M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
GERRARD monoplane (F.A. Gerrard, The London Aviation Ground, Acton)
Little is known about this aircraft except that which can be deduced from the illustration in The Aero 28 December 1910 (p.509), which shows it inverted after crashing on 18 December 1910 at Acton.
Although similar to certain Howard Wright designs, the machine had original features. The fuselage girder was deep towards the tail and the strong cabane had a lateral crossbar. This, together with a vertical post for bracing wires above the tailskid, no doubt enabled Gerrard to leave the aircraft unhurt, also preventing damage to the propeller.
The rudder and elevator were on a universal fitting, with a separate tailplane fixed to the lower longerons. The wing tips were rounded, the wings, without ailerons, were presumably warpable.
A gust of wind is reported to have caused the accident and was sufficient to wreck Gerrard's aspirations, for there were no further reports of him or his aircraft.