M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
MAXFIELD monoplane
This was probably the first aeroplane to fly in the Midlands on 24 September 1909, confirmed again by witnesses on 30 September 1909, at Castle Bromwich Golf Links. The flights were at low height and of short duration.
The machine had a fuselage and undercarriage made of cycle tubing and was mounted on three cycle wheels, the front pair being steerable. A biplane front elevator and biplane tail with single rudder, provided control in pitch and yaw. The curved wings were single surfaced and were mounted on the top rails of the structure, and were braced to kingposts.
Power was provided by a 3hp V-twin Garrard-Maxfield motor cycle engine which was later to be changed to a 40hp. The machine was exhibited at the Royal Hotel, Birmingham at an exhibition of models by the Midland Aero Club on 13 October 1909. A half scale development was also shown at Olympia on the Royal Aero Club stand in March 1910.
P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)
Maxfield Monoplane
The Maxfield Monoplane was designed and constructed at Birmingham by Alfred P. Maxfield, a motor engineer. The engine fitted was an air-cooled twin-cylinder Garrard-Maxfield which drove twin propellers. A biplane elevator was carried in front of the wings, with a biplane tail to their rear. The undercarriage wheels were steerable. The machine was flown successfully by Maxfield on 30th September, 1909.
