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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0676.PDF
" Avian," which consumed 121 lbs. of petrol in carrying a load of 828 lbs. a distance of 312 miles, corresponding to a mileage of 17-3 miles per gallon, and to an efficiency of 6-66 ton- miles per gallon. It is interesting to note that the average cruising speed of the " Avian " was the highest of the day, namely 68-7 m.p.h. Lympne Aerodrome, Monday, September 13.—Much better weather favoured the eight light 'planes which started this morning on their day's circuits over the course Lympne- Eastbourne-Lympne-Hastings-Lympne. This circuit is one -of 122 miles, and, as it had to be covered three times, the total distance to be flown during the day was 366 miles. In spite of the excellent weather, the day was not without its troubles, some of them threatening at one time to put one of the SEPTEMBER 16, 1926 more so to repair. For a time it looked very much as if the " Avian," the machine with the greatest useful load by far in the competition, might be prevented from completing its last circuit, in which case it would be out of the running. How- ever, the tank was repaired and Hinkler was able to get away shortly before 5 p.m., finishing his circuit with considerable time to spare. This in spite of the fact that in the last lap the tank agaiii began to leak and Hinkler had to land at Lympne on his return from Eastbourne, and before going to Hastings, his time spent in filling up being counted as flying time. His engineer had to hold a can under the leaking tank in order to catch the petrol which, if allowed to run to waste would, of course, have been counted as consumed. The tank- began to give trouble already during the eliminating trials, and '•' FLIGHT " Photographs. THE START OF THE COMPETITION : Some of the competing machines on Sunday morning at the start for Brighton. I, Uwins on the Bristol " Brownie " was the first man away. 2, Broad wastes no time on the de Havilland " Moth." 3, Chick on the Farnborough Hawker " Cygnet " gets away well. 4, Bulman on the Hawker " Cygnet " is first man home in the first circuit. The best fuel consumption on this circuit was scored by Bulman. favourites out of the running. A broken oil pipe on Lieut. Chick's Farnborough Hawker " Cygnet " (No. 4) took con- siderable time to repair, but Chick was, nevertheless, able to complete his circuits, and is therefore ptill well in the running. "Wing-Commander Douglas had to make a forced landing not far from the aerodrome, and in so doing damaged the undercarriage of his Avro " Avis " (No. 10), and had to retire from the competition, thereby reducing the number of machines still in the competition to seven. The worst trouble of the day, however, was experienced by Bert Hinkler, whose petrol tank developed a serious leak. At the end of the second circuit of the course the tank had to be removed from the machine and sent to Hythe for repairs. The tank is an aluminium one, welding being used for making joints. This type of tank, although extremely light, is a somewhat difficult proposition to make, and perhaps even it is to be feared that it may yet prove the undoing of the " Avian." At the close of the flying the following results had been obtained, the " figure of merit " being for the two circuits, i.e.. ratio of useful load to weight of petrol consumed in covering 678 miles :— Average Figure oi Machine. Speed. Merit. m.p.h. No. 6, Hawker " Cygnet " .. .. 64 3-34 No. 9, Avro " Avian " 69 3-12 No. 4, K.A.E. Hawker " Cygnet " .. 55 2-67 No. 3, Bristol " Brownie "' .. ., 58 2-41 No. 2, de Havilland " Moth " .. 71 2-35 No. 14, Parnall " Pixie III " .. .. 56 2-14 No. 16, Westland " Woodpigeon " 55 1 -65 600
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