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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1533.PDF
FLIGHT. JUNE II, 1936. (Left) Hawker Ospreys reposing on the after deck of H.M.S. Gotland, the Swedish navy's aircraft carrier. The catapult is said to be capable of getting eight machines in the air in five minutes. (Below) Night-flying aids : A Bristol-engined Heinkel of No. 2 Air Corps landing alongside one -of the flare floats. The two dissolved acetylene containers can be seen just above water level. problem of all; although the ice is tested for thickness three times a day it is only when a machine eventually goes through, with perhaps unfortun ate results, that the arrival of spring is confirmed. Night flying takes place three times a week, and two floodlights of 2,200,000 candle-power each are avail able for lighting the area if necessary. The flare path is particularly efficient. It consists of three pyramidal struc tures on floats anchored to show the wind direction. Each has two lights, one at the base and one at the apex ; these are white, with the exception of the top light of the last pylon, which is red. The burners are fed with dis solved acetylene. Thus, not only is the direction of wind clearly marked,- but the pilot can easily gauge his height above the water, even under glassy conditions. No torpedo work is carried out here, but it is interesting to note that a new type of torpedo is being produced which can be dropped successfully from a height of fifty metres. Civil Ambulance Work A more humane task allotted to the Hagernas Corps is the maintenance of an air ambulance for bringing in urgent surgical and medical cases from the more remote parts of Sweden, especially during the winter. For this purpose a Junkers W.34 is used. To preserve the naval flavour all other ranks are housed in the warship Gota, of 1900 vintage, while the officers' mess is a houseboat moored alongside. The officers live in Stockholm, but very shortly permanent buildings are to be erected. The Gota is still mobile, and is used occa sionally as a target ship. The station boasts a very complete repair section, which is in the charge of Engineer Captain Falke. Complete overhauls of both airframes and engines are carried out, and there is a small machine shop to turn up any small fittings which may be required. In addition to the usual ski-ing and skating, the more dashing element amuses itself with ice yachting, and speeds as high as 150 km. /hr. are reached ; but, as it was quaintly put to us, this particular pastime is the cause of many "cracked ribbins." Finally, we must recount a small detail which caused great merriment during our visit. Before flying, we were fitted out with an Italian parachute, and there was much good-humoured speculation as to whether it was better to die rather than be saved by an Italian 'chute. Our feel ings in the matter after the contraption had been fitted, and another binder wrapped over it to prevent it fouling anything in the machine and opening prematurely, were that death would be a pleasant relief. Anyway, one can not imagine anybody getting much fun out of life if occasion should arise to use it, and sympathise with any Italians who had to bale out in Abyssinia, for truly they must have been between the devil and the deep blue sea. Pilots and officers at Hagernas (left to right) : Sub. Lt. Nylander, Ft. Lt. Weidling, Ft. Lt. WennsrstrSm, Sqn. Ldr. Hard, Group Capt. H. Enell, Ft. Lt. Lennquist, Ft. Lt. Falk, Sub. Lt. Anderson and Sergeant Major Bareutheim.
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