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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1837.PDF
JULY I, 1937- FLIGHT. *9- Rational, informative announcing, in fact, featured throughout the display. A varied trio represented De Havil- lands on their home ground. First into the air was the Albatross, making its first public flying appearance. The take-off, with flaps about one-third down, was impressive and a steep zoom from low altitude was, for so large a machine as the Albatross, a revelation, while the contrast of slow flying with maximum level speed showed its remarkable flexibility. During the Albatross demonstration the 86B took off, displaying a good turn of speed, and in its ability to climb steeply indi cated that there would be a considerable reserve of power even under full load. The ceiling on two of the four engines is between 2,000 and 4,000ft. Mr. Geoffrey de Havilland very ably demon strated the flying properties of the Don trainer with its Gipsy Twelve (Gipsy King I) engine, diving at well over 200 m.p.h. to within 20ft. of the flying field and executing steep climbing turns. Three Miles types took off in quick succession, the R.R. Trainer, the Magis- ter and the Whitney Straight. Mr. Miles in person first threw the Whitney Straight about in a quite alarming man ner, making one-wheel landings and emulating a large grasshopper on the flying field. Mr. H. W. C. Skinner, in the Magister, " dazzle "-painted in the true sense in red, yellow and white, then took over, and after showing the general flying qualities required of a trainer, gave ar longish spell of inverted flying. Lastly, although the first of the three to leave the ground, the Kestrel XVI trainer suddenly appeared at high speed as if from nowhere and was as quickly gone again in a long steep climb into the blue. Its next appearance was equally fast over the crowd and finished in a climb and turn over and back. Having dived from several directions, the cream- coloured trainer came round in a gentle glide and gracefully alighted. Both the Henley light bomber and the Hurricane multi-gun single-seater fighter were listed to appear for Hawkers, but only the two-seater, in charge of Mr. Philip Lucas, took off. This demon stration was studied with special atten tion because the Henley has lately been made the subject of a large Air Ministry production order. • IP * ST •-. • ^j:.^. ^^m$ fcfc^yJLjF -• - jflfc"*— llil VIHv ^Hc H BB 9HHB A Hawker pair that aroused much interest, particularly among the foreign visitors— the P.4'34, or Henley, and (hiding behind it) the Hurricane. The Henley light bomber has been adopted by the Air Ministry. (Flight photograph.) In accordance with an Air Ministry proviso that machines on the Part Pub lication List should not be demonstrated at low altitudes, Mr. Lucas was some what aloof, but he did show that our new standard light dive bomber can give any fighter a run for its moneys Quick changeovers from bank to bank told of very powerful ailerons. A slow roll in which about 500ft. of height was gained was a feature of Mr. Lucas's masterly show. In the absence of the Battle medium bomber, Fit. Lt. Staniland was left as the Fairey champion, mounted on the P.4/34 light bomber which seems, if one may mix metaphors, as fine a medium for his technique as he has yet handled. Staniland is particularly partial to rolls off long zooms in which manoeuvres he is assisted by the Merlin's immense reserve of power. One of his most striking items was a lengthy period of inverted flying which went far toward compensat ing the guests for the omission—at official request—oi his intimate slow rolls. He could not resist making his customary steeply banked circuits to round off his show. Taking full advantage of its slots and flaps, v.p. airscrews and the high take- (Left) A Static " cameo—low-altitude bombing with the aid of the Handley Page release gear. Other views in the Static section appear on pages 23-25. (Right) ine Rotol v.p. airscrew installed on a Mercury-engined Hart. (Flight photograph.) off power available from its two Pegasus engines, tha Harrow heavy bomber, which, was teamed with the Hampden '' medium '' in the Handley Page effort, sailed up steeply and majestically after an incredibly short run. According to the announcer, the Hampden, which fol lowed, was off in nine seconds. Both machines flew past fast and slow, high and low, and were at all times very convincing. The high-spot was undoubt edly the Harrow's well-known imita tion of vulture abqnt to go to Lyonch. This was something the majority "of the foreign guests did not expect from a high performance heavy bomber. Cap tain W. Rogers was at the wheel. The Hampden was posed for inspec tion at all angles by Captain J. H. Cordes. BRISTOLIANS The Bristol demonstration was an nounced as intending to show an aero plane (the Blenheim medium bomber with twin Mercury VIIIs) an engine (the sleeve-valve Perseus in a Hawker dive bomber biplane) and an airscrew (the Rotol fitted to a Mercury in a Hart). The responsible trinity were Messrs. Uwins, Pegg and Washer. Fit. / Lt. Uwins left not a shadow of a doubt that the Blenheim is the fastest and finest twin-engined bomber of its kind in the world. He has the happy knack of '' putting over '' a machine without resorting to cheap showmanship. It seemed to be difficult to keep the Bristol-engined Hawkers on the ground ; they seemed to be obsessed with an in satiable desire to point themselves sky ward and to climb indefinitely at some thing approaching go degrees. The Mercury-Hart, with its businesslike three- bladed Rotol . constant-speed airscrew, was off the ground in five seconds. One could not help remarking that the Mercury advertised its presence more than the Perseus. The Perseus-engined dive bomber (with de Havilland v.p. airscrew) went gracefully through a short programme of rolls and loops. Airspeed's only flying exhibit, the Oxford twin-engined trainer, carries very full equipment and has many good points for training duties, as the readei can see by turning to pages 26 and 27. Cruising speed at 7,000ft. is 161 m.p.h and the duration is about 5$ hours. Tht
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