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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1312.PDF
460 FLIGHT. MAY 12, 1938. Some personalities : (left to right) Gliding enthusiasts— Miss Amy Johnson and Mrs. Kay Petre ; Sir Harry Brittain and the misses Mary, Anne and Elizabeth Handley Page ; the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, Mr. E. Hordern, and Mrs. Tyndall. so to speak, the other branch of the diversion from the original Taylor Cub. This is quite a luxurious little side-by-side-seater with the 40 h.p. Continental flat four, and a car-like instru- ment panel from which project two control wheels. Mr. Field- Richards demonstrated it for the concessionnaires, Prentice Air Services, ol Ipswich. Next came Fit. Lt. Christopher Staniland with the slim Fairey P.4/34 (1,000 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin), which is the younger and rather smaller sister of the Battle. At past R.Ae.S. Garden Parties, S.B.A.C. Displays and so forth, Staniland's demonstrations have been a star turn, consisting as they have of vertical turns, rolls and so forth performed at an almost indecently low altitude. This year, one imagined, he had been asked to apply the soft pedal lest, perchance, some member of the Parliamentary Air Committee or other valuable guest expire of heart failure. So his usual act was performed at rather greater height, which did not mean that his rolis- ofi-loops, climbing rolls, rocket loops or what-have-you were any less perfectly executed. The Merlin, too, did its best to make up for any lost spectacular value by occasionally emitting an inspiring series of bangs, with puffs and streamers of black smoke, when the throttle was cut. Mr. A. H. C. A. Rawson delighted the crowd with the little Kay Gyroplane (75 h.p. Pobjoy R), the constructors of which were Odie, Bradbury and Cull, of Southampton Airport. He demonstrated an almost direct take-off, although the machine, with its controllable-incidence rotor blades, makes no claim to "jump start" capabilities. His subsequent display of the Gyroplane's controllability contrasted curiously with the fact ' Flight " photograph. that (according to the programme) lateral control is by socktng action of the stick. Came the first tea interval, and so great was the crowd that even a whole squadron of marquees could not engulf the onslaught. The London Gliding Club put up a fine show of modern sailplaning methods, though, unfortunately, in sucli a remote corner of the aerodrome that it was witnessed mainly by urchins who had climbed in by the back way. Miss Amy Johnson, and others, were winch-launched in the Kirby Kite, a process which can be a little jerky and hectic, for it appears that the rules of the game encourage the O/C. winch to change gear while the sailplane, kite-like, is climbing steeply on the end of its string. \7.~ Mr. Dudley Hiscox, in the shapely Slingsby Gull, was aero- towed, and so was Mr. Philip Wills, British distance-record holder, in the Minimoa,, a sailplane that is as graceful as its name. Cast off, both found thermal currents and circled slowly upwards and away out of sight. Mr. Hiscox landed at Northolt some two hours later; of Mr. Wills there was still no report by the end of the afternoon, though it transpired that he had put down at Heston. A strange, self-sufficient but delightful race, these sail- pianists. Listening to them on Sunday, we began to feel con- vinced that long experience has enabled them to see their precious thermals, possibly as long, quivering, reddish-black columnar affairs, to be pursued and jumped upon at all costs. The Gipsy-engin«d Cadet in which Mr. Mark Lacayo had been doing the aero-towing, coming in over the boundary with the long towline trailing below, connected with the roadside • Flight' photograph Making its public bow : The Marendaz Mark III, not quite finished but looking eager to go somewhere quickly. It seats four, and the motor is a Gipsy Six.
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