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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0493.PDF
-' AUGUST 7, 1924 at Newcastle. Here Biard burst a tyre, and, having dis carded his spare wheel at Birmingham, continued on the rims ! The remaining 11 machines arrived at Glasgow within the space of half an hour, Courtney leading and Carter close behind. Biard managed to make a safe landing with the tyreless " Sea Eagle," but slightly damaged the wheels, and as he replaced these with wheels obtained from "outside " he was officially placed out of the race. Nine officialiy started from Glasgow the next morning— Stocken having retired and Biard, although he started, being disqualified. All arrived fairly close together at Manchester. Carter broke a landing wire, which put him out of the race, while CD. Barnard failed to cross the line correctly and was disqualified. Thus only seven machines left for Bristol, where they arrived with Courtney and Broad " neck and neck." All seven started on the final stage to Hendon, and all arrived safely. Courtney was first, having completed the full course in 5 hrs. 25 mins. 27 sees. (150 m.p.h.). Second place was obtained by Cobham (George Robey's " jockey "), whose time was 5 hrs. 36 mins. 25 sees., while the Tate-Broad combination obtained third place. PROGRESS IN*THE^ BIG* FLIGHTS Round-the-World Flights SINCE our last report on the World-Flights matters have been going none too well for both British and American expeditions, misfortune having once again overtaken them. In the first place, it looks as if the British attempt by Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren will have to be abandoned, for his second Vickers " Vulture " has been crashed beyond repair—fortunately without injury to himself or crew. The American team, when they talked, on their arrival in this county, of -having negotiated the worst part of their section when they crossed the Pacific, did not do full justice to our own weather con ditions. These caused some delay in their leaving the British Isles, and when they did, only one managed to penetrate the prevailing fog and reach Iceland, while one, Lieut. Wade, was forced to descend and crashed his machine in so doing. After his arrival at Petropavlovsk very little news was received from Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren, except that he was weatherbound, as reported last week. At first it was repcted that he was missing again, and then came an announcement that he had met with an accident, as a result of which it seemed unlikely that he would be able to continue the flight. At the time of writing no details of this mishap are available, but it appears that they resumed their journey, from Petropavlovsk for Attu, probably on Sunday last, but, owing to thick fog, they were forced to descend in heavy seas near Nikolski, Komandorski Islands. In doing so, the machine was seriously damaged. Fortunately no one was hurt, and the s.s. Thiepval was able to rescue them and salve the engine and hull of the machine. As the latter is beyond repair and no spares are available, there seems to be little hope of the flight being continued. Squad.-Ldr. MacLaren, accompanied by Flying Officer Plenderleith and Serg. Andrews, left Calshot on the Vickers " Vulture " on March 25 last, and on reaching Petropavlovsk on July 24 they had completed 12,305 miles^ a little over half the total distance round the world. As we briefly announced last week, the three American world-flyers, Lieuts. Smith, Nelson and Wade, resumed their flight from Brough, Hull, on July 30. Having previously made trial flights on the Humber, the three Douglas world- cruisers made a start for the final leg of the world-flight at about 10 a.m. As had happened on previous occasions, Lieut. Smith's machine had great difficulty in rising, and the others were circling well up overhead before their leader finally got off the water. However, all three machines eventually made off towards Kirkwall, in the Orkneys, following the coast line. During the latter part of the journey they encountered fog, and after a flight of 5 hrs. 40 mins. they arrived safely at Kirkwall. Fresh fuel was immediately taken in preparatory to an early start next morning. The British clerk of the weather said otherwise, however, and it was not until August 2 that they were able to make a start for the 800-mile oversea trip to Iceland. The sea at Scapa Flow was glass-calm when they made a start at 8.40 a.m., but once again Lieut. Smith's machine refused to rise. His companions, therefore, descended and made another start, Lieut. Smith following in the roughened waters caused by their machines, and thus succeeded in getting off. They soon encountered thick fog and lost sight of one another. Lieuts. Smith and Wade returned to Kirkwall, but Lieut. Nelson continued on his way. About 300 miles from Iceland he sighted the U.S. destroyer Billingsley, and learning that his companions—whom he thought were ahead —had not passed, he decided to push on. Shortly after the weather cleared, and Hornafjord was reached at 4 p.m. Lieuts. Smith and Wade made a second attempt next day, the former arriving at Hornafjord after flying through fog and rain squalls, but Lieut. Wade, just before reaching Faroe Islands, had engine trouble, and in landing damaged his machine. Lieuts. Wade and Ogden tried hard to effect repairs, and drifted about on a rough sea for four hours before being rescued by a British trawler. The machine was taken in tow by the Billingsley to the U.S. cruiser Rich mond, which endeavoured to hoist the machine on board. Unfortunately the hoisting gear broke, causing greater damage still, and further efforts to salve the machine failing it had to be sunk bj' gunfire. The two airmen are naturally very disappointed at being thus put out of the world-flight after having got so far. Smith and Nelson arrived at Reykjavik on August 5. Maj. Zanni, of the Argentine Air Service, who, with his mechanic, Beltrame, is making a round-the-world dash on a Fokker CIV (Napier " Lion "), has made very good progress since he left Amsterdam on July 26. From Rome he arrived at Constantinople on July 30, continuing after an hour's stop to Aleppo. On July 31 he reached Baghdad, and then flew on to Basra. The next day he got as far as Bundar Abbas, and on August 2 he got as far as Karachi. He reached Naserabad on August 5. Sig. Locatelli, the Italian aviator who is attempting a flight across the Atlantic on a Dornier "Waal" mono sea plane, arrived at Brough, Hull, from Rotterdam on August 4. <$> <5> ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY OFFICIAL NOTICES THE Council of the Royal Aeronautical Society announce the following programme of lectures for the Session 1924-1925 so far as at present arranged. Further lectures to complete the programme will be announced later. Advance copies of all lectures may be obtained from the Secretary, 7, Albemarle Street, W.I., price 6rf. each or 5s. for the series. Nov. 27. Dec. 4. Dec. 18. 1925 Feb. 5 Dr. G. C. Simpson, C.B.E., F.R.S. (Director, Meteorological Office) : "Thunderstorms." Colonel F. Searle, C.B.E., D.S.O. (Managing Director, Imperial Airways, Ltd.) : " The Maintenance of Commercial Aircraft." Mr. A. R. Watson Watt (Superintendent, Radio Research Board Station) : " Recent Studies on Radiotelegraphic Atmospherics." 1924 •Oct. 2. Licut.-Col. H. T. Tizard, A.F.C., F.R.Ae.S. (of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Re search), Chairman : Inaugural Lecture. Oct. 16. Dr. A. Rohrbach (of the Rohrbach Metall-Flug- zeugbau Co.) : " Large All-Metal Seaplanes." Oct. 30. Major J. S. Buchanan, A.F.R.Ae.S. (of the Tech nical Department, Air Ministry) : " The R.Ae.C Light Aeroplane Competitions." Nov 13. Professor L. Birstow, C.B.E., F.R.S., F.R.Ae.S. (ZaharofI Professor of Aeronautics, University of London) : " Skin Friction." 493 Air Commodore C. R. Samson, C.M.G., D.S.O., A.F.C, A.F.R.Ae.S.: " The Operation of Flying Boats in the Mediterranean." Feb. 19. Major R. V. Southwell, A.F.R.Ae.S. (Superin tendent, Aerodynamics Department, National Physical Laboratory) : (Title to be announced later). Mar. 5. Lieut.-Col. C. B. Heald, C.B.E. (Medical Adviser to the Director of Civil Aviation, Ah" Ministry) : " Some Medical Aspects of Air Transport." Mar. 26. Dr. Eckener (Managing Director, Zeppelin Air ship Co.) : " Modern Zeppelin Airships." W. LOCKWOOD MARSH, Secretary.
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