FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1922.PDF
FLIGHT International, 31 October 1963 121 d'Auvours in 1908 until the "Darrack"-inspired, Wright-built engine was changed for a French-built one, and thus draws the conclusion that the Wrights "n'a jamais pu quitter le sol par ses propres moyens, et n'a veritablement vole qu'a partir de 1908." He mentions the business association of Barri- quand et Marre with the Wrights. I had hoped that Charles Gibbs-Smith would have thor oughly assessed Voisin's »ritical view of the Wrights' first flight, but perhaps the English translation does not give this in full. Gabriel Voisin has written several interesting letters to me, on the theme of early flights. In essence he says that the Wrights were only able to make that first epochal flight through a chance gale blowing, and because they had com plete competence in controlling almost identical engineless wings in just such a gale. If Mr Gibbs-Smith will make a performance calculation by classic method it will show that Flyers I and even II could not possibly take off in the rail length available unless there was strong assistance by catapult or a big wind. What Voisin claims is that his were the first controllable machines in Europe to take off on wheels, using their own unassisted power in a calm. With some justification he thinks the Wright flights of 1903 were a lucky fluke. Well, weren't they, Charles? Did not the whole stream of successful aeroplane development stem from France and not the USA? I await the historian's rebukes, but I hope he gives Voisin a little credit both on his own account and as the man who started Farman and Bleriot on their way. Sherborne, Dorset HARALD PENROSE Beagle B.206 Development SIR,—In fairness to certain of my colleagues and members of my staff, past, present and, I hope, future, I think I should draw attention to one inaccuracy in the article on the B.206 in Flight International for October 3. In 1960 no Beagle design team existed and the team which undertook the revision, for Peter Masefield and the Pressed Steel Co, of the original Bristol 220 design, was the former Miles design team—now largely dispersed, but, I hope, in process of being reassembled on the east side of the River Adur at the address below. This team was responsible for all design and development work on the B.206 until the first flight of the prototype in the summer of 1961, after which responsibility was handed over to the new Beagle design unit which was recruited during 1961. The handful of designers and technicians who worked with me on this project put in all the hours available to ensure that it met the target of Farnborough 1961 and, in 35 years' experience of designing and building aircraft, I have seldom met with more goodwill and enthusiasm among a design team, although more than the usual problems and frustra tions arose from changes and second thoughts during this period. Riverbank Works, G. H. MILES, Old Shoreham Road, Director, F. G. Miles Engineering Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex Ltd Califbrnian Air Museum SIR,—I have been reading your magazine with great pleasure for several years; however, I find that I must bring to your attention an error in the July 4 issue. The Nakajima Ki.84-la Hayate illustrated on page 3 of that issue belongs to the Ontario Air Museum, not to the USAF Air Museum. The Ontario Air Museum is operated by Mr Edward Maloney, who recently moved it from Claremont, California, to its present location at Ontario International Airport, Ontario, Calif. The move to a larger and better location was made necessary by the acquisition of more aircraft and the desire of the Air Museum staff to make "Aviation's Hall of Fame" a true showpiece of the achievements of man in the air. Although the mistake may not be a grave one, it most certainly is discouraging for the group of men and boys who are breaking their backs without pay in order to preserve a part of aviation's history to see someone else get the credit for their efforts. Ed Maloney and his fourteen-man staff of high school and college students and family men have been spending all their spare time for a number of years to make this non-profit organization a success and a credit to aviation. As a result of their efforts, the Air Museum's collection now numbers more than seventy aircraft (including a Spitfire) plus a large number of aviation exhibits. I am taking this opportunity of sending you some action photographs [four of which are reproduced herewith—Ed] of part of the Air Museum's flying collection of warplanes. Since I am certain that you are familiar with these aircraft, I have not added captions to them. However, you may be interested to know that the Corsair is in the markings of the USN ace, Lt Ira Kepford, and the Hellcat in the markings of the top USN ace, Cdr David McCampbell. 1 hope that the flying shots of the Hayate will be of particular interest to you. You may also be interested to learn that the Ontario Air Museum also has a P-35, P-38L, P-40N and P-47G currently being restored to flying condition and operational finish. Long-range plans include the restoration of the Air Museum's P-59A Airacomet and He 162A Salamander jet fighters to flying condition. The Air Museum's Spitfire was obtained, as a donation, from the King of Thailand after his visit to the museum at its old Claremont location. This aircraft is scheduled to go on display in the very near future. Duarte, Calif FRANK B. MORMILLO Parachuting Pioneer SIR,—On the extreme corner of the spit of Kopli, about 5km from Tallinn, under the centennial oaks and black alders of the Kopli Cemetery, stands a forgotten monument: a high black granite gravestone with brass decorations (a balloon from which a little figure with parachute is descend ing) and below an inscription in English, Russian, French and German, stating that the monument was erected to the memory of the American aeronaut Charles Leroux, who perished in the bay of Reval on September 12, 1889. This was the only gravestone in the Baltic States erected to one of the pioneers of aeronautics, whose name is well-known in the history of parachute sports. Charles Leroux was the grandson of Abraham Lincoln, aged 32, unmarried, a native of Waterbury, Conn, where his parents and sister lived. He was a little-statured man, a former mercantile marine captain. He was one of the first parachute jumpers to perform (in 1880) slow jumps. In 1886 Leroux began with this dangerous trade of aerial acrobatics to earn means to exist: he gave thrilling demon strations in any weather. In 1889 he gave exhibitions at St Petersburgh and Libau. On September 6 and 8 he made in Dorpat (Tartu) attempts to ascend in a balloon, but these failed because the gas from the local factory was too weak. He also made an attempt on September 10 in Reval. Then
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
