Aeroplane Monthly 1982-07
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P.Capon - Capon's Corner
Sopwith Snipe E7561, powered by a 230 h.p. Bentley B.R.2 engine, seen during a visit to Stag Lane in June 1925. Introduced as a successor to the Sopwith Camel in 1918, Snipes remained in service until 1926. They performed aerobatics at the 1920-26 RAF Hendon Displays and E7561 may have dropped into Stag Lane at the time of the 1925 event.
This Fokker F.VII-3M, J7986, was used by the Air Ministry to test the revolutionary Monospar Wing Company's ST-2 wing, an immensely strong metal wing built around a single duralumin Warren girder spar braced with a pyramidal system of tie rods. The wing became a feature of the Monospar range of light aircraft popular during the 1930s. J7986 was powered by three 180 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engines and visited Stag Lane in June 1926.
The Bristol Fighter H1598, powered by a 275 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine, called in to Stag Lane in May 1925. Bristol Fighters entered service with the RFC in April 1917 and some remained on strength in Iraq and India until replaced by the Fairey Gordon in 1932.
The Parnall Pixie was designed by Harold Bolas for the 1923 Lympne Trials. In 1924 the Air Ministry ordered two military examples for comparative tests with the ANEC 1, Avro 560 and a D.H.53. One, J7324, subsequently appeared on the British civil register as G-EBKM and was initially owned by Parnalls. P. T. Capon photographed this aircraft at Stag Lane in September 1925. Standing by the Pixie is R. E. Bishop, then a D.H. apprentice (the very first), who later became de Havilland's chief designer.
Visiting Stag Lane also in 1925 was this Vickers Virginia V heavy night bomber. The type entered service with the RAF in 1924, with Nos 7 and 58 Sqns. J7426 is painted in standard dark green night bomber camouflage
One of the largest aircraft built at Stag Lane was the D.H.66 Hercules passenger transport. The second aircraft, G-EBMY, is seen at Stag Lane in November 1926, shortly after it was built. The D.H.66 carried seven passengers and three crew and was powered by three 420 h.p. Bristol Jupiter VI engines.
In 1920 A.V.Roe began converting Avro 504s into three seaters for the private pilot market powered by the in-line, air-cooled 80 h.p. Renault. One of the 30 or so British Avro 548s, as the type became known, was G-EBHL, ex H2067, photographed at Stag Lane some time during 1925, the same year that it was written off in an accident. 'HL was owned by the de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd and is seen parked in front of the World War One Stag Lane sheds.
The Sopwith Grasshopper G-EAIN, powered by a 100 h.p. Anzani engine, photographed at Stag Lane in June 1926. Built in 1920, this two seat tourer was owned by a succession of private owners, including Dudley Watt, John Cobb and Miss Constance Leathart.
Bristol Type 83B Lucifer G-EBGE photographed at Stag Lane in June 1925. This attractive aircraft was powered by a 120 h.p. Bristol Lucifer IV engine and was owned by the Bristol Aeroplane Company from 1923 until it was scrapped in 1931.
The No 43 Sqn Gloster Gamecock I J7919, resplendent in black and white check squadron markings, seen at Stag Lane in September 1926, the same year that the type entered RAF service. Apart from No 43 Sqn, based then at Tangmere, the RAF equipped four other squadrons with Gamecocks and took delivery of a total of 82 of these pretty fighters. Mk I and II Gamecocks were powered by the 425 h.p. Bristol Jupiter VII nine-cylinder engine.
After the Armistice 11 surplus B.E.2Es were converted for civil use and registered in the UK. One was G-EANW, ex C7185, seen here at Stag Lane in June 1926. Unlike all the other civil conversions, powered by 90 h.p. R.A.F.1A engines, 'NW was fitted with an 80 h.p. Renault. It was initially registered to Count Zborowski at Brooklands in 1920.