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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0435.PDF
FEBRUARY 2OTH. 1941. EARLY BEGINNINGS. The Fairey works on Hamble Point as they appeared in 1916. It was here that all Fairey seaplanes were flight tested. A REAL FAIREY STORY The History of a Famous British Aircraft Firm Through Twenty-six Years THE Fairey Aviation Company,Ltd., was formed duringthe last war, and so this seems an appropriate time for recalling itshistory, a history which has been full 9f events, which has seen an astound-ing number of successes, scarcely a single failure, and which long agoplaced the company in the very fore- front of British aviation. Nor has thesuccess been confined to this country. For many years before the war a livelyexport business helped the firm not only to obtain vast experience of therequirements of overseas markets, but it assisted the nation through the leanperiod when industry was at a low ebb. By way of still further strengthening areputation established by Fairey pro- ducts abroad, a separate companywas formed some years ago in Belgium. However, this is anticipating, and forthe early beginnings we must take our readers back to the "heroic" days.^v'n in those days he was interested in flying and model-making, and model-ling soon became his favourite hobby. Perhaps this fact explains the2' ntrosity which Fairey showed in after •rs to model enthusiasts when he: atedly placed his great aerodrome at Harmondsworth at their disposal for the culminating model-flying com- petitions of the year. Surely never in the history of model aeronautics have clubs had such a marvellous ground for their contests. Pioneer and founder of a famous firm :Mr. C. R. Fairey, M.B.E., F.R.Ae.S. For a time, but only for a time, DickFairey was content with model aero- plane flying as a hobby. By ion (hehaving by then reached the '' mature '' age of 24) he decided that there wasmuch more than a hobby in flying. He became a frequent visitor to theold Aero Club (it had not then received the Royal prefix) aerodrome at East-church, Isle-of-Sheppey, where the brothers Short were doing their con-structional work and test flying, and where also was located the BlairAtholl Syndicate. The latter concern was building avery peculiar aeroplane to the designs of Col. J. W. Dunne. Automaticstability, or as it was termed in those days "inherent stability,'.' was a fea-ture much sought after. Not unnatur- ally so, for little was known of con-trollability, and obviously the pilot would be saved a great deal of worryand work, not to say risk, if his machine could be persuaded always toright itself without any interference from him. Mr. Handley Page attacked theproblem by using a crescent-shaped wing with upturned tips. Col. Dunnedid away with the tail altogether but swept the wings back at a very sharp
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