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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0527.PDF
26 FEBRUARY 1954 FLIGHT ETHELBERT AND THE TRUSTY BLUDGEON In days of yore there lived a famous old warrior, one Ethelbert, who armed himself with a club or bludgeon of such weight and size that all who looked upon it quaked in their sandals and fled. No, not quite all. Ethelbert's cave was dry and warm, his wives were the loveliest and most pulchritudinous in the land, and in certain hearts envy proved stronger than fear. One day Ethelbert was attacked by a neighbouring tyrant named Osric. Ethelbert swung his club and dealt Osric a heavy blow on the skull or noggin, but strange to relate the tyrant survived. He was down ... and up like a flash and was soon using his own club to some purpose ... "That club of mine," thought Ethelbert, while his womenfolk were charming away his bruises, "is neither big enough nor heavy enough. I must make another of the toughest oak and I must bury weighty flints in its business end." The new club was hardly completed before Ethelbert was attacked again. As his adversary came in the old warrior swung his club ... but its reinforced warhead proved too heavy for his grasp. The weapon flew from his hands and buried itself in a swamp * twenty cubits distant. How Ethelbert survived that encounter he never knew. Battered and sore he resolved to fashion an even stouter club and to secure it to his body by means of a strong leather harness. A month later his cave was invaded by Ulser the Bad, one of the boldest thugs in all the land. This time Ethelbert was able to retain his club, but so cumbersome was his harness that his blows were few and far between, and Ulser the Bad belaboured him repeatedly and painfully. The battle raged for eight hours and ended only when both men were too exhausted to do more than paw the air and stagger in ever-widening circles ... When Ethelbert's wives found him they dragged him back into the cave and applied healing herbs to his wounds. For three nights he lay unconscious and for three more he was delirious. "Club, club, club ..." his wives heard him moan, " bigger club, stronger harness, more flints ..." And when his fever subsided he called immediately for oak and cutting tools. "Another even bigger club?" said his wives. "Not this time," said Ethelbert, grinning, "I'm going to see what I can do with a smaller model, and what's more I'm going to arm all of you with clubs, too—just in case. Neat, handy little instruments with a kick like a mule. I don't want to get involved in another show like the last one." Folland Aircraft Limited, of Hamble, Hampshire, in their \ programme of research, design and prototype development, take into account national resources, man power, mobility and readiness for defence.
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