AIR PAGEANT

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1934, Page 9

AIR PAGEANT

ROYAL AIR FORCE DISPLAY. SKILFUL EVOLUTIONS. Many events which have not yet been seen at air pageants in New Zealand were features of a successful display held by the Royal Air Force Flying Club at Hatfield aerodrome on June 16. A large crowd assembled at the aerodrome in the afternoon, and the occasion was made more impressive by the arrival of Prince George in the Royal De Havilland Dragon flown by Flight-Lieutenant Fielden. The Prince was met by the president of the club, Lord Trenchard, and a vice-president, Sir Harry Brittain, and he remained for an hour watching the various aerobatic and flying events. About 80 aeroplanes arrived at Hatfield in the course of the display, including many different types, and this is held to be a record number of machines to be present at a civil aerodrome in one day. An item which attracted considerable interest from the party in the Royal enclosure was a special delayed parachute descent by John Tranum, who in the course of many years’ experience has achieved 1700 “drops.” The parachutist was taken up to 5000 feet in a Stinson monoplane, and when the machine was directly above the aerodrome he dived headlong from the cabin door. Keeping his arms at the sides of his body, Tranum fell 3000 feet at a speed of about 120 miles an hour.

An unusual effect was created by releasing a stream of flour, which traced a white course through the sky as the form fell towards the ground. In appearance Tranum resembled a fragment of molten metal, revolving slowly as it fell. . When 2000 feet above the ground, he pulled the rip cord and the silken parachute unfolded and took the strain. Tranum landed safely in a field adjoining the aerodrome. He was cheered as he was driven back to receive congratulations from Prince George and Lord Trenchard. FEAT ON THE AUTOGIRO. The arrival of the Cierva autogiro at Hatfield, flown by Flying-Officer R. A. C. Brie from Hanworth aerodrome, provided a striking contrast to the flying of the more orthodox types. As is generally known, the autogiro depends on the support of a whirling rotor for its buoyancy in the air, and it is entirely different in the control surfaces to those of the ordinary aeroplane. Flying-Officer Brie’s performance on the autogiro gave one an entirely new idea as to the possibilities of this particular design of flying machine. His method of landing was to find a vacant space in the line of parked aeroplanes and drop in on the spot, finishing up a three-yard run neatly aligned with the other machines. Later in the day he gave a special “turn.” Taking off with about the same length of run as the most powerful aeroplane, he climbed the machine and indulged in figure-of-eight turns, and then dived down wind to cross the aerodrome at a fast speed. Then he landed with a very short run, although there was practically no wind. The next takeoff was an autogiro one, that is to say the machine left the ground after a run of only 15 or 20 yards, and this feat convinced many pilots at the pageant that the autogiro will come into its own as a reliable slow and fast flying machine in the near future. The manner in which the pilot almost hovered 300 feet above Hatfield with full control over the autogiro gave one the impression that the aircraft for private owners will soon require to be just as capable of very low speeds as high speeds. COMPLICATED MANOEUVRES. Two aerobatic events were given separately by Flight-Lieutenant P. W. S. Bulman in a Hawker-Hart, and Fly-ing-Officer P. E. G. Sayers in a GolsterGauntlet. The former showed off the paces of the Hart to advantage, but with the exception of climbing slow rolls and aileron turns in a vertical dive, he utilised those manoeuvres usually included in the repetoire of an aerobatic pilot. Flying-Officer Sayers handled the Gauntlet in an effortless manner, but his exhibition was very similar to the preceding one. The chief contrast was the noisy exhaust from the Hart and the quiet efficiency or the Gauntlet. An amusing item on the programme was a demonstration by an “instructor” and a “pupil” in two aeroplanes. The former set out to perform certain stunts, such as loops and rolls, in the approved style and the latter had to imitate him as best he could. The “instructor” started with a perfect loop, but the “pupil” stalled upside down and fell out of it. This was followed by a slow roll which involved the “pupil” in a very complicated manoeuvre that took some time to get out of. The “instructor’s” landing was beyond criticism, but it is doubtful if any beginner could have done so many flat turns and bounces in attempting to get on to the ground as the “pupil” did. j. was only the strong construction of the British aircraft, as the announcer remarked, which held the aeroplane together. This event was one of the most popular in the afternoon. Two instructors from Air Service Training, Hamble, gave an exhibition of “follow my leader” aerobatics, which was an excellent departure from the conventional. Keeping almost directly behind the leading aeroplane, and yet safely out of the way of the slipstream, the second machine copied each twist and turn of the leader at precisely the same moment. As the aeroplanes were twin types the general effect was

quite pleasing. Low, inverted flying by two machines, as well as other forms of air exercises which can be suited to more than one aircraft, is a sight demanding attention from an audience. SYNCHRONISED MOVEMENTS. Synchronised aerobatics by two sergeant pilots from No. 1 Squadron, Royal Air Force, showed to what extent pilots can train themselves to fly and judge distance. Taking off in exceedingly close formation, the pilots then dived together and pulled up into a vertical climb, wing-tips separated by a matter of feet. A. the speed dropped both aeroplanes were twisted with aileron control only through 90 degrees, and so perfectly was the alignment kept that it seemed one machine was being mirrored by the other. l'he types of aircraft at the display varied from a tiny Comper Six to the giant four-engined Syrinx, the largest air liner in the world, which later in the day took off from Hatfield to carry the Empire air mails to Singapore. In speed the aeroplanes varied from the slowness of the Cierva autogiro to the 200 miles an hour of the Hawker-Hart. The display served the dual purpose of illustrating the advance in design of Britain’s 1934 commercial and military aircraft, and directing attention to the prestige already gained by the Royal Air Force Flying Club, ,/hich has only been in existence for one year.