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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0929.PDF
DECEMBER 8, 1927 DRIVATE FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member ACTIVITIES OF THE "WIDGEON" MONOPLANE SINCE the Westland " Widgeon III " emerged from a thorough experimental stage it has become prominent in the light 'plane class, and is successfully active in many ways. Sir Sefton Brancker made a recent tour in one lasting a few days, flying through the East and North of England, and visiting various light 'plane clubs. Capt. Paget, A.F.C., the new Westland test pilot, was the pilot, and he met Sir Sefton Brancker at Hendon at 3.15 p.m. on November 9. The first stage took them to the R.A.F. Aerodrome at Duxford in 35 minutes. The distinguished passenger lectured that evening to the Cambridge University Aeronautical Society on " Air Transport." He described all the European air routes, of which nobodycan have had more experience, or of the air lines throughout the whole world ; and gave a general survey of Great Britain'sefforts in the Colonies with illustrating figures of speeds, costs, petrol consumption, etc., for to-day and those of eight yearsago. At 9.30 a.m. the next day the monoplane took off for Norwich, and snow and low clouds were encountered on the way, but the machine behaved well in the bad weather. A landing was made at Mousehold Aerodrome an hour after. Here Sir Sefton had a conference with the chairman and members of the Norwich Club. Half-an-hour later the tour was resumed in a blinding snowstorm, which remained with the machine until it reached King's Lynn, when the clouds •dispersed and a rather weak and watery sun made an apolo- getic appearance. The strut thermometer was regis- tering 10 degrees of frost. Owing to the prevailing northerly wind blowing across them it took the air tourists 2 hrs. 5 mins. to reach Hucknall, near Nottingham. They were met by Sir Albert Ball and Mr. David Rush- worth, the chairman of the Nottingham Aero Club, and were driven into Nottingham for lunch. At 3.30 in the after- noon they ascended again and flew north to Sherburn, the home of the Yorkshire Club. The following day Capt. Paget gave joy-rides and demonstration flights in the monoplane here, and the machine created a very favourable impression. On Saturday, November 12, he flew Sir Sefton Brancker straight back to Hendon, a distance of 197 miles, in 1 hr. 40 mins. This completed the tour, during which the " Wid- geon III " had not given the slightest trouble. The Director of Civil Aviation declared that for trim, general comfort, and luggage space, the Westland machine was very hard to beat. The remarkable performance of this light aeroplane has, in fact, roused interest overseas, and as a result the Port Eliza- beth Plying Club has placed an order for one, and this will leave England immediately. This club is new, extremely energetic, and is likely to meet with every success. Its choice of machine is bound to be an asset. A foreign order was received from the Argentine, and a " Widgeon " was recently shipped to the new Villa Lugane Flying School there, where it is to be used as a " finishing " machine for the pupils. Lady Bailey paid a visit to Westland lately in her D.H. " Moth " and tested a " Widgeon." Sqdn.-Leader the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, A.F.C., who con- tributed a very interesting article in these columns a few THE WESTLAND "WIDGEON " ABROAD : These three views were taken in Australia at the christeningof the " Widgeon " which was shipped to Brockway Motors, Ltd., Australia, who have included the sale of light aeroplanes as a branch of their motor business. This particular machine was entered by them in theQueensland Aerial Derby Speed Championship Cup Race on November 12, and it won the prize. 837
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