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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0492.PDF
too much of a hurry about increasing the size of engine for light 'plane work. Concerning the machines themselves there is little to be said as they were, with one exception, last year's types, the qualities of which have never been in doubt. The relatively poor results given last year by these machines were almost very largely due to unreliable engines, and now that this weakness has been remedied the machines really got an opportunity of showing what they could do. The only new machine entered for the various races, the Cranwell C.L.A.3, only secured one first prize, but the machine., nevertheless, amply justified its designer and pilot, Flight-Lieut. Comper, who, once he got used to his mount, handled it with extraordinarily great skill and seemed to be getting the last ounce out of it. His failure to secure more than the one first prize may perhaps be ascribed in a measure to handicapping, although several times he came very near winning. The machine itself is a very highly creditable effort, and the Cranwell Light 'Plane Club is to be congratulated not only upon their machine and its designer, but upon their excellent sporting spirit, which enabled the machine to be built and flown. Another amateur machine which did well in the competitions was the Farnborough " Hurricane," piloted by Chick, and among other successes won first prize in the Grosvenor Challenge Cup race. The fitting of the Bristol " Cherub " engine seems to have improved the machine out of all recognition. It is rather significant that on the whole amateur designers have been very successful at Lympne this year, which tends to show what keenness and deter- mination can really do. It should be recollected that in nearly all cases amateur efforts have been greatly hampered by lack of funds, and that mostly it is a matter of very considerable personal sacrifice on the part of all concerned to make the entering and flying of a machine at all possible. As regards the meeting itself, it was on the whole very interesting, although it cannot be denied that there were dull " patches." The Certified Perform- ACGUST 6. 1925 ances on Sunday last were not calculated to enter- tain the general public to a great extent, but the afternoon was relieved by private challenge races between various machines, and this form of racing proved perhaps the most interesting of all from the point of view of the public, and might with advantage be further encouraged at future meetings. Against Monday's programme it might be argued that it was too long and that it was difficult to sustain the interest throughout the day, although in themselves the various races were very good and pro- vided some exciting sport, machines being repeatedly bunched together around the aerodrome turning point. Not only was it difficult to sustain the interest but the strain on the pilots was undoubtedly very severe. It is one thing to fly across country for distances of 100 miles at a stretch, but quite a different thing to fly 100 miles over a 12|-mile circuit, where pilots have to be on the alert the whole time taking advantage of every opportunity that offers. The choice of Lympne as the venue for the meeting has been criticised on the score that Lympne is some- what out of the way in relation to London—plus the handicap of the Southern Railway. The attendance during the three days, while not being as large as would probably have been the case at one of the London aerodromes, was by no means hopeless, although it must be admitted that a very large per- centage of the visitors were more or less directly interested in aviation. It should not be impossible to arrange for one or two Saturday meetings at Hendon or Croydon a little later, and since the Lympne meeting has now shown that the engines available are sufficiently reliable to enable races to be flown around pylons, as used to be done at Hendon before the War, this form of racing with its demand for much personal skill on the part of the pilot might be encouraged. From the manner in which the light 'planes were handled at Lympne it is obvious that there would be no difficulty in taking them around the old pylons course at Hendon. STAFF OFFICERS AT FILTON : Our photograph shows members of the R.A.F. Staff College at Andover on a recent visit of inspection to the Bristol Aeroplane Company's Aircraft and Aero Engine Works at Filton. Air Vice-Marshal Brooke-Popham is in the centre, seated between Sir Henry White Smith and Mr. H. J. Thomas 492
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