While flicking through a microfilm today of old 1928 and 1933 newspapers looking for reports on the Southern Cross visiting New Zealand, I saw a photo of a British plane called a Fairey Napier, which had successfully set a non-stop flight record from England to South Africa.
I didn’t pay a lot of attention as time was short, and I thought I could look it up on the net later. The caption said it was a Fairey Napier, but nothing comes up on Google for that title.
It had two crew (I think they had RAF ranks). The plane was UGGGLY, but very quaint. It had a really big wingspan, much like the Wellesley, and a single radial engine. The fuselage was much more sleek than the Wellesley.
I wondered if anyone here knows more about it. I can’t recall which roll it was on, so it may have been Sept-Dec 1928, or Jan-Feb 1933.
By: STORMBIRD262 - 19th August 2004 at 20:15
Must go to bed, But just found this Dave
Heres the 33 bit :rolleyes: , First attempt Dec 1929 to Cape town from Cranwell ended when it crashed in to high ground near Tunis, Killing both pilots 🙁 , Second aircraft, Had better instrumentation and an automatic pilot developed by RAE Farnborough, Handed over to RAF July 1931, Did a proving flight to Egypt, Slight damaged from forced landing, Repaired and left Cranwell on 6th Feb 1933 and flew 5,410 miles(8707km) to Walvis Bay, South west Africa in 57 hours 25mins, Latter broken by Codos and Rossi in a Bleriot-Zappata 110, Flew a great circle route of 5,657miles(9104km) between New York and Syria, Thoughts of re- engining the Monoplane in 34 with a Jumo diesel, estimated range 8,300miles 😮 (13358km) came to nothing, The final fate of the plane does not seem to be recorded 🙁 , Cheers, Tally Ho!, Phil 😉 (p.s.Costes plane was a Bre 19)
By: STORMBIRD262 - 19th August 2004 at 18:06
Dave
Sorry, Stuffed up the Date 😮 , It was in 1929, There was another Dude doing records around that time named Dieudonne Costes from france, Had a copilot called Joseph Le Brix, I know he broke the record taking it out to 5,000 miles less than a year latter, A flight from Paris to Manchuria, I know he flew a Breguet biplane, But not sure what else he flew, There was two British Chics as well :p , Mary Heath and Mary Bailey 😉 , Who made solo flights in opposite directions between London and South Africa in 1928, Cheers for now, Tally Ho! Phil 😎 .(p.s. 2 yanks beat the 5,000 going 12 miles further in a Bellanca from New York to Turkey, And had only a pint of fuel left in the tanks 😮 ), Not to forget Wiley Post in his Lockeed Vega, The Winnie Mae, He and his girl went round the World twice 😮
By: Dave Homewood - 19th August 2004 at 15:28
James, I’m not getting the Fairey plane confused with the Wellesley. But it may be the old memory playing tricks, and thinking I saw a radial when it wasn’t. It was a very brief look I had, just enough to note the name that the caption called it and that it was a long range record broken. My memory tells me it had a roundy nose, but I’m probably mistaken. I will look it up again when I get back to uni next week, and print it off this time.
By: JDK - 19th August 2004 at 10:14
Phew. The Nomex suit can be removed then. 😉
By: dhfan - 19th August 2004 at 10:07
I think you’re fireproof, James.
I’ve never heard of a radial Napier and Bill Gunston hasn’t either, according to his World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines.
By: JDK - 19th August 2004 at 09:45
Sounds like you are getting your Fairey Long Range and Vickers Wellesleys mixed up. Wellesley was radial, and flew to S. Africa. Fairey was always inline. IIRC, Napier were mainly an inline engine builder… (Awaits shooting down in flames)
By: Dave Homewood - 19th August 2004 at 00:55
Thanks guys. That looks substantially like the plane I saw, but I am sure it had a small radial engine in the photo I saw. Maybe the mind is playing tricks. I am also sure it said the record broken was non-stop to South Africa.
I was not look at the newspapers as late as April 1933 (and definately not in 1932) so perhaps this was a record flight in 1928. I am so curious I might go back for a second look at the microfilm when I get a chance.
Thanks again.
By: STORMBIRD262 - 18th August 2004 at 17:32
RAF PILOTS
This was first attempt for record, April 24th 1929 this machine piloted by Sq.Ldr A.G.Jones-Williams, M.C. and Fl.Lt N.H.Jenkins,O.B.E., D.F.C., D.S.M., RAF, Left Cranwell to fly to India and on the following day they landed at Karachi after having covered a distance of 4,130 miles non-stop in 50hrs 48mins, They originally intended flying to Bangalore, But Strong head winds from the Balkans on to India cut their average speed to 65-70mph, Cheers Tally Ho! Phil. 😉 (p.s Carried 1,000 gallons of fuel in wing tanks, 3 tons! 😮 )
By: STORMBIRD262 - 18th August 2004 at 16:55
More info
Experimental long range plane, High wing cantilever monoplane, Wooden spars and fabric covering, Wing tapers and has dihedral, Long slim fuselage covered in fabric, Tail unit cantilever monoplane type fabric covering with balanced rudder and elevator, Landing gear fixed divided type with main oleo leg attached to wing front span, axle and radias rod hinged to fuselage lower longeron, Tail skid, Enclosed cockpit for two level with leading edge of wing, Dimensions, Span 82 ft, Length 48 ft 6in, Height 12 ft, Wing area 850 sq ft, Engine 570 hp Napier lion XIA, Weights loaded 17,500 Ib, Cruising speed 110mph, Range 5,550 miles, First flight 14 Nov 1928, Cheers 🙂 , Tally Ho! Phil 😉
By: STORMBIRD262 - 18th August 2004 at 16:24
Fairey Long Range Monoplane II
Must be this, Dave,
By: Steve Bond - 18th August 2004 at 08:58
This would be the Fairey Long-Range Monoplane, which also set a non-stop record from England to India, flying with an RAF crew from Cranwell.
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August 18, 2004 at 8:50 am