SUPER 'PLANE WRECKED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 254, 22 July 1919, Page 8

SUPER 'PLANE WRECKED

1 TRAGIC FATE OP BIGGEST BRITISH ' TRIPLANE. .By an accident which occttrrcd at Farnborough aerodrome during tlio first trial flight of Die Tarrant triplane, Cnptain P. T. Rawlings, D.F.C., late of the Ho.val Naval Air Service, lost his life, anil Captain F. G. Dnnu is lying dangerously injured in tlie Cambridge Hospital at Aldershot. t Tlio accident also resulted in wrecking the machine, which was the largest in existence, and had many remarkable features. It was designed by Mr. W. 6. Tarrant, a building contractor, of TVeybridgg, assisted by Captain Kawling?, who had taken np an appointment as general manager of the aeroplane department. The design was submitted to the Government, and the possibilities of the machino as a. long-distahco bomber were recognised. This ivas whilo tlio war was in progress, and it. waa decided to build one in tlio Boynl aircraft establishment at Farnboroiigh under Mr. Tiirrant's direction. The vast proportions of tlio machino necessitated the use of the largest balloon shed for its building. It had not Jjeen • completed when tlio armistice stopped further Government work on it. Somewhat altered in design to permit of its nss for commercial and other purposes, it has since been completed, and its first trial flight was arranged for. A large number of experts were present to witness the trial. The mnssive machine, which, when loaded, weighs 22 tons and stands 75ft. high, with a wing span of 140 ft.., was brought out on to the aerodrome at daybreak, and the necessary tuning of the engines was completed by 5.30. These engines, six in number, each of 500 horse-power, are arranged in novel fashion. On either side .of the cigar-tiliapecl fuselage, between the lower and middle planes, were, placed two engines, ono driving a propeller and one a tractor screw. Captain Dunn, as pilot, and Captain Rawlings, as assistant, occupied the pilots' seats in the forefront of tho fuselage. On board were aleo Captain T. M. Wilson, 0110 of the Air Ministry's technical experts; Lieutenant Adams, in charge of tho engines; Mr. Grossert, tho superintendent of the department, and two mechanic?, named See and Edncy.

When all was ready the four lower.engines were set going, and the machine was taxied over the common in a milewide circle. It seemed to travel quite satisfactorily, in spite of its enormous weight, and turned with apparent ease. So satisfied were the pilots with tho machine's behaviour that the run wan continued, and an attempt was made to rise by bringing tho two upper cuginea into action.

At this time tho tail was well off the ground, although tho machine itself Was still running on its landing wheels, with an occasional lift; hut no sooner were tho upper engines brought into play than the machine pitched bodily forward and almost buried its front and main parts in the ground, smashing and grinding its way six or seven feet into the soil. The first-aid motor ambulance and fire-fighting apparatus, kept in readiness at the factor}', were on the spot within a few eoconda of tiie accident, and tlip crew were quickly rescued from the wreck. All were more or less injured, tho two pilots very seriously, Captain llawlinga died an hour after reaching hospital.

Fortunately fire did not brsak out, and 6teps were at once taken to prevent it, whilo an anr.od guard w«g quickly summoned from the adjoining -barracks to keep all -unofficial people away from the wreckage, until an examination coukl be made by experts. Jlv. Tarrant was among the first to reach the wreckage, and, with Captain Saunders, 1t.A.i1.C., worked with frantic zeal to toscu,b the craw and attend to their injuries.