L.Opdyke French Aeroplanes Before the Great War (Schiffer)

Журнал Flight

Flight, December 24, 1910

AEROPLANE SILHOUETTES FROM THE PARIS SHOW.

THE DEPERDUSSIN MONOPLANE.

   A FRENCH-BUILT monoplane. Framework of wood. M. Busson, formerly a Bleriot pilot of some distinction, has made many successful flights on this machine at Issy-les-Moulineaux, and he has announced his intention of using it in an attempt to fly from Paris to Brussels and back for the A.C.F. Grand Prix d'Aviation.
   General dimensions. - Length overall, 9 metres; width, 9 metres; mean width of wings, 1.80 metres; bearing surface, 15 square metres.
   Seating capacity. - One.
   Engine. - 50-h.p. water-cooled vertical 4-cyl. Clerget, or a 70-h.p. water-cooled vertical 4-cyl. Austrian-Daimler. Any motor fitted if desired.
   Propeller. - Six-bladed Deperdussin propeller (Licence Rapid), driven at a speed of 1,400 revs, per minute. An ordinary two-bladed Deperdussin propeller is fitted on Busson's machine at Issy-les-Moulineaux.
   Wheels and skids. - Two wheels and two skids, the latter members being somewhat similar to those employed on the Antoinette monoplane.
   Tail. - Non-lifting tail plane (horizontal empennage). Single vertical fin placed centrally. Elevator divided in centre, is hinged to trailing edge of tail plane. The single rudder is placed centrally behind elevator.
   Lateral stability. - Maintained by flexing the trailing edges of the wings.
   Weight. - Complete with engine, about 280 kilogs.
   Speed. - About 90 kiloms. an hour.
   System of control. - The rotation to the right or left of a single wheel, mounted on a column in front of the pilot, flexes the wings for the maintenance of lateral stability. A backward movement of the entire column elevates the machine and vice versa. A foot lever controls the vertical rudder.
   Price. - Not stated.


Flight, March 18, 1911.

RECORDS WITH AND WITHOUT PASSENGERS.

Two and Four Passenger Records.

   FOLLOWING upon the remarkable series of speed records made by Nieuport on his monoplane at Chalons the same aviator on the 10th inst. succeeded in beating the speed record with two passengers, and setting up a new distance record under such conditions of 110 kiloms. in 1h. 4m. 58 1/5 s. The times for the intermediate distances will be found elsewhere in this issue in the list of new official records. Afterwards M. Nieuport brought out another machine fitted with a 30-h.p. Nieuport engine, on which he succeeded in flying by himself 80 kiloms. in 44 mins. 52 2/5 secs., getting very near the time of 44 mins. 29.5 secs., being the world's record of Leblanc.
   Another remarkable performance was made on the following day when Busson on the Deperdussin monoplane accompanied by four companions covered 50 kiloms, in 31 mins. 23 1/5 secs. The total weight of the five persons was 352 kilogs., and the intermediate times were: 10 kiloms., 6 mins. 16 3/5 secs.; 20 kiloms., 12 mins. 33 1/5 secs.; 30 kiloms., 18 mins. 48 secs.; 40 kiloms., 25 mins. 5 2/5 secs. The monoplane was fitted with a 100 h.p. Gnome engine and the attempt was made over a course of 2.5 kiloms. at the Courcy-Betheny Aerodrome. The four companions of Busson were MM. Borie, Valentin, Soulier and Scheiber.


Flight, September 9, 1911.

FIRST ACROSS THE FIRTH OF FORTH.

   ALTHOUGH some time ago a prize was offered for a flight across the Firth of Forth, it was subsequently withdrawn, owing to lack of competition. On the 30th ult., however, the double journey across the Forth was made in splendid style by Mr. W. H. Ewen on his Deperdussin monoplane, one of the latest "popular" type. Starting from the Marine Gardens of Portobelio, Mr. Ewen rose until he was about 1,000 ft. high, and passing Inch Keith went on until within a mile of Kinghorn. He then turned and proceeded up the Firth in the direction of Leith. Two miles from the port he once more turned, and this time headed for his starting point at Portobello. He was planing down there, but coming to the conclusion that the Sports Ground was rather too restricted for landing, he flew outside the ground, and descended in a field in the neighbourhood. As soon as the mechanics arrived the wings were taken off and the machine wheeled back to the aerodrome. Mr. Ewen was in the air for about ten minutes, and covered roughly twelve miles.
   On his return to the Marine Gardens, Mr. Ewen was welcomed on behalf of the Executive by Councillor Rawson. Speaking of his flight, which he described as successful in every way, he said that he had a bad five minutes when at about the middle of the Firth on the return journey, when the machine rocked and swayed a good deal, but the Anzani-engined Deperdussin stood up to her work in fine style. He never had any difficulty in observing his location, and when over the water was easily able to make out the steamers beneath.


Flight, November 4, 1911.

FROM THE BRITISH FLYING GROUNDS.

Lanark Aerodrome (Lanark, N.B.).

ON Saturday afternoon last Mr. Ewen made a fine flight to Edinburgh on his Deperdussin monoplane. Leaving the Lanark aerodrome at 12 mins to 4 and rising rapidly to a height of well over 1,000 feet, he disappeared in the direction of Carstairs. Here he picked up the Caledonian Railway, which he followed to Edinburgh, landing safely at Gorgie Farm, which is on the outskirts of the city, at 4.23. The distance is roughly about 30 miles. The Deperdussin behaved splendidly and Mr. Ewen landed in the farm grounds without a mishap, and was hospitably received by the Rev. Father Forsyth. This performance is of considerable merit, considering the hilly country which had to be flown over and that the Anzani engine was only 28-32-h.p.
His flight was witnessed by thousands of people along the route, and he was easily identified by the word "Ewen," which was painted in large letters under the wings.