FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1205.PDF
MAY 6, 1937. FLIGHT. 45i Makers of light plane history. On the right the first D.H. 60 Moth, G-EBKT, with 60 h.p. Cirrus engine. This machine was De Havilland's interpretation of what a light aeroplane should be like. The machine was produced in 1925. The lower right-hand picture shows the Beardmore Wee Bee which won the Lympne light plane competition in 1924. The first attempt to revive interest in the " ultra light " was the Lowe-Wylde (now Kronfeld) Drone, seen below. patents originally taken out by H. J. Stieger, R. de Haga Haig and A. E. L. Chorlton. These patents covered an interesting form of wing construction. In 1934 the com pany was floated as a public company. Mr. E. C. Gordon England, one of our pioneer designers and pilots, is man aging director. The monospar types produced by General Aircraft are well known, the most recent being the S.T.25 Jubilee type, with two Pobjoy engines, and the Croydon commercial monoplane. The Gloster Aircraft Co., Ltd., is, strictly speaking, not a post-War firm, having been "born" in 1917, when Bristol Fighters were built. However, original design was not undertaken until Mr. H. P. Folland joined the firm as chief designer. The first Gloster machines showed strong family resemblance to the S.E.5 and British Nieu- ports, as was natural in view of Mr. Folland's connection with these machines. Then followed a long line of single-seater fighters, most of which went into service for many years in the R.A.F. The most recent types are the Gauntlet and Gladiator. The firm, which is now one of the Hawker-Siddeley group, has also pursued a vigorous racing policy and produced such machines as the "Bamel," and several Gloster chal lengers for the Schneider trophy. Chief designer of the firm is now Mr. W. G. Carter, who some years ago was Hawker's chief designer. From the Ashes The Heston Aircraft Co., Ltd., started its career as the Comper Aircraft Co. in 1929, when the factory was at Hooton, Cheshire. In 1933 the company moved to Heston, and in 1934 Fit. Lt. Comper resigned and the name of the firm was changed to the present one. The Comper Swift single-seater will be familiar to all. The most recent type is the Heston Phoenix, a small strut-braced monoplane remarkable for the quiet of its cabin. Mr. G. Cornwall is chief designer. After the failure of the Lympne competitions to produce really practical light aircraft, a period followed during which no one thought it worth while to build machines of this type. Then, in 1932, Mr. Lowe-Wylde decided to produce a glider fitted with a motor cycle engine. The machine flew quite well, and Mr. Lowe-Wylde persevered until his death. Some time after, the designs and good* will were taken over by Mr. Robert Kronfeld, the famous Austrian glider pilot, who has further developed the machine into the Super-Drone of the present time. His company is now called Kronfeld, Ltd., and has head quarters at Hanworth. Capt. Edgar W. Percival came to England a good many years ago after a distinguished career as a commercial pilot in Australia. His series of Gull monoplanes, followed by Mew Gulls and Vega Gulls, have won golden opinions for their high performance for a modest power output, and are among the most efficient of their class in the world. The first examples were built by Parnall, of Yate, but later Capt. Percival established his own works at Graves- end, and recently he has transferred the works to Luton Airport. Falconry Regarded by many as one of the most brilliant of our young designers, Mr, F. G. Miles joined Phillips and Powis Aircraft, Ltd., in 1935. The company itself started at Reading in a very small way, in 1929, with one small hangar, one pilot and one ground engineer. However, Mr. Charles Powis, the founder of the firm, foresaw a bright future for small aircraft, and the series of Hawks, Falcons, Sparrowhawks and Nighthawks will be familiar to all Flight readers. The most recent type is the Miles Whit ney Straight, which is held to have outstanding flying qualities. Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft, Ltd., began as engine designers in 1930, and it was not until 1935 that aircraft was incorporated both in the title of the firm and in its programme, which now includes, in addition to the design and manufacture of aero engines, the building of the Short Scion aeroplane. Capt. Ian Maxwell has been associated with Mr. D. R. Pobjoy for a number of years, and Mr. Oswald Short and Mr. Arthur Gouge are on the board of directors. The factory is at Rochester Airport. Scottish Aircraft and Engineering Co., Ltd., was founded last year to build the American Burnelli in this countrv under licence. So far no machine has been completed. The works are at Willesden. v. Tipsy Aircraft handles the little Tipsy monoplane single- seater in this country. The machine was designed by Mr. Tipps, of Avians Fairey, at Gosselies, Belgium, and is now manufactured in this country. Enquiries should he addressed to Tipsy Aircraft, at North Hyde Road, Hayes, Middlesex, where, of course, the Fairey offices are also situated.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
