For a distance of about 100 feet heavy stone was spread in front of the shed to facilitate handling of the machine. When only quarter filled with petrol about 20 men were required to wheel the machine on the aerodrome.
On April 7th, there was a very heavy fall of snow followed by a twelve-hours’ rainfall, which effectively combined to turn the Mount Pearl Aerodrome into a mud-bath, thereby preventing any test flights being made for several days. Thus delayed, Harry and the Sopwith personnel were able to take it more or less easy in erecting the machine. The work was soon completed. The Ford car which they had at their disposal became stuck in the snowdrifts more than once. Attempts to drain the aerodrome by the digging of trenches were made. In expediting the installation of the wireless on the machine, the staff of the Admiralty wireless station rendered considerable services, for which Harry was very grateful.
Harry made the first flight with Grieve on Thursday afternoon, April 10th. Leaving the ground at 4.40, he ascended to 3,500 feet, flying above St. Johns and Concepcion Bay, where he carried out some high-speed tests, during which well over 100 miles per hour was attained. He landed at 5.30. But for the fact that the mud due to the recent heavy fall of rain had been hardened by frost, this flight would not have been possible; and, as it was, the wheels sank into the mud considerably when the machine landed, in spite of the fact that Harry had lightened the load as much as possible by carrying a minimum quantity of fuel.
So far as concerned the engine, the test flight was entirely satisfactory, and the only trouble with the aeroplane was a slight bending of the rudder, which occurred as the machine was leaving the ground. Considering the state of the latter, it is a matter for surprise that more damage was not done. The wireless transmitter was put out of action owing to the fan, by means of which the generator was driven, being of unsuitable dimensions and turning too fast. As regards the actual flight, all was nearly lost; for when the machine was leaving the aerodrome an unusually strong “bump” nearly drove it into a cluster of trees. Crowds of people in the streets of St. Johns congregated to watch the trial flight, which, incidentally, was the first ever seen by the majority. The interest was so great that even the Senate, or Parliament, was prorogued in order that members might see what was going on.
As his rivals with the Martinsyde were due to arrive, Harry was anxious to get away as soon as possible. So well did everything go that at one time he hoped to get away on April 12th (Saturday), but the weather would not agree when the time came.
As already mentioned, the generator of the wireless transmitter was burned out, and so Harry, being unable to replace it locally, cabled home for another. In the interim, Grieve, who was inclined to favour a smaller type of apparatus having a shorter radius of action, procured a “Boy Scout” set for use in case the new generator ordered from home did not arrive in time. The absence of wireless “sending” apparatus would certainly minimise their chances of safety in the event of a mishap because they would be unable to summon ships to their aid by this means. Harry and Grieve, however, were at first inclined to believe that, travelling at a speed of 100 miles per hour, wireless would be of little use in making effective communication with passing vessels.
Nevertheless, one effect of the long delay in making a start was to cause them to modify their views as to the utility of carrying a wireless transmitter, for on April 20th Harry installed a small sending apparatus. This, however, proved unsatisfactory, and about the end of the month he cabled to England for a more powerful set to be sent out by the steamer Digby on April 28th. It is interesting to note that experiments with a directional wireless apparatus were carried out during the trials at Brooklands, but they decided to do without it on account of its great weight and because wireless was not a necessary accessory for Grieve’s method of navigation.
The Sopwith machine, which was christened the Atlantic, was a single-engined biplane propelled by a 350 h.p. Rolls-Royce engine installed in the nose and driving a four-bladed tractor air-screw. The engine alone weighed 850 lb., and the rest of the machine (i.e., without fuel, oil, water, and pilot and navigator) turned the scale at about 2,000 lb., the total flying load at the start being estimated at 6,150 lb. A maximum speed of 118 miles per hour could be attained and a cruising speed in the region of 105 miles per hour at 10,000 feet.
The “fairing,” or streamlining superstructure of the body or fuselage, was designed in the form of an inverted boat, partly collapsible, which could possibly be useful in case of emergency if the aeroplane kept afloat long enough for Harry and Grieve to launch it. The boat was made of three-ply wood. During their long wait for the weather they passed away much time by testing this boat in the inland pools in which broken ice was floating, and found it possible to launch it in less than a minute. The pair of them could walk along with the boat, drop it into the pool, and, subject to their exercising considerable caution, get in; but to steer a course in it was very difficult owing to its unorthodox shape. The boat contained emergency rations, paddles, and flares, the latter, of course, being for the purpose of attracting shipping. Parachute lights for night signalling and smoke flares for day signalling were carried in the fore part. At the stern was carried an air-bag, which could be inflated not only to serve as an additional means of flotation, but also as a support for the collapsible upper part of the boat, which was made of canvas. A sea anchor was provided. The emergency rations in the boat were supplemented by a gallon of water in a hermetically sealed cask. In the aeroplane the commissariat included sandwiches, cheese, beef extract, toffee, and black coffee in Thermos bottles.