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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0892.PDF
NOVEMBER 24, 1927 order to cast off was given, and the two powerful engines were " given the gun " as the Americans say. No stop watch was available wherewith to time the take-off, but the " Singapore " was certainly off in 18 seconds, and probably less. The manner in which the " Singapore " unsticks is little short of amazing, and on one occasion recently, when the present writer had the privilege of being a passenger in this machine during a test flight, with Mr. Lankester Parker at the wheel, the " Singapore " got off in 10 seconds. Well in the air by the time it passed the slipway, the " Singapore " flew up the Medway for a mile or so, greeted by cheers from the party in front of the works and the onlookers who lined the towpath. Then the machine turned about, flew downstream and, passing low over Rochester, disappeared rapidly in the haze, heading for the Thames on% its way to London. The mist of the morning had not greatly improved by the time the " Singapore " crossed the Tower Bridge, but for all that, by flying very low, Sir Alan Cobham gave thousands of Londoners an opportunity of seeing the large flying-boat starting out on one of the most ambitious cruises of explora- tion that have ever been undertaken. Whether the good Londoners thoroughly appreciated the significance of the occasion may, perhaps, be open to doubt, but it can safely be said that they enjoyed the sight. Following the Thames as far as Reading, Sir Alan Cobham headed for Southampton Water, and arrived at Hamble about half past three, having started from Rochester at 1.30 p.m. Originally it had been intended to start on the first " serious " stage of the flight on the morning of November 18, but the weather was so bad that a postponement became necessary [" FLIGHT " Photographs " GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK " : The Short " Singapore," two Rolls-Royce " Condor " engines, starting on its 20,000-miles flight from Rochester, on November 17. Below, Left, Sir Charles Wakefield, whose generosity has largely made the expedition possible, and, Right, Mr. Oswald Short and Mr. Basil Johnson, of Short Brothers and Rolls-Royce respectively, the firms who produced the flying-boat and its engines. 808
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