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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0720.PDF
NOVEMBER 13, 1924 LIGHT NEGOTIATIONS between the Air Ministry and representatives of six Light Aeroplane Clubs are, we understand, proceeding satisfactorily, although the question of engine power has not yet been settled. A meeting will take place tomorrow (Friday, November 14) at the Air Ministry, at which will be present the A.M. officials concerned and representatives of the six dubs. It is understood that definite proposals will then be made by the clubs, and that the Air Ministry will give these every consideration. * * * IT may be recollected that originally the Air Ministry announced its willingness to enter into an agreement with not more than 10 clubs. The six clubs to be represented at tomorrow's conference are as follows : The Royal Aero Club (entrusted with the formation of a light 'plane club for the London district), the Midland Aero Club (who have similarly undertaken the arrangements of a Midland Light 'Plane Club for Birmingham and district), the Newcastle-on- Tyne Light Aeroplane Club, the Lancashire Light Aeroplane Club, the Glasgow Light Aeroplane Club, and the Yorkshire Light Aeroplane Club. * * * THE Air Ministry's offer is that of an initial grant of £2,000 to each club, for the purchase of machines, etc., and an It is thus with considerable satisfaction that we are able to record that the meeting is taking place tomorrow, and we trust it will result in real progress being made. * * * VISITORS to the Lympne light 'plane meeting in September and October will remember that oil the day of the Grosvenor Cup race a small biplane arrived and, after doing a few graceful stunts, came to rest close to the railings surrounding the public enclosure. The machine was an Austin " Whippet" and is used by its owner, an officer in the Royal Air Force, for going about the country from one air station to another and also for private flying visits. The machine handles extraordinarily well, and in spite of the fact that it must be four or five years old, does not seem to have deteriorated to any noticeable extent, * * * THE Austin " Whippet," which is shown with its owner in the accompanying photograph, was designed by Mr. Ken- worthy shortly after the War, and was, it may be recollected, exhibited at the last Olympia Aero Show. Owing to the fact that the Austin Motor Co. closed down its aircraft section only a few of these machines were turned out, and consequently it is of interest to be able to call attention to one of them, not only being in existence today, but actually flying as THE AUSTIN " WHIPPET " : Fitted with a six-cylinder Anzani engine of 45 h.p. this machine has an excellent performance coupled with low landing speed. It is used by an Air Force Officer as a run-about, and has been in service for some four or five years. annual subscription of £500 for two years towards running expenses. Furthermore, the Air Ministry will make a grant of £10 for each pilot's certificate issued to "a member of a club. On their part the clubs will be required to provide aerodrome accommodation, employ at least one pilot- instructor, and one ground engineer, and generally to put up financial or other contributions at least the equivalent of that offered by the Air Ministry. * * * THERE are other provisos, but these in brief are the general conditions upon which the Air Ministry is prepared to assist the formation of light 'plane clubs. " The initial grant of £2,000 per club, towards the purchase of machines, does not appear likely to be made until the engine question has been settled, as somewhat naturally the Air Ministry will want to be sure that the machines to be purchased partly with the taxpayers' money are fitted with suitable power plants. As far as can be seen, however, the engine controversy is far from being settled, and a somewhat interesting situation has therefore arisen. However, the sooner the general plans are discussed as between the Air Ministry and the clubs, the sooner may we expect a definite policy to be evolved. strongly as ever. It may be argued that the machine is not a light 'plane, but then, as its owner very pertinently asked at the Buchanan lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society recently, when is a light 'plane not a light 'plane ? It is true that the Anzani engine has considerably more than the 1,100 c.c. capacity permitted at Lympne, but at any rate the " Whippet w is a low-power machine, and until the light 'plane class has been officially defined may be regarded as such. * * * THE particular Austin " Whippet" illustrated in our photograph landed on the testing track of the Austin works at noon, recently, having left Northolt at 10 a.m., and having made a call at Coventry for petrol on the way. The " Whippet " has a span of 21 ft. 6 ins. only, and can almost, as its owner puts it, pass through a hole in a hedge. As the wings fold the machine takes up very little space in a hangar, and the landing speed of 35 m.p.h. is sufficiently low to enable the machine to be landed almost anywhere. With its standard tanks the machine has a range of approximately 180 miles. It might be added that the machine has flown several thousand miles, and has paid flying visits to the Continent several times. 720
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