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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 3422.PDF
Above, the author with Anzani, constructor of Bleriofs three- cylinder engine. Right, Latham's Antoinette is salvaged from the Channel by the French destroyer "Escopette" and a tug r CROSSING, 19O» . . . left the high cliffs and headed out to sea, the first flying machine in the world to appear over the strip of water separating France from England. Alas, our enthusiasm was short-lived. At less than half distance the engine failed and Latham came down on the water. He was picked up by the destroyer and his wrecked machine came back to Calais on the deck of a tug. With remark- able rapidity, compared with the leisurely procedure up to that time, a second aeroplane came from the works at Puteaux. It would have been appropriate for the flight to have been made on July Fourteenth, but on the French national fete day the flags were standing board-stiff in the wind and even Latham did not suggest that an attempt should be made. Then Bleriot appeared, bringing a Type XI machine, and accompanied as usual by Madame Bleriot; by Alfred Leblanc, a balloonist who had taken over the duties of manager; Anzani, the maker of the engine; and a few mechanics. They installed themselves at Les Baraques, a small village at sea level a short distance outside Calais and less than two miles from the Antoinette headquarters. Still we remained faithful to Latham. Undoubtedly Blcriot was the most experienced aviator of the period; he had given nine years of his life to flying, had drained £31,000 from his headlight business in order to continue his experiments, and had been officially recognized as the first man to fly a monoplane. But he was nearly forty years of age, he had a growing family, and although his wife supported him loyally, she generally wept silently while he was aloft. Moreover, he was not altogether fit; he walked with difficulty, with the aid of a stick. This was the result of an injury suffered when he was flying the two-seater Type XII with E.N.V. engine. The exhaust-pipe lagging came adrift, and the pilot's leg was badly burned. Early on the morning of Sunday, July 25, a wild despairing cry rang through the Hotel de la Plage—"Bleriot's flown." After a few minutes of dismay, the idea came to race after him; but this was recognized as absurd and Latham completely broke down. Among we journalists the dominating feeling was one of anger —anger at our incorrect choice, at having missed the start of the greatest flying event the world had ever known. A few of us scurried down to Calais harbour and succeeded in getting aboard a second war-vessel just putting out to sea. The majority, how- ever, had to wait prosaically for the regular cross-Channel boat. What had happened was as follows. Some time before dawn Levavasseur had risen and decided that the weather was not suitable. At 2.30 a.m. Bleriot and Leblanc studied the weather and decided that conditions would be satisfactory. There were no hesitations. Anzani was aroused and that irrepressible young man of thirty, who often acted like a boy of fifteen, brought everybody to action by running up and down the long corridors of the hotel firing his revolver. Anzani had received too long a training in the hard school of motor cycle racing to leave anything to chance. Petrol had been filtered, there was adequate oil supply, the battery was fully charged, ignition wires were tight, and he was confident that his three-cylinder motor-cycle-type engine of 100 mm by 150 mm bore and stroke, with its automatic inlet valves, splash lubrication, battery ignition and Grouvelle and Arquembourg carburettor would carry Bleriot across the water to England. Alfred Leblanc has never been given sufficient credit for his work in preparing the cross-Channel flight. Had he been attached to the Antoinette group it is certain the final results would have been different. A preliminary flight was made in the grey light (this was when Levavasseur, having come out a second time, saw "London . . .gave Bleriot the welcome he deserved when he reappeared to receive the 'Daily Mail" prize" the machine in the air and gave the alarm). Leblanc took charge of operations. At 4.30 it was daylight and clear, although as usual in the early morning the English coast was lost in the haze. Leblanc again helped Bleriot to climb into the machine and handed his walking stick in after him. Over his tweed suit the aviator wore blue overalls, a wool-lined khaki jacket, and he had a motorist's racing cap on his head. Anzani brushed aside his mechanics and himself swung the 20 h.p. engine; at 4.35 Leblanc gave the signal; Bleriot quickly climbed to about 250 feet and, having no compass, set off in pursuit of the destroyer Escopette, the pathfinder to England. A mere handful of people watched the take-off; the representatives of the big newspapers num- bered two. As a precaution, a friend of the family, a young Frenchman named Fournier, had been sent across the Channel in advance to find a landing ground and to signal it to Bleriot by waving a huge French tricolor. Deceived by the destroyer's course, which had allowed for the ebb tide, Bleriot pointed too far to the east, then had to fly along the coast until he sighted the flag on the North Fall Meadow and landed with minor damage to the under- carriage, 37 minutes after taking off. When I stepped ashore from the regular Channel steamer I was amazed to find the town completely indifferent to the great exploit. The machine stood on the cliff, guarded by a policeman; but his presence seemed superfluous, for nobody was interested in the aeroplane from France. Dover was evidently determined that no visitor, no matter how unusual his method of arrival, should dis- turb its Sabbath calm. Only the Salvation Army band, playing to a handful of indifferent idlers, showed signs of life. The post office was closed but, I assured myself, the telegraph office would be open. I discovered it to find that the only line was monopolized by an enterprising London journalist who had given instructions for chapters from the Bible to be transmitted to his office (at Press rates) while he was preparing the story of his interview with the aviator. Accompanying Bleriot I returned to Calais, where the Bible was not being transmitted, and where die people were not indif- ferent, for the Legion d'Honneur was awaiting the great aviator and the enthusiasm of the crowds was boundless. With the
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