater now being built by that .firm for the Lympne meeting. Not only is this description the first to be pub lished, but the Short is the first of this year's two-seaters to be " released for publication," as the Air Ministry would say. The Short is of interest on many accounts, not least because of the all-metal fuselage. This is probably the first time in history that Duralumin construction has been applied to the fuselage of such a small machine. IT really begins to look as if the formation of light 'plane clubs might begin to take concrete form. In the official notices of the Royal Aero Club on page 463, it will be seen that the Club has appointed Col. Darbv and Commander Perrin to work out details, and with two such energetic sup porters of the light 'plane movement there should very soon be real progress to report. THE course over which will be flown the Tour de France des Avionnettes has now been decided upon, and a small sketch map of the course is published herewith. The eliminat ing trials, as well as the start, will take place at the Bleriot aerodrome at Buc, and the first turning point will be Clermont- Ferrand, in Auvergne, where the first French glider meeting was held. The distance from Buc to Clermont-Ferrand is given as being 340 kms. (212-3 miles), and is the longest Sketch Map of course to be followed in Tour de France des Avionnettes. "leg" of the whole course. Flying will be carried on on alternate days, so that competitors will have a day's rest at Clermont-Ferrand before proceeding on the next stage, to Valence, a distance of 169 kms. (105-6 miles). The third stage, from Valence to Nimes, is of 128 kms. (80 miles), followed by a longer one of 241 kms. (150 miles) from Nimes to Toulouse. At Toulouse competitors will alight at the Francazal aerodrome. The fifth stage is from Toulouse to THE UDET " KOLIBRI " LIGHT MONOPLANE : Side view. 466
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