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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0898.PDF
12 performance figures ; on the contrary, I understand that theGloster practice in specifying performance is to give a con- servative estimate which is invariably exceeded. * * * * * Having completed my tour of the factory, I was taken tothe aerodrome at Brockworth a few miles away. In the ten enormous hangars there must be sufficient accommodationfor several hundreds of machines, ample room for the day when aviation comes to its own. A number of " Grebes "and " Gamecocks " were standing by awaiting their departure for Service units. Incidentally, one " Gamecock " was await-ing a flip to one of the Baltic States for demonstration pur- pose, while another machine was being tested before despatchto the Far East. I witnessed a demonstration of both the " Grebe " and the" Gamecock," which made me envious of the Service equip- ment of the Royal Air Force.One always associates the Gloster Company particularly with the Single-Seater Fighter, and they undoubtedly are to-day oneof the principal, if not the principal constructors of this class of machine in the world. The Grebe, the Gamecock, and theGorcock are but the latest of a series of successful Single- Seater Fighters produced by this firm. I think I am right whenI say that the Gloster Company have supplied more machines of this class, of post-war design, to the British Governmentthan any other firm. Bearing in mind the very high standard required by the British Air Ministry for Service machines DECEMBER 2, 1926 Cup pilots which, by the way, speaks very well for the work-manship put into it. The Gloster Bamel constituted a land- mark in the development of British aviation which is borneout by the fact which I learnt at Cheltenham, that a model of the machine is shortly to be placed in the South KensingtonMuseum. The Bamel was followed by the Gloster I, a development ofit, which won the Aerial Derby both in 1922 and 1923. The average speeds attained were 180 and 192-4 miles per hourrespectively. Over an officially timed kilometer the Gloster I raised the British speed record in 1922 to 212-2 miles perhour. Since 1923 the British Aerial Derby has unfortunately notbeen run owing to lack of competition. The Gloster Company however, have, I understand, been ready with a machine eachyear, but with no other entrants the race has had to be abandoned. In 1924 the company decided to enter a machine for theInternational Seaplane Race for the much coveted Schneider Cup and the Gloster II was built. A mishap to the machineduring the trials prevented participation in the race that year A new machine, the Gloster III, was produced for the 1925.race held at Baltimore, U.S.A. She finished second with an average speed over the 200-mile course of 199-169 miles perhour. The Gloster III is therefore now the fastest British machine over a distance of 100 and 200 km. The speedattained in the race however does not represent the real Gloster Aircraft Company's Works at Cheltenham. this fact is an eloquent testimony to the quality of GlosterFighters. The Single-Seater Fighter is the most important unit of anyair force equipment. Upon the superiority of this class of machine in any future . war, will, I think, depend very largelythe issue of the conflict, at any rate "in so far as aerial warfare is concerned. Nothing could be more convincing of this thanthe Hendon Display of last July in which, incidentally, some 70 Gloster Fighters participated. It is to the credit of theGloster Company that they recognised this fact from the first, and applied all their initiative and resource to the pro-duction of a highly efficient Fighting Scout. Their success in this direction is, I think, due in no small degree to high speedresearch work which has always been a prominent feature of their activities. They produced in 1921 the first real British racing machine,the Gloster " Mars I " or " Bamel " as she came to be called, which won the Aerial Derby and the handicap of that yearat an average speed over the 200-mile course of 163 miles per hour. This machine was actually turned out in little oversix weeks and entered the race practically without preliminary tests, a striking proof of the quality of Gloster design. Laterin that year the Bamel raised the British speed record to 1966 miles per hour, and at Martlesham Heath ExperimentalStation she achieved the phenomenal climb of 20,000 ft. in 12J min. Though long since outclassed by speedier Gloster machinesthe Bamel is still on the active list. Erected on floats she is now being used as a practice machine for the British Schneider capacity of the machine for several reasons. Wing radiatorswere to have been fitted but were unfortunately not available in time for the race. Unfavourable weather prevailed duringthe whole period of the trials in England which made it impossible for the machine to be properly tested out beforedespatch to the United States. I was fortunate at Cheltenham in being able to see theGloster III with wing radiators fitted, and a forged propeller, and a beautiful job it is too. I gathered however, that thenew machine now being built by the Gloster Company for the 1927 race will eclipse even the Gloster III. There can be no doubt that the experience gained in thedesigning, constructing, and testing out of these high speed experimental machines has contributed very considerablyto the success of Gloster standard types. Few British firms have done more to establish records forBritish aircraft than the Gloster Company. The position of Great Britain in regard to world records is an unfortunateone, and might convey to those who have not seen for them- selves, the impression that British aircraft is behind that ofother countries. I can assure them from what I saw at the Gloster Works that this is not so. I am convinced thatwith equal organisation and support the British aircraft industry is capable of capturing any world's record to-day. Before leaving the designing department, I was shown amodel of a patent variable pitch propeller now being tested out by the Gloster Company, who have acquired the worldrights of the invention. It has been designed by the well- known inventor, Dr. Hele Shaw, and is hydraulically operated. 786Z
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