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Страна: Великобритания

Год: 1913

A.Jackson Avro Aircraft since 1908 (Putnam)

The Duigan Biplane

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  Having achieved his objectives, Duigan returned home. There he built a very similar machine to the Avro which crashed on its first flight on February 17, 1913. His British aeroplane was put up for sale with engine for £380 but was almost immediately reduced to £180, no doubt because the engine had been sold separately. The airframe was purchased by the Lakes Flying Company and it was delivered to Windermere on June 4, 1912. Here it was rebuilt as the centre float seaplane Sea Bird which H. Stanley Adams flew off the lake for the first time on August 28, 1912. The company entirely redesigned the front end of the fuselage to accept a 50 hp Gnome rotary, the upper half of which was cowled and gave a cocked-up appearance to the nose. New three-bay, warping mainplanes of Eiffel 12 section and 8-5 aspect ratio were also fitted. The machine proved much faster than the old Avro-built Water Bird and after it has been fitted with an improved twin float undercarriage, carried large numbers of holiday makers during 1912-13.
  At the end of 1912 the machine was tested with an amphibious undercarriage but trials came to an end on December 18, 1912, when Sea Bird piloted by Lt J.F.A. Trotter was caught by a gust of wind and the lower port wing struck the water. In January 1915 the Lakes Flying Company was taken over by the Northern Aircraft Company Ltd and thereafter the machine was generally referred to as the Avro Biplane Tractor. It was equipped with dual control soon after and at the beginning of June was fitted with new floats. Unfortunately, pupil R. Buck took off in the Avro for his Vol-plane test on June 5 unaware that the latter had altered the centre of gravity. On switching off the engine to begin his glide approach, Buck failed to lower the nose sufficiently and the machine stalled at 300 ft, crashing into the lake tail first. Miraculously Buck was unhurt but the Sea Bird was destroyed.


SPECIFICATION AND DATA
   Manufacturers: A. V. Roe and Company, Brownsfield Mills, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester; and Brooklands Aerodrome, Byfleet, Surrey.
   Rebuilt by The Lakes Flying Company, Cockshott, Lake Windermere, Westmorland
   Power Plants:
   (Sea Bird) One 50 h.p. Gnome
   Dimensions:
   (Sea Bird) Span 39 ft. 4 in. Length 29 ft. 4 in.
   Height 10 ft. 6 in. Wing area 350 sq. ft.
   Performance:
   (Sea Bird) Maximum speed 62 m.p.h.

   Production: One aircraft only, first flown 2.12; converted into the Lakes Sea Bird 10.12, crashed at Windermere 6.15

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Описание:

  • A.Jackson Avro Aircraft since 1908 (Putnam)
  • M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
  • P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)
  • Журнал Flight