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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1226.PDF
638 FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT spend indicator failing to* register, probably due to the pitot tube which had been damaged when the wireless generator propeller was blown away. (The wireless genera tor propeller-shaft sheared 10 minutes after the start.) No Blind-flying Instruments The spin started at a height of 4,000ft.; we rapidly lost height, and on coming out of the mist found ourselves very close, to the water at a dangerous angle. Upon seeing the horizon I was able to regain control and put the machine on its true course; climbing again to 7,000ft. through thick fog we saw the moon once or twice, but Brown was unable to obtain any readings. We continued to climb steadily, trying to get above the fog, and were still climbing at daybreak in large banks of clouds which we could not get above. This continued for about five or six hours; hail and sleet were encountered which caused the radiator shutters to become jammed, also obscuring our petrol sight gauge and choking up the pitot tube. We climbed steadily to 11,000ft., hoping to get above the clouds and take further readings from the sun. At this height we saw the sun several times trying to force its way through the clouds, and Brown eventually succeeded in fixing up his position. After this we decided to descend, and almost reached the surface of the sea before obtaining clear visibility ; here the wind was blowing very strongly from the south-west. To counteract this Brown thought it advisable to steer a more south-easterly course,-flying in this direction close to the water for about 40 minutes when we saw the two islands of Beshal and Turbot, but we could not see the mainland owing to rain and low clouds. The mainland was not visible until-we were prac tically over it, and then only the hills. In another 10 minutes the masts of Clifden wireless station suddenly appeared; we circled round these firing Verey signals, to ' which no reply was received. Whilst flying round looking for a suitable landing place we passed over Clifden town, where more Verey signals were fired, again without reply, and observing no suitable ground in that neighbourhood we returned to the wireless station, where I had spotted FLIGHT JUNE 15TH, 1944 V -JJ*«\ A t ;££0»***<-->i-'" ~SL *3**&n These pictures appeared as a full page in Flight of June 19th, 1919. They showed Alcock and Brown (1) at the Royal Aero Club, (2) leaving. Euston station, and (3) arriving in Col. Sir Frank McClean's Rolls-Royce. what appeared to be a suitable field, and decided to descend. On touching the ground, however, this field turned out to be a bog, and the machine was slightly HE A DIARY OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE tl€\«fe55¥^-ROU3"TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT™ 'TIME TAKEN;0N TRAN5-ATLA! FLIGHT 15 HOURS 0?'MINUTE ®*e mmimm Souvenir of luncheon -at the Savoy to Alcock and Brown. Signatures on the back are : W. G. H. Salmond, J. M. Salmond, W. B. Caddell, John Defooze, J. M Steel, 0. H. D. V'ckers, R. K. Pierson, S. C. H. Davis, and G. Geoffrey Smith. r »
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