CHAPTER X
AERONAUTICAL ADVANCEMENT IN AUSTRALIA
Harry’s Proposals for Aerial Defence—Seeing Under Water from the Air—A Crowd of 20,000—A Governor-General Ascends 4,000 Feet—And a Governor’s Daughter Goes Up Too—Stunts—Rumours of Looping—Another Accident.
CHAPTER X
When Harry arranged to leave Melbourne for Sydney on Tuesday, February 17th, he did not do so on account of any falling-off in the interest of the residents of Melbourne and district, whose enthusiasm never abated. In fact, when he did leave, and when he departed from Australia for the last time (although he never knew it to be the last), there were many who, having offered as much as £20 for short flights, had to be disappointed.
There was no narrowness about Harry’s plans for promoting aviation propaganda in Australia. One idea which influenced his actions considerably was to bring into bold relief in the world of aeronautics the name of Australia, to do which he must accomplish the converse, by bringing the world of aeronautics to the knowledge of Australia. He hoped to achieve his object in part by establishing one or two important records before returning to England in May. On the important subject of the aerial defence of Australia Harry expressed very strong views; and his authority was never disputed, for had he not been brought into close touch with defence requirements in testing the Sopwith hydro-aeroplanes for the Admiralty and in flying one thousand miles around the British coast? He gave it as his opinion that the aeroplanes already imported by the Australian Defence Department would be of no practical use for the purpose intended. His view was supported by several sound reasons. First, he declared that Australia’s long coast-line made it imperative to employ hydro-aeroplanes or flying-boats, and not land machines.
“No one,” he said, “is coming from New South Wales to attack Victoria. The danger to either state or the whole continent will threaten from the sea, and it is therefore on the sea-board that Australia must be prepared to intercept the enemy.” Continuing, Harry declared that what was required by the Australian Defence Department was a number of machines which could slip out over the coast at a speed of a hundred miles an hour and drop their engines of destruction upon the enemy before he “pushed the battle to the gate.” Another significant statement which Harry made concerning the machines which had already been acquired by the Defence Department related to their antiquity. “Those machines,” he said, “were ordered to my knowledge twelve months before they arrived here. They have been here approximately twelve months. Aeroplanes are constantly being improved, and the constructors as a rule produce at least two new models a year. So, you see, your machines are four models old already, and can only be used, if at all, for school purposes.”
THE DERELICT AEROPLANE, IN WHICH HARRY AND GRIEVE HAD ATTEMPTED THE CROSSING, WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ATLANTIC BY THE U. S. STEAMER “LAKE CHARLOTTEVILLE.”
[Facing p. 156.
HARRY AT THE WHEEL OF THE RACING A.C., THE BODY OF WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY HIM AND PROVED A REMARKABLE ADVANCE IN EFFICIENCY.
[Facing p. 156.
The Australians were much interested when one of the lady passengers carried by Harry said that she could plainly see the bottom of the bay while she was flying over Port Phillip. Harry and Kauper, during their round-Britain flight, were able to see wrecks below water off the Scottish coast. They found that views of this nature are not in any way hampered by unfavourable conditions overhead, such as clouds. A correspondent, in a letter to the Melbourne Argus, made the suggestion that an aeroplane might be sent to fly above that part of the ocean where the ill-fated Waratah was last seen, with a view to locating the whereabouts of the wreck.
When asked to express his opinion of the meteorological conditions prevailing in Australia, Harry said: “They are the finest in the world. If there is one country in the world where aviation can be taken up whole-heartedly as a sport, that country is Australia.”
On Saturday, February 28th, Harry gave a flying exhibition before 20,000 people assembled at the Randwich Racecourse, Sydney. Most people knew that Lord Denman was coming to see the flying, but none had the least idea that the Governor-General would take the air with Harry. Lord Denman, who had previously enjoyed a flight at Hendon, was taken up to 4,000 feet. The next passenger was Miss Strickland, daughter of the Governor of New South Wales. With these distinguished passengers Harry did not attempt any stunts. In both cases the machine took the air at a fine angle, climbing steadily. A couple of circuits were made at a speed of about 90 miles per hour.
It was during the flight with his third passenger, that Harry felt justified in altering his plans. No one who witnessed his flights on this particular Saturday afternoon would have been afraid to trust themselves to his care; as one said, he controlled his biplane with the ease and grace with which an expert chauffeur controls a motor-car. Ascending almost perpendicularly, he attained an altitude of about 3,000 feet; then, with the machine banked almost beyond the vertical, he descended in a rapid spiral. To those below it frequently seemed that the machine was upside down. A great outburst of applause attended one such descent, in which, instead of at once landing, he levelled up the machine within a few feet of the ground and continued round the course, conveying a vivid impression of speed. On this particular occasion, after scouring the grounds in search of afternoon tea, Harry landed in the vicinity of the grandstand!
Harry had another flying engagement to keep on this particular Saturday, and he flew over to the Victoria Park, Sydney. Many times he was out of sight, hidden above clouds. There had been some talk of his attempting to loop-the-loop during the afternoon, but the conditions were not at all favourable. For one thing, Harry had no intention of making his first attempt to emulate Pégoud at a height of less than 4,000 feet, and on this particular afternoon there were thick clouds at 1,500 feet. He would have had little satisfaction in going above them and doing the job out of sight of those below, for who would have borne testimony to his having accomplished the feat? Despite the low clouds, Harry carried a goodly batch of passengers at Victoria Park and then flew back to Randwich, where he was flying again on the morrow. On the Sunday he carried many passengers, and his trick flying was greatly applauded.
Reaching an altitude of 2,000 feet, Harry gave what was described as a magnificent flight of ten minutes’ duration, before an assembly of six thousand people, at Albany, N.S.W., on Sunday, March 8th. He followed up this flight with another, in which he established an Australian altitude record by reaching 7,800 feet. During part of this flight he was hidden from view above clouds. When he reappeared he executed a series of thrilling glides and dives, finally coming down to about 400 feet. At this height he turned and flew in the direction of the grandstand, and then, with intent to land, made a complete turn. Spectators at once realised that Harry was experiencing trouble with his engine. During his gliding and spiralling descent from the great altitude he had allowed the Gnome to get cold, a circumstance always fraught with the risk of not being able to restart the engine immediately as required. Spluttering as the machine descended, the engine finally gave out at 300 feet. Then it was Harry made a daring dive in the hope that his motor would once more throb into active life. But this manœuvre, twice repeated, was of no avail. From a height of about 20 feet Harry brought the machine to ground in a crowded paddock near the racecourse, in full view of many spectators and about 50 feet from the three-railed fence. At first it was thought the landing was satisfactory, but the momentum of the machine would have carried it through the fence and wrecked the engine. Harry, realising this predicament, took drastic steps, without hesitating. He plunged the nose of the machine to earth so that the biplane stood on end with its tail pointing skyward. A dense cloud of dust was raised.
Thinking that Harry must be injured, the crowd gave utterance to a cry of dismay; but a moment later Harry climbed out of his seat unhurt. Of course there was a wild rush to the spot where Harry, the coolest man in the crowd, was examining his machine. The damage amounted to a splintered propeller, broken landing chassis, and broken interplane bracing-wires.
Harry’s only comment at the time was: “It was due to pure carelessness. I let the engine get cold.” In so claiming entire responsibility for an accident, Harry unconsciously displayed his love for the cause of aviation. An accident seen by a large crowd is essentially a set-back to the advancement of commercial aviation. Presumably to avert this as far as possible, Harry said: “Blame me, not the aeroplane,” or words to that effect.
Some days later, on Wednesday, March 11th, Harry appeared in Melbourne, smiling and unperturbed by the previous unfortunate occurrence. “There was,” he said, “nothing at all about the accident of an alarming nature; I was never further from a serious smash-up in my life. It was not a flying accident at all, for the mishap occurred after I had landed, when the machine was nothing more or less than a motor-car. I was in danger of running into a fence, and I did the only thing possible to avoid such a calamity, which would have meant serious damage to the engine. There are no brakes on the landing chassis, which was broken simply because I brought the machine up so abruptly. The biplane will be ready by Saturday, when I shall carry several passengers. Many more applications have been received, and I have as many as thirty contracts for flights at £20 a time.”
There was a considerable amount of flying in Australia in 1914. During May a Farman seaplane was being demonstrated at Sydney. One of the famous French pilots, Guillaux, was flying in Australia in April. He looped-the-loop for the first time there, and aroused considerable interest, following on Harry’s demonstrations.