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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0957.PDF
DECEMBER 22, 1927 THE AFRICAN SURVEY FLIGHT HOLD-UP LIP to the present most reports concerning Sir Alan Cobham'sunfortunate hold-up at Malta have been somewhat incomplete, and we are therefore glad to have the opportunity of publishingthe following account, from Sir Alan himself, of what actually happened. In the first place, it should be mentioned that the all-metalShort " Singapore " flying boat and its Rolls-Royce " Condor " engines have behaved splendidly, although flying times haveso far been long, owing to continual head winds. All went well up to Marseilles, then vile weather was encounteredduring the flight to Ajaccio, where a landing was successfully accomplished in a very rough sea. Soon after leaving for Malta strong head winds wereencountered, with the result that they reached Malta, after a flight of 8 hrs. 25 mins., just before dark and long overdue.They alighted in St. Paul's Bay, alongside H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, which had put in there owing to a heavy swell atMarsa Sirocco Bay, where the Calafrana seaplane "station is located. The next morning, after being towed into the calmer water of the bay, they took off for Calafrana, landing without any trouble alongside a pinnace, which was waiting to receive them. There was a heavy swell running, and it was proposed to taxi the machine across the bay to the seaplane station, but Sir Alan decided that it was far"too rough to attempt this! He therefore asked the pinnace to tow them in, which they proceeded to do. All went well until they got half-way across the bay and out of the more sheltered water, when the swell increasedtremendously. Their course lay across the bay and more or less along the swell, and Sir Alan instructed" the officer incharge of the pinnace to keep head-into-wind as much as possible by steering the pinnace fairly up-wind. In this waythey were able to keep the machine more or less head on to the swell, and they drifted across the bay three-quartersinto the wind. When within 300 to 400 yards of the seaplane base " camber," and somewhat above it, the pinnace turned at right angles in an endeavour to get behind the jetty. This," states Sir Alan, " brought us broadside on to the rollers, and the angle at which we were tilted was alarming ; so I shouted to the pinnace to head into wind. Before this could IK? done we had slipped down a roller, away from the wind, dipping our starboard wing into the water so much that the side drift was too much for the starboard float fittings, which crumpled up, and the float was washed away. By this time we were into the wind, and, having taken charge of the operations, I endeavoured to drift back head-into-wind, to get into the shelter of the seaplane base, but this was impossible without turning the machine to the starboard, which I was afraid to do without a float. Members of the crew, of course, had to get on to the port wing in order to trim the machine. I knew that the only place of shelter would be in the region where we had landed, under the shelter of the cliffs, and with three of the crew out on the port wing, we were towed slowly back across the bay, keeping the machine more or less head-into-wind all the time." However, they were able to survive the heavy swell and, after a very difficult and trying experience, to anchor under the shelter of the cliffs, where the machine was left with the pinnace standing by. Three days later, the wind having dropped, the machine was successfully towed across to the seaplane base " camber " and moored up. It was impossible to get the machine on the cradle owing to the heavy swell, which, although the wind dropped, increased rather than abated. The starboard wing was kept out of the water by weighting down the port wing. A sugges- tion to tow the machine to a mooring in the shelter of St. George's Bay was rejected, as it was considered that the operation would be too riskv under the circumstances. All went well until Tuesday afternoon, when one of the worst gales that can be remembered on the island, sprang up, with the result that there was a swirling swell, with the wind right across the swell inside the " camber." About 2.30 p.m., it was noticed that the port float was beginning to sink and did not rise properly on the swell. Capt. Worrall was able to leap on board from a boat and heave the ballast off the wing tip ; he then went to the very end of the starlward wing tip, but this made no difference and did not lift the port float out of the water. Everyone feared that the port float had become water-logged, and it was realised that the only hope for the machine was to endeavour to get it up the slipway on to an improvised cradle that was handy. An Air Force sergeant managed to get on to the machine with Worrall, and after tremendous efforts, the machine was released from the shackles on the moorings on to a line which he began to pay out. The idea was to get ropes on to the wing tips from the three shores of the " camber," so that men could guide her towards the slipway. The waves inside the " camber " were now from 6 to 8 ft. in height, and at this stage the port wing tip float broke away and the wing sank into the water. Bonnett, the cinematographer, took a line and dived into the sea, swam to the machine, where Worrall took it from him, and his example was followed by half a dozen Air Force men, who dived in, got on to the machine, and eventually clambered up on the starboard wing tip. This made practically no difference, however, it being impossible to lift the port wing out of the water. However, they got the machine right up to the centre slipway, and with about 200 men giving assistance, were about to get her on to the cradle, when the swell came up over the slipway and washed the cradle away ; it has not been seen since ! The machine, in the meantime, had just missed the slipway and drifted by, but another line was got out and an effort made to get her on to the second slipway. During this period, she was floating with her port wing almost completely under water, with the top wing just out. The swell actually lifted her bodily on to the second slipway, and then the Air Force men managed to drag her up on the keel before the next wave took her off again. In so doing, the port wing tip was damaged on the rocks at the side of the slipway. She was secured, more or less high and dry, for the night, as it was thought unwise to drag her further, because of possible further damage to the lower port wing. Rocks and boulders a foot square, weighing several hundredweight, were scattered all over the tarmac, and the sea was washing in at the hangars doors, 50 ft. from the water's edge. About 5 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, November 30, although the machine was on top of the slipway, it was feared that the tail plane and hull would be damaged unless the machine was got on to the tarmac. This was carried out successfully, but the lower port wing was damaged still further in doing so. It is remarkable that the hull does not appear to be damaged in the slightest, having been drawn up on the slipway on its steel keel and gunrail. As far as can be seen, none of the structural members of the hull are strained, and it appears to be quite water-tight Engines and pro- pellers are intact, and the machine is now jacked up for inspection. This storm, which has caused such damage to the machine, has been exceptional, having lasted for 10 days, and being the worst that has been experienced for many years. Sir Alan Cobham concludes by referring to the delay as terrible, but saying that as far as repairs are concerned, " we naturally could not be in better hands than at present, for the A.O.C. has placed everything at our disposal. I am more confident about the possibilities of the " Singapore " than I ever was, and I see no reason why the flight should not be completed very successfully." Two Roving Pilots To discover the prospects of air transport in India, Burma and elsewhere, two R.A.F. olfixers, now on half-pay, will leave England this week in two D.H.9 machines converted to convey three passengers in a rear cabin. They are Flying Officers Nevill Vincent and J. S. Newall, both of whom have seen considerable service as pilots. The venture will be a private one, but it has the support of the Air Ministry for the flight will be in the nature of a thorough air survey. They fully expect to pay their way by using their machines com- mercially en route.' For certain sea stages the machines will be converted into seaplanes. An engineer and a photo- grapher, who will also act as rigger and fitter, will complete the crew and the four will be prepared to operate air services for passengers and mails for short periods in order to give business men in the areas visited a practical example of air transport. Air Survey in New Guinea THE Australian Commonwealth Government has made an agreement with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company to under- take surveys of two territories, New Guinea and Papua, to search for oil. Two geological parties will be provided by the Company and the Australian Air Force will supply the aeroplanes. The estimated cost of the scheme is £50,000. 865
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