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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0272.PDF
FLIGHT, MARCH 22, 1934 ROOM ENOUGH : In spite of the small size of the machine, there is room in the cabin for a large pilot (in this case Mr. Percival himself) wearing his parachute. The luggage locker is in the tail fairing. (FLIGHT Photo.) siderable success, but differs in being a single-seater, and in having the pilot's cabin placed very far back, in fact almost in the tail. In spite of this placing of the seat, the view is by no means bad. This is partly due to the use of an inverted, in-line engine, and partly to the fact that the cabin roof is raised a considerable distance above the decking in front of it. From a drag point of view, it is quite likely that the arrangement is good. The critical part of a streamline form seems to be that just aft of the maximum cross-section, as far as excrescences are con- cerned, and by moving the windscreen well aft, the cabin merges into the tail very neatly. With a wing span of only 24 ft., a length of but 18 ft. 3 in., and a wing area of 78 sq. ft., the " Mew Gull " is a very small machine. Yet its cabin is by no means unduly cramped. In the deck fairing towards the tail is a luggage locker, which will take quite a large suit case, if the machine is used for touring, or a fairly bulky parcel of mails or press plates or photographs. The petrol tank is in the fuselage, between the cabin and the engine, and holds sufficient fuel for a flight ofrather more than three hours. As the machine will prob- ably cruise at about 175 m.p.h., the range is approxi-mately 550 miles. The Napier " Javelin " engine has been used with success in several of the Percival " Gulls,"and is the power plant chosen for the " Mew Gull." It drives a Fairey metal airscrew. With a gross weight of 1,460 lb. and a wing area of only 78 sq. ft., the " Mew Gull " is naturally not a beginner's machine, but in the hands of a good pilot it should be capable of giving a good account of itself. One can, of course, be fairly certain of seeing several in the King's Cup Race. One would like to see it in the Coupe Deutsch, but the Napier engine is just a little over the 8 litres permitted, although by the use of liners the capacity of the " Javelin " might be brought down to the required capacity. The tare weight of the machine is 996 lb., and the load consists of the following:—Petrol 227 lb. ; oil 25 lb.; luggage 50 lb.; pilot 162 lb. At St. James's Palace Ax the Levee held by His Majesty the King at St. James's Palace, on March 13, those present included Air Marshal Sir R. Brooke-Popham (Principal Air Aide-de- Camp), Group Capt. T. E. B. Howe (Aide-de-Camp in Waiting), Wing Com. Sir Louis Greig, Marshal of the R.A.F. the Lord Trenchard, and Wing. Com. Sir N. Leslie, Bart. Amongst those presented to the King were:—Air Commodore J. Babington, D.S.O., Fit. Lt. R. Barlow, Sqd. Ldr. S. Benson, A.F.C., F/O. F. Braithwaite, Sqd. Ldr. E. Bussell, Fit. Lt. C. Cadell, Group Capt. W. Calla- way, A.F.C., Sqd. Ldr. J. Chick, M.C., A.F.C., Sqd. Ldr. D. Clappen, Sqd. Ldr. S. Collett, A.A.F., F/O. W. Col- lingwood, F/O. R. Councell, P/O. P. Donkin, F/O. C. Dook, Fit. Lt. E. Fielden, A.F.C., Wing Com. A. Glenny, M.C., D.F.C., Sqd. Ldr. J. Green, Fit. Lt. H. Hamersley, M.C., Sqd. Ldr. R. Hanmer, M.C., Sqd. Ldr. S. Harris, D.F.C., A.F.C., Group Capt. T. Howe, A.F.C., A.D.C., Wing Com. the Rev. J. Jagoe, F/O. L. Jarman, F/O. R. Jonas, Fit. Lt. H. Mellor, Air Commodore H. Nicholl, C.B.E., Air Commodore V. Richardson, O.B.E., Fit. Lt. B. Russell, Group Capt. J. Sowrey, A.F.C., Fit. Lt. I. Statham, A.A.F., Wing Com. T. Studd, D.F.C., Wing Com. J. Summers, M.C., Fit. Lt. R. Sutherland, D.F.C., Fit. Lt. A. Thackray, Fit. Lt. E. Ward, Air Commodore W. Welsh, D.S.C., Wing Com. J. Woodhouse, D.S.O., M.C., etc. • i. . Irish Free State estimates THE Public Services Estimates of the Irish Free State for 1934 make provision for a " token vote " of £10 for assistance to civil aviation ; this will permit a supplemen- tary estimate being introduced during the year if required. The Free State's subscription to the International Commis- sion for Aerial Navigation has been increased by £260 to £300 this year. No estimate of the total cost of the Army Air Corps is given, but the flying personnel (including pilots, observers, pupils and gunners) provided for is forty, as compared with thirty-five last year. "" :- - ""''— tion from £12,766 to £7,795 for general stores for this branch of the defence forces. Death of Captain Sparkes IT is with the very greatest regret that we have to record this week the death, as a result of a crash, of Capt. F. G. M. Sparkes. Tj>etails are not available at present, but it appears that Ca.pt. Sparkes was flying a new machine at Lambert Field, London, Ontario, when the accident occurred. Capt. Sparkes, as most of our readers will remember, was at one time chief instructor to the London Aeroplane Club, where he taught a great number of pupils to fly, and became very popular. When he went to Canada he was sadly missed in this country, but Great Britain's loss was Canada's gain. And now both are mourning the loss of one who has done much for flying. Swedish King buys British A STRIKING " Buy British " gesture has just been made by the King of Sweden, who has granted a royal warrant of appointment to C. C. Wakefield & Co., Ltd., makers of Castrol oil, who in this country hold warrants of appoint- ment both to H.M. the King and to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. In addition to the King of Sweden, the company supplies Prince Gustav Adolf, the eldest son of the Swedish Crown Prince, and Prince Carl (Junr.), the King's nephew. These appointments are held to be an unusual tribute to a British product. r-.: R.Ae.S. lectures THE following additional lectures will be delivered be- fore the Royal Aeronautical Society:—April 19, 1934: Air Commodore P. F. M. Fellowes, " The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition," at 6.30 p.m., in the Royal Society of Arts. May 31: Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture by Prof. B. Melvill Jones, A.F.C., M.A., F.R.Ae.S., on " Stalling," in the Science Museum, South Kensington, by kind permis- sion of the Director, Col. E. E. B. Mackintosh, D.S.O. There is a reduc- (further details will be announced later). 272
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