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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0650.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 1, 1932 " Jupiter ") belonging to Imperial Airways, Ltd. The comic touch was provided by the " Gugnunc " (" Mon goose "). The unusual appearance of the H.P.38, with fuselage and engines elevated to top plane level, attracted many visitors, and there is no doubt that the exceptionally clear view and field of fire provided by this arrangement impressed the onlookers as having a great deal to recommend it. Later in the day, the spectators were equally impressed by the flying qualities of the machine. The H.P.42 type is already known to all, but the comfortable cabins were much admired by the foreign visitors. The H. G. Hawker Engineering Co., Ltd., had four types on view, or rather three types and a variation of one. They were a " Horsley " (" Leopard "), a standard "Hart" ("Kestrel"), a "Fury" ("Kestrel"), and a " Jupiter "-engined " Hart." The latter looked quite un familiar with its air-cooled engine. It is understood that it is going to Sweden shortly to give demonstrations. The clean lines and generally graceful appearance of the Hawker machines were commented on by many, and the after noon's demonstrations were looked forward to expectantly. A very strong show was made by A. V. Roe & Co., Ltd., with no less than four types. These were a type 627 " Mailplane " ("Panther"), a type 626 ("Lynx") advanced training type, a type 621 " Tutor " (" Lynx "), and a type 631 " Cadet " (" Mongoose "). The Avro " Mailplane " in its bright yellow paint made quite a landmark on the grass, and was very quickly a centre of attraction. This machine, it will be recollected, was designed specially with Canadian air mails in view, and the machine made a tour of Canada and was reported on by all as being very suitable for the work, but Canada had no money to spend on mailplanes. With its high cruising speed and quite large mail load, it should be a very useful type in many parts of the world other than Canada, and it seems extraordinary that it is not yet in regular use. The other three Avro machines showed the remarkable range of training types which this firm now has in the market, with the little " Cadet " as the lowest-powered and cheapest of the three, the " Tutor " as the more powerful and very robust flying training type, and the 626 for specialised training in gunnery, photography, wireless, bombing, etc. Saunders-Roe, Ltd., had confined their part of the show to a single machine, the Saro " Cloud " (two " Double Mongoose "), which is an amphibian flying boat used both for civil and service purposes. In the former capacity it will carry 14 passengers, which is remarkably good for an amphibian type of this power, and as a service type its particular merit is that it makes a wonderfully useful machine for general instruction and for navigation instruc tion, its ability to start from a seaplane station, for example, and alight at any land aerodrome within its range making straight-line navigation possible. Of the two types shown by Spartan Aircraft, Ltd., the three-seater was already known to many of the visitors, but the " Cruiser" was novel to most and was much praised for its general appearance and its very comfort able and well-lighted cabin. The " Cruiser " is fitted with three " Gipsy III " engines and has seating accommoda tion for six passengers in very comfortable chairs. The machine has an all-metal fuselage of the stressed-skin type, while the cantilever wing is of wood construction with plywood covering. The Spartan three-seater is a light aircraft fitted with " Hermes II " engine, and is a type very economical to operate. The two aircraft by which Vickers (Aviation), Ltd., were represented were both in the new aircraft park at the R.A.F. Display, i.e., the " Jockey " interceptor fighter ("Jupiter") and the " Vildebeest " ("Pegasus") torpedoplane. The " Jockey " is a low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, including the covering. In size it is quite diminutive, and was easily the smallest service type of aircraft on view at Hendon. The " Vildebeest " has been designed primarily as a torpedoplane, but can also be used as a bomber. The type has been chosen as the standard equipment of, and will shortly be issued to, No. 100 (Bomber) Squadron. The Westland Aircraft Works showed two types, one service and one civil. The service type was the P.V.6 general-purpose aircraft (" Pegasus ") and the civil the " Wessex " (three " Genet Major "). The P.V.6 is, as the letters indicate, a " Private Ven ture," i.e., not designed to any particular Air Ministry specification. The machine is a development of the famous " Wapiti," of which very large numbers have been built, and has a very good performance. The " Wessex " is a small three-engined commercial machine, and is very highly regarded as a very economical type. It is in use by the Belgian SABENA lines, and on shorter routes in Great Britain. Engines and Accessories In addition to the aircraft on view on the aerodrome, considerable numbers of aero engines and accessories were exhibited in tents in the enclosures. Space doe? not per mit of a detailed " stand-to-stand " report, but .t in.tv be of interest to mention quite briefly what the different farms exhibited. Armstrong Siddeley Motors were represented by a " Panther " of 535 h.p. The Bristol Aeroplane Co. by a " Pegasus," Series I, of 555-615 h.p. A " Gipsy 111 " of 120 h.p. represented the de Havilland firm, and a " Lion XIV " Napier & Sons. The Rolls-Royce exhibit was a supercharged " Kestrel." Among the accessories, etc., the following firms were showing, the nature of the exhibits being indicated after each firm in parentheses:—Auster (windscreens) ; B.T.H. (magnetos) ; Brooke Tool Manufacturing Co. (metal parts for aircraft) ; Brown Brothers (accessories and com ponents) ; Cellon (dopes, lacquers and varnishes) ; Dunlop Rubber Co. (aircraft wheels and brakes) ; High Duty Alloys (stampings, forgings and castings) ; H. Hughes & Son (compasses and navigation instruments) ; Marconi Co. (radio receiving and transmitting apparatus). The Palmer Tyre (aeroplane wheels and brakes) ; Siebe Gorman (oxygen apparatus) ; Smiths Aircraft Instruments (navi gational equipment, engine, oil and fuel recorders, spark ing plugs, etc.) ; Standard Telephones (radio apparatus) ; J. Stone & Co. (castings, bearings and small parts) ; Titanine-Emaillite (dopes, lacquers and varnishes) ; Wil liamson Manufacturing Co. (cameras, etc., for aerial photography). The Luncheon Interval At 1 p.m. there was an interval for lunch, and hosts and guests sat down to a very cheery gathering of the friendly and informal kind which is so useful for establish ing really friendly relations. At the end of the luncheon Sir John D. Siddeley, who is chairman of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, said a few words, but as two Handley Page aeroplanes were flying about in front of the hangar doors just at that moment, it was almost im possible to hear what Sir John said. From the few snatches which we were fortunate enough to catch, we gathered that Sir John said that the British aircraft indus try was indebted to the Air Ministry and the R.A.F. for the prominent position which the industry occupied at the present time. He also pointed out that the R.A.F. was helping to establish a lead in air transport similar to that which the Royal Navy had in the past enabled Great Britain to secure in sea transport. In this country, Sir John said, we believed firmly in the importance of air transport in the future. The Flying Display While the luncheon party was breaking up, two Bristol aeroplanes gave a fine demonstration of various evolutions. They were the " Bulldog III A " single-seater fighter, and the " Bulldog " two-seater advanced training machine. The former machine is certainly very fast, and is, we be lieve, claimed to be the fastest machine of its type equipped with an air-cooled engine. The three Armstrong-Whitworth machines were the next to be demonstrated. Like the " Bulldog III A," the " A.W.XVI " is certainly a very fast machine, and a race between the two would be extremely interesting. Owing to its novelty, the " Atalanta " commercial monoplane was the type to arouse the greatest interest. The machine looks beautiful in the air, and appears to have a very good speed range. Mr. Campbell-Orde had flown it down from Whitley (Coventry) in 40 min., cruising at about 120 m.p.h. Photographs of this machine will be found on page 606. The Saro " Cloud " showed a good turn of speed, and was well handled. With its amphibian undercarriage there should be few places in the world to which it could not go. The de Havilland " Fox Moth," •" Puss Moth " and " Tiger Moth " were demonstrated next. Their flying was
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