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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1252.PDF
468 FLIGHT. MAY 13, 1937. Heterogeneity at Heathrow : Some of the aircraft on view ; in the foreground is the Fairey Swordfish. In the picture on the right the president of the R.Ae.S., Mr. H. E. Wimperis, is seen with Mrs. Wimperis receiving guests. THE R.Ae.S. GARDEN PARTY Pilots and Guests Defy the Weather at Heathrow : Demonstrating Under Difficulties : The Industry's " Indoor Amusements " Do Well THE term "garden party" suggests (or used to suggest) sunshades, silk hats and strawberries. Last Sunday, at the Royal Aero nautical Society's annual function at Fairey's Aerodrome, it implied gum- boots, galoshes and gamps. Yet, to the everlasting credit of all those modestly anonymous people who stage-manage this notable fixture, it went off—and went off more or less according to programme. Over three thousand guests, including a great many distinguished foreign visitors over for the Coronation, sheltered in hangar doorways or under accommodating wings. And one by one, penned beneath a 500ft. ceiling, various stout-hearted souls peered forward through opaque windscreens or sideways through smoking cloud and drizzle while they made their aeroplanes do all those things that should be done joyfully be neath a blue sky while sunbeams dance on the cov\lings. In spite of those weeping heavens, too, some fifty widely assorted aeroplanes, only a few of which had arrived the day before, were present on parade. Notes on points of particular interest about this fleet, and a description of the "static" exhibits in the big hangar, appear at the end of this report.. The demonstration programme was opened by Fit. Lt. J. B. Wilson, with the B.A. Double Eagle (two Gipsy Majors), and as this'unconventional but graceful '' inverted gull-wing '' mono plane came and went in the murk, now fast, now slowly, flaps-down, one realised just how vile the weather con ditions really were from an aeronautical point of view. Of the eight modern military machines listed, only the Fairey P.4/34, Swordfish and Vickers Wellesley were present. The absentees were the Bristol Blenheim, a Hart fitted experimentally with a Mercury VIII in a gilled cowling and Rotol magnesium constant-speed air screw, the Fairey Battle, Westland Lysander and Bristol Bombay. Having appeared in public on several occasions the Swordfish was not demon strated but was available for exterior in spection as an example of the latest torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance machine to go into service with the Fleet Air Arm, leaving the Fairey " P.4 " and the Wellesley to show the assembly some thing of the capabilities of modern Ser vice aircraft. F./O. Quill was deputising for Captain J. Summers as the demonstrator of the Wellesley, which, in its sombre coat of green, dark-earth and black '' shadow- shading," seemed some grim associate of the surrounding murk. Powered with one of the new Pegasus XXs, super charged to develop 925 h.p. (max.) at 10,000ft., and delivering 835 h.p. for take-off, the Wellesley has speed and agility despite its 73-foot geodetic wings, which, as Mr. Commentator Courtenay never seemed tired of observing, present a glider-like appearance. The independently retracting wheels added to the bizarre fascination of the big bomber, tucking themselves up into the wings as the machine sailed quietly and steeply up into the grey pall. The Wellesley showed its obedience to F./O. Quill as convincingly as the cloud ceil ing would allow, then made a somewhat cryptic exit into the grey gloom. Later the big Vickers performed again, its pilot taking advantage of slightly im proved conditions to reveal the readi ness with which it responded to the con trols at swift and sluggish pace. Far and away the fastest machine present, the elegant blue-grey Merlin- engined Fairey P.4 light bomber seemed
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