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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0669.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 5, 1934 Ought© managed to secure a somewhat plump Yellow Jarndyce. However, he succeeded in securing several succulent specimens and a few more pills before both got fed up and retired for an afternoon nap. .: ; .; Synchronised Aerobatics Only with machines having the speed-range of the " Fury " is the perfect timing and placing of two machines, often a mile apart, possible, and even so the exhibition is a great deal more difficult than the average spectator would realise. During most of the manoeuvres the two pilots—this time P./Sgts. S. W. Bannister and S. Wroath, of No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron—must be watching one another, for not only must the machines operate as if one was a mere reflection of the other, but the converging0 ' areMORE SMOKE : Here all five of the " Skywriters " seen designing beautiful coloured patterns on their blue1 canvas. (FLIGHT Photos.) Squadron. It was a performance for which there are nosuperlatives sufficiently superlative. Last year the manoeuvre of rolling in flight formationwas carried out for the first time, and it has lost none of its capacity for astounding the onlooker. A neat roll byitself is difficult enough; to roll while watching the flight leader's wingtips, while keeping formation, and while pass-ing either over or under him at the moment when the machine is being held up by rudder is more than astound-ing; but to carry out the entire manoeuvre in time with another flight doing the same tiling . . . that becomes amiracle of practice and efficiency. This year the machines appeared to hold tighter formation. The human power of perception being what it is, how-ever, the effect of this synchronisation was sometimes lost, simply because we were so enthralled by the work of asingle flight that the second one had to be forgotten. After " crooked half-rolls," stall turns, rocket loops, rolls,and all the frills possible with the " Fury," came the masterpiece, and the almost equally staggering businessof changing formation in the course of a flight manoeuvre. Forming line abreast, looping, and re-forming a close Vduring the latter half of the loop ; looping in line astern and changing to echelon formation while coming off thetop ; a steep dive in echelon, changing to line astern, and turning through 180 degrees—every pattern perfect, andtelling us of perfect discipline, of precise control, and of engines answering to the throttle like guardsmen to thevoice of a sergeant-major. Finally, when the spectators had stood on chairs andstepped off them again, and had worn themselves out with rolling eyes and open mouths, the flights joined up andbroke away to right and left of the Royal Box with a crooked half-roll outwards. A performance worth all thetraffic-crawling any visitor could possibly have suffered. Air Drill There followed an exhibition of air drill by the four squadrons of " Harts " (" Kestrel "). First they flew past one behind the other in squadron formation, led by No. 18 (B) Squadron. Next time, as they passed over, manoeuvres must be timed so that they start directly overthe centre of the aerodrome. As usual, the overture was breathtaking. The two" Furies " dived together, pulled up into a vertical climb, stalled outwards, half-rolled into an inverted position anddived out. Then movement followed movement so rapidly that the eye was dazzled. Rolls, rocket loops, upward rolls,and slow rolls, were mingled in a perfectly synchronised pattern to the organ notes of the two " Kestrels." THE MAIN PROGRAMME The afternoon programme opened with the take-ofi of the four squadrons of " Harts." No. 18 (B) Squadron led, followed by No. 57, No. 600 (City of London), and No. 601 (County of London). All went ofi in good style in squadron formation, and did a tour of the country while they waited for their turn to take the stage. No sooner was the aerodrome clear than a Vickers " Viastra " painted with the Guards Club colours of red and blue on a silver ground flew over and landed. As soon as it was down a minute Royal Standard was run up over the pilot's cockpit, and the huge crowd sprang to its feet to greet the Prince of Wales. He had indeed set his Fathci's people a great example of air-mindedness by arriving in this way. As the machine taxied up to the Royal Enclosure, the band crashed out a stanza of the National Anthem. Synchronised Flight Aerobatics For the first time synchronised aerobatics were performed on Saturday by two flights as well as by two machines. The manoeuvres in themselves were intricate enough with- out the necessity for synchronisation between the flights, which were made up of six pilots from No. 43 (Fighter) 671
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