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Aviation History
1930
UNTITLED0 - 0051.PDF
FLIGHT, JANUARY 3, 1930 LIGHT AND OTHERWISE THE1 photographs at the top and bottom of this columnshow two machines which were rather remarkableeach in its own way. The machine at the top is the pusher seaplane designed by Howard-Wright while chief designer to Samuel White of Cowes. Superficially the machine does not look very unusual, but it had an extraordinary wing profile in which the bottom camber was normal, but the top surface was " double-cambered," i.e., was pinched inwards at about mid-chord. Wind tunnel tests indicated the wing to be very efficient, and Howard-Wright applied the same principle to the airscrew. Whether there really was " anything in it," is, perhaps, now open to doubt, but at the time the invention caused quite a stir. The little machine at the bottom of the column is the Austin ' Whippet," designed by John Kenworthy and pro- duced in 1919. This machine was the first post-war light plane, but it was, unfortunately, before its time, there was then no demand for such a machine, and it never went into quantity production. We believe the machine is still in existence, or was until quite recently. In the column on the right, the machine at the top is the biplane designed by " Tony " Fletcher for the L. & P. School at Hendon during the war. The machine might be claimed as a light 'plane, as the engine was a 60 h.p. Anzani and a passenger was carried in addition to the pilot. Among its achievements may be recalled the establishment of a record for consecutive loops, piloted by the late Mr. Smiles. The next photo recalls the war period, and shows one of the Handley Page 0/400 bombers with Rolls-Royce " Eagle " engines. This type was to have been used for bombing Berlin, but the Armistice intervened. The little monoplane which follows is a " Bristol," and was flown in several races after the war, winning one of them (Aerial Derby) piloted by the late Larry Carter. The almost totally enclosed rotary engine is an interesting feature. In the photograph of the Boulton & Paul " Bourges " which conies next, one may without stretching one's imagina- tion too greatly see the forerunner of the modern " Side- strand." Its first claim to publicity was the stunt flying at Hendon in the hands of Frank Courtney. The little Bat " Bantam " which follows was designed by Frederick Koolhoven, and was used until comparatively recently for scientific tests of spinning. Finally, the bottom picture shows the post-war Avro 504, which was for years a familiar sight and which is only now being superseded as a training machine.
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