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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0940.PDF
6()2 FLIGHT, 18 May 1950 AERONAUTICAL and SOCIAL Past, Present and (Perhaps) Future Light Aircraft at ALTHOUGH the sun shone brightly enough when notmasked by fast-moving patches of strato-cumulus,L any warmth that it gave was more than offset by the fresh, indeed gusty, breeze out of the north-east. Ladies who brought coats to cover their summer dresses wore them gratefully ; nevertheless, Sunday, May 14th, will be remembered happily by very many people as one of the most pleasant Garden Parties the Royal Aeronautical Society has held. The theme of the occasion this year was accented, with one or two exceptions, on light and private types of air- craft, few of which—more's the pity—were less than 12 years old. There was, however, a heartening number to be seen, and among those engaging sustained interest were the Fougar Cyclone, the British-built Hoppi-Copter, and the extraordinary Hurel-Dubois with its aspect ratio of 36. Complementing the full-size types was perhaps the largest collection of scale-model aircraft to have been exhibited under one roof in this country. John Frickei showed to advantage the extraordinary capabilities of the Zaunkoenig and, helped certainly by the 20 m.p.h. wind, was observed in transit with a tree on the skyline for fully ten seconds. With its Le Rhone rotary sounding delightfully smooth and quiet, the Shuttleworth Collection Sopwith Pup was flown by G/C. A. H. Wheeler, and looked far more modern than its 1916 vintage would give one to believe. Proud in its coat of Sopwith blue, with gold-bronze spinner and registration, The Last of the Many Hurricane was beautifully shown off by Trevor Wade. Probably the high spot of che flying entertainment for many people was the superb display of aerobatics by the Exhibition Squadron of the French Air Force in their Nord Stampe S.V. 40s, Commandant Perrier was the individualist and he went through a whole gamut of manoeuvres, in the intervals of which his three compatriots followed his lead with both eclat and elan and, moreover, in the most breath- takingly tight formation. We have not the space to run through their repertoire and must content ourselves merely Illustrated with "Flight" Photographs, But "fifty years apart : "the crowd's interest is for a moment transferred from the balloon to the jet-propelled Fouga Cyclone. (Above) The resusci- tated Hawker Cygnet, winner of the 1926 light plane competition, coming in to land. (Centre) Comdt. Perrier of the French Squadron performing solo aero- batics. (Left)" The French Squadron taxi past the crowd to receive a wett- deserved cheer.
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