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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0683.PDF
OCTOBER 22, 1925 A NEW TYPE OF FLYING MACHINE The Cierva " Autogiro" Demonstrated at Famborough ALTHOUGH ita as an entirely new machine, for Sir Sefton to give a hint as to what was the proper procedure ratlon °* ^ having been published in under the circumstances, and had a few momentary, although more than two years ago, the de la Cierva " Autogiro " as it proved, futile, visions of a. convevance heading Laffan-— ^"-—-•-- V - •- the I) of C.A.tw ag which was demonstrated over Laffan's Plain on Monday of this week, October 19," in- corporates some principles not hitherto applied to flying machines. Reports of flights with this machine have reached this country from Spain from time to time, but it is one thing reading rather vague reports of flights with a new type, and quite a different thing actually to witness such flights. It was therefore with a good deal of eagerness that one proceeded to Farnborough on Monday to see Capt. Frank Courtney fly the " Autogiro" a. the Royal Aircraft Establishment, "in order to make sure of arriving in good time we took an earlier train than that which had been described by the Air Ministry as " suitable," and arrived at Farnborough shortly after 10 a.m. Knowing his apparently inexhaustible energy, one was not ih the least surprised to discover that the Director of Civil Aviation, Air Vice-Marshal Sir W. Sefton Brancker, had also decided upon an early start, and the small party was soon within the sacred precincts of the R.A.E., where a visitors' book was duly signed, credentials presented and other small formalities seen to. It was discovered that the " Autogiro " was out in the middle of the aerodrome, and what was worse, was being towed slowly but with maddening persistency farther and farther away in the general direction of Laffan's Plain. One waited THE CIERVA " AUTOGIRO " : This photographshows Capt. Frank Courtney, the pilot of the machine, and Senor de la Cierva, its designer. wards. Butscorned such modern aids to locomotion and set off hot-foot(at first) in pursuit of four curious flapping wings discerni-ble in the dim distance. The small party had not gonefar before experiencing how abominably wet the grass onLaffan's Piain can be, and the guess was ventured that this,was a special kind of R.A.E. experimental grass, speciallyproduced to dissuade curious onlookers from trespassing onthe sacred ground over which all our hush-hush machinesmake their first secret flights. On this occasion there was onlya large single-engined biplane fitted with a Rolls-Royce air-cooled " Vulture" engine, and Leitner-Watts all-wood pro-peller on the ground, and as the engine was idling over,it was suggested that this was done to prevent visitorsfrom seeing the secret pro- peller. Finally, the " Autogiro "came to a standstill opposite the pavilion on the Plain, andour party slowly approached it. all blessing the very wetwetness of the grass in hearty- undertones. All except SirSefton Brancker that is. The Director of Civil Aviationlooked as if he always walked three miles in wet grass afterbreakfast, and if his indiffer- ence was not genuine it wassplendidly simulated. On reaching the " Autogiro " a detailed inspection was atonce commenced, and owing to the utter simplicity of the mechanism, it did not take long to master the details, as far 1 THE CIERVA " • Front view. A mechanic may be seen winding the starting cable. (mnd itg suppOrts On the wings. 683
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