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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0871.PDF
544 FLIGHT THE GARDEN PARTY Guests of the KAetSA^dgainBeguiled by Aerodynes of¥$sieryear Illustrated by "Flight" photographs THE Royal "Tt&POBautical Sacaety~~naving gone intobusiness for themselves as aeronautical publishers (seeprogramme of last Sunday's Garden Party), we essay our account of that event with some diffidence. But observing that in format and typography their chronicle is hardly calculated to put a journal—admittedly only of 41 years' standing—out of the running, we are emboldened to proceed. A chilling wind nagged throughout the afternoon, and White Waltham (loaned as usual by Sir Richard Fairey and the Ministry of Supply) was of far less summery aspect than could have been wished. But the wind which would prevent the "Aeronauticals" from enjoying their Garden Party has yet to blow, though the opinion was voiced more than once that this particular occasion was less refreshing in its interest than former gatherings. Pending the onset of aviation, many visitors sought refuge from the weather in "The Static." We may therefore record the exhibits in that section before describing the display. Breasting the wind is the Blackburn monoplane of 1912 (from the Shuttleworth Collection). Engine, SO h.p. Gnome; pilot, Gordon Banner. Rubbing wing-tips with a spruce-looking Swordfish was a work-worn Handley Page Gugnunc of 1928 (speed range, 33-112 m.p.h.), a Sopwith Triplane and—technically the most interesting of all—a Westland-Hill Pterodactyl Mk I, designed by Capt. G. T. R. Hill and built in 1926. Rigged for demonstration with compressed air was the recently discovered Frost ornilhopter steam engine—1877 brain- child of one E. P. Frost, sometime president of the Aero- nautical Society. One left this engaging little power plant to see the President of the Society, Major G. P. Bulman, and Mrs. Bulman set down in the Westland-Sikorsky S-51, with Mr. D. Colvin in control. G/C. Gordon Slade, O.C. Flying for the day, and lately responsible for the first flight of the projectile-like Fairey Delta, proved his adaptability by smartly positioning the step-ladder for the Presidential descent. (Above) The President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Major G. f- Bulman, on arrival with Mrs. Bulman in the Westland-Sikorsky S-51- Riding the gusts on the left are the Cody-type man-lifting kites and R-type observation baloon, two attractions provided by Cardington-
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