Gnosspelius No. 2
M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
GNOSSPELIUS hydro-monoplane No.2
The second Gnosspelius machine was designed with a triangular section fuselage, to save weight, and was fitted with a more powerful engine. It was again built at Borwick's at Bowness and was fitted with a central float, together with small wingtip floats of streamlined shape. Trials in this form on Windermere in the spring of 1911 indicated the need for ventilation of the float, to enable it to unstick. In June the float from No.l was fitted with vanes at the bow. An attempt at flight with this float was made on 25 November 1911 which ended with the machine upside down in the water.
The machine was subsequently rebuilt with box type wingtip floats and No.2 flew for the first time on 13 February 1912, after taxiing trials the previous day. Gnosspelius was the pilot for the first and a number of subsequent flights, becoming the first man in the area to design and fly his own aircraft.
The machine continued to fly successfully in the hands of R.C. Kemp and Lt. J.FA. Trotter until the spring of 1914.
Power: 40-50hp Clerget four-cylinder inline, water-cooled.
Data
Area 190 sq ft
Weight 650 lb
Speed 55 mph
Central float (first) 12ft long by 5ft wide
(second) 14ft long by 4ft wide
P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)
Gnosspelius Hydro-monoplane No. 2
The second Gnosspelius single-seat tractor hydro-monoplane was designed by Oscar T. Gnosspelius at the end of 1910 and was built for him by Borwick and Sons at Bowness-on-Windermere. It was powered by the four-cylinder in-line 50 h.p. Clerget engine, and was supported on the water by a single broad float, 12 ft. long and 5 ft. wide, which was augmented by small wing-tip and tail floats. Tested during the summer of 1911, the machine toppled forwards in the water on to its back. Salvaged and rebuilt with the first Gnosspelius hydro-monoplane's 14 ft. by 4 ft. float, it left the water on 13th February, 1912, piloted by Gnosspelius. Subsequent flights were made by Ronald Kemp and Lt. J. F. A. Trotter, the machine still flying successfully in the spring of 1914. Wing area. 190 sq. ft. Weight empty, 650 lb.
Журнал Flight
Flight, April 20, 1912.
A Flight over Windermere.
ON Saturday last Mr. Gnosspelius made a fine flight on his single-decker aquaplane over Lake Windermere. Starting from Mr. Wakefield's headquarters, South of Bowness, the machine flew down the lake to Lakeside, then up to the Beech Hill Hotel, back again to Lakeside, and then back to the hangar. It was in the air for some twenty minutes and although it did not rise very high it flew very steadily.
