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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0418.PDF
PR1VA JUNE 9, 1927 FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member A PRIVATE OWNER'S SUCCESSFUL DEBUT •ONE of our private owners made his debut in air racing at the recent Hampshire meeting under rather unusual circum- -stances, and his success in the face of them was therefore the more praiseworthy. This was Mr. Kenneth Hunter, whose S.E.5A machine won the Morris Cup and £100 in the Morris Handicap Race. It was only on the Tuesday before the race that the Henderson Flying School received the machine and in the short time available they had to completely rig it, tune the engine, adjust and test, and generally prepare the machine for its Airworthy Certificate tests. On the Friday it was taken for the first test flight and after this the engine had again to be tested and the rigging readjusted, so that •considering the eventual result of their work the mechanics have every reason to be proud of it. On the day before the race Mr. Youell, the Imperial Airways pilot, flew it down to Hamble, and on Sunday he carried off the most valuable prize of the pageant. It proved capable of a first-class performance, quite equal to that of Mr. D. A. N. Watt's S.E.5A, which is acknowledged to be •exceptional in every way. It was registered as a private aircraft on March 19, 1927, and was one of the type originally •constructed by Messrs. Vickers who, of course, designed the S.E.5A during the war as a single-seater fighter. With regard to its condition it is practically as new, for it had been flown very little during its career. The owner himself completely re-covered the machine, that is, the wings and fuselage were re-fabriced, and he also painted on the registration marks. In general colour it is blue and silver. From the photographs -we get an admirable illustration of the small garage required by the private owner, even if he is using an S.E.5A instead of a light aeroplane. It can be seen that it is hardly as wide, at least, as the usual house garage. In this place Mr. Hunter was able to do all that was necessary. From the garaging aspect the S.E.5A has both disadvantages and advantages over the average light aeroplane. The wings do not fold back but they are taker, down and replaced very easily, and without them it does not take up the width of the light 'plane with folded wings. For private flying, perhaps, its one fault is being a single- seater, although despite this it is much favoured by private owners. Mrs. Eliott-Lynn owns one, Dr. Whitehead Reid, our first registered private-owner, has had one since 1922. as well as an Avro 548, whilst Flying-Officers Waghorn and Wheeler have one each for their private use. Mr. D. A. N. Watt is perhaps the outstanding owner of the type, for which he made history and a nickname for himself at the last Bournemouth meeting at Easter. Amongst the private owners today more old types of aeroplanes, including S.E.5A'S, B.E.2E'S and Avros are used than modern light 'planes. A particular use to which the S.E.5A has been well adapted since the war is sky-writing. Many of them in existence or use now are fitted with a Wolseley " Viper " 210 h.p. engine. Following this initial success of his machine, it is Mr. Hunter's intention to fly it himself in air races. He hoped to commence at the Whitsun Bournemouth air meeting and had entered his machine for four races, the Private Owners' Handicap, High-Power Handicap, Bournemouth Hotels Association Sweepstake and the Bournemouth and District Business Houses Sweepstake, and Lt.-Col. G. L. P. Henderson was scheduled to fly for him. However, for some reason or other most of the S.E.5a machines went on strike at Bournemouth including Mr. Hunter's so that he has yet to make his debut as a racing pilot. This keen interest of private owners generally in air racing suggests a possible future for the sport, and it should follow reasonably that the aircraft industry will be called upon to manufacture purely racing machines for some owners as well as the present touring types, or machines with potentialities for air racing. Mr. Kenneth Hunter's S.E.5a, which he renovated himself. The photograph reveals the small garage space in which the old single-seater fighter can be kept with the wings taken down. It won the first race of its career at the Hampshire Pageant, when Mr. Youell carried off the Morris Cup and £100. 380
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