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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 1411.PDF
JUNE 13, 1935. FLIGHT. 637 ERRESTRIAL uatics, Acrobatics and Aerobatics at Hatfield drome, given a short demonstration in the B.A.C. "Drone," and landed without undue "ballooning," when Mr. E. C. Collins' sailplane was pointed out by Mr. Hol- man. He had been towed over by an Avro 504N. from Dunstable, and, as one visitor remarked, would not be down on the ground for at least an hour and a half. Actually, Mr. Collins proceeded to get rid of his height quite quickly with a series of loops and stalled turns, though he made good use of his last thousand feet and hung about for a seemingly interminable period. The importance of gliding speed in Saturday's windy condi tions was effectively demonstrated during the final approach to a landing just inside the boundary. Once on the ground Mr. Collins held the sailplane down with his elevators until assistance arrived. Whatever other pilots thought of the wind it suited Mr. R. A. C. Brie in the matter of Autogiro demonstration. Rarely, if ever, has one seen the C.3O showing off so per fectly—stationary or even travelling backwards relative to the ground while into wind, and travelling, to use the expressive vernacular, " like a bat out of hell " down-wind. Time and again the Autogiro was left '' sitting '' fifty feet over the heads of the visitors, and the machine was, at all times, perfectly steady. In such conditions "trailing" tactics could only have been safely carried out by a pilot with Mr. Brie's vast experience of the type. Thereafter, Capt. W. Percival showed oft the paces of the "Gull" in his familiar and stirring manner, and Mr. E. D. Ayre proceeded to demonstrate the impossible with the B.A.C. "Drone." Grass-cutting at a ground speed of 200 m.p.h. is almost as effective as an all but vertical bank is inspiring—especially with a machine as pretty as the "Gull" and split flaps plus a strong wind can make it fly extraordinarily slowly from the spectator's view point. Grass-cutting at 30 m.p.h. is, perhaps, even more effective, though gusts made Mr. Ayre's job rather diffi cult on Saturday. It was more than a pity that the " Comet " could not have been flown as a finale, and the party ended, as it should, in general conversation and dancing. (Top) Mr. Brie, with the help of a fair wind, shows exactly what the C.3O can do. (Centre) Hat trimming for men: Mr. C. J. Melrose and Mr. Harrington watched by an interested crowd during their battle with difficult materials. (Bottom) Mr. E. D. Ayre sets off, pipe in mouth, to give a demonstration of the impossible—with the B.A.C. " Drone." Flight photographs.]
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