Evening All,
This is a second post with reference to the Short S38: it is about the launch platform and events which took place in 1912.
On a visit to Eastchurch Aviation Museum a couple of years ago, I saw this photograph:
THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE PRIOR TO THE FIRST WORLD WAR. © IWM (Q 67864) IWM Non Commercial License
It shows the launch ramp on HMS Hibernia with the Short S 38. I knew nothing about this experiment in early naval aviation so I dd a little research and was amazed at what I discovered. What follows is an account of the events that led to this incredible feat and the model that I have constructed from scratch, (sadly there are no kits of either the aeroplane or the turret and fore part of the ship), for display in the museum.
On 14 November 1910 Eugene Ely became the first pilot to launch an aircraft from a ship: USS Birmingham in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Birmingham was an armoured cruiser which had a special wooden structure mounted over the forward turrets and bows. Ely landed at Willoughby Spit after a 5 minute flight. On 18 January 1911 Ely became the first pilot to land on a ship: a temporary structure had been built on the rear of USS Pennsylvania which was in San Francisco Bay. After landing his aircraft was turned around and he made a successful take-off and flew back to land.
Ely taking off from USS Birmingham:
Ely landing on USS Pennsylvania:
The above did not go unnoticed by navies around the world, not least the Royal Navy who at the time was the most powerful maritime force in existence. In January 1911 four naval officers who had been selected by the British Admiralty for pilot training reported to Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, where the Royal Aero Club had its airfield, and one of its members, F. McClean had offered to train the cadet pilots using his own aircraft. (The Admiralty did not own any aeroplanes in early 1911). The four completed their training and qualified as pilots in April, and when the agreement between the Admiralty and Royal Aero Club expired in August 1911, two of the pilots, Samson and Longmore, pressured the Admiralty to set up a Naval Flying Training School at Eastchurch. They would use the flying ground of the Royal Aero Club and the two machines which McClean had been allowing the pilots to fly: the Admiralty had bought them from McClean. In addition McClean offered more of his aeroplanes to the Admiralty for pilots to learn to fly and to practice on. Eastchurch was the site of the aeroplane factory of the Short Brothers company, so Samson, Longmore and navy personnel were allowed to collaborate with the Shorts to carry out experiments which might have potential value for naval aviation, including flying from a ship and landing on water.
Before an attempt could be made to fly from a ship, a method had to be invented and tested to show that an aircraft could safely land on water and be recovered. Oswald Short designed some streamlined air filled bags which could be attached to the undercarriage of an aeroplane. These were attached to one of the newly acquired Admiralty aircraft - a Short S 38 biplane. On 1st December 1911 Lt Longmore flew the aircraft from Eastchurch across the River Medway to the Isle of Grain where he landed close to the shore: he was towed to the beach by a naval picket boat and the aircraft was pulled ashore by sailors. After the aircraft had dried out Longmore took off and landed back at Eastchurch. Meanwhile in Sheerness harbour a temporary wooden platform was being constructed over the front turret and bows of a King Edward VII battleship, HMS Africa. On 19 January 1912 Commander Samson flew the S38 with airbags to the Isle of Grain and landed at Cockleshell Hard by the seawall. There the aircraft was manhandled over the sea wall and loaded via wooded planks on to a coal lighter, on which it was towed to the side of HMS Africa where it could be lifted on to the wooden launch platform. Later on the same day Samson made the first take off from a ship in Britain - he flew back to Eastchurch. For this flight the S38 was powered by a 50 hp Gnome rotary engine and Samson was only just able to keep the aircraft in the air after he had launched from the wood platform.
In the spring of 1912 a more powerful 70 hp Gnome rotary engine was fitted to S38 to provide more power for take off in preparation for a second experiment - to launch an aircraft from a moving ship. On 1 May 1912 the S38 was flown once again to Cockleshell Hard, Grain where it was loaded on to a lighter and carried to Sheerness harbour. Here it was loaded on to a sister ship to HMS Africa - HMS Hibernia, to which the wooden launch platform had been transferred. The S 38 was loaded on to the platform and secured, following which Hibernia sailed to Weymouth, Dorset where the Naval Review was to take place. On 3 May S38 was unloaded and taken ashore by lighter and moved to Lodmoor landing ground. On 9 May during the review, S38 was transferred again to Hibernia.
THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE PRIOR TO THE FIRST WORLD WAR. © IWM (Q 67864) IWM Non Commercial License
The officer on the ramp is almost certainly Cmdr. Samson
In the afternoon when the weather improved Samson took off from the ramp on Hibernia to make the first launch of an aircraft from a moving ship. Hibernia was steaming at 15 knots and Samson was able to clear the ramp and launch without fear of landing in the sea - he landed at Lodmoor.
THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE PRIOR TO THE FIRST WORLD WAR. © IWM (Q 67864) IWM Non Commercial License
The S38 was taken from Lodmore by sea back to Eastchurch from where, on 7 July 1912, he flew to Sheerness harbour and landed on the water next to HMS London. London also had a temporary platform mounted on its foredeck, and S38 was lifted on to this. London then sailed to Portsmouth for another Naval Review. On 4 July while London was still 19 miles from land, Lt L’Estrange Malone took off in a 20 knot wind while London was steaming at 12 knots: S 38 left the platform without any forward movement thus making the first recorded vertical take off by a fixed wing aircraft - a feat that was not be to repeated for many decades. Malone flew to Eastney barracks at Portsmouth and landed safely there.
After these experiments were concluded no further trials were carried out launching aircraft from ships in the Royal Navy until after the First World War had broken out: in 1915 more experiments were conducted using wooden platforms on the foredecks of warships and smaller tractor aircraft. Later in the war ships were converted so that a flight deck could be built on the top of the ship and the funnel exhaust was directed to the rear of the ship by pipes. The modern aircraft carrier had been invented.
Jack Newman’s RN serviceman father was an eye witness to Samson’s successful launch from Hibernia and gave the following account:
“My father has been in the Royal Navy for nine months and has just completed his initial training at HMS Ganges, a shore establishment. Together with the rest of his class of boy seamen he was drafted to HMS Hibernia, a battleship and also the Irish Flag Ship for further training at sea. When the young men arrive on board they learn that the ship was just about to sail to join the rest of the fleet gathered in Weymouth Bay on the coast of England. They also learn that they had been singled out to take a small part in an operation that will make its way into the history books. The battleship that they have just joined has an ungainly appearance. A long wooden platform sloping downwards has been built over the forward gun turret. As they are hurried on board a flimsy bi-plane is winched up from a lighter lying alongside and as soon as it is stowed away correctly the ship weighs anchor and sets sail. Dad and the other boys are then told that when they arrive at Weymouth their ship is going to attempt the first take off by an aircraft from a moving ship in the Royal Navy. Because this is a special occasion the whole fleet has been anchored in two lines of warships in the bay and Hibernia is going to steam between them so that the event can be watched by as many senior officers as possible. Apart from many admirals, the king himself, George V, will also be present. During the voyage Dad and the other boy seamen are given training in releasing the toggle that restrained the aircraft so that it could then run down the platform and hopefully leap into the air. On the day chosen the boys are very nervous as they are mustered just in front of the ship’s bridge. They can see the many officers and men watching from the assembled ships as the Hibernia turns to pass between them. Several admirals and members of the press are crowded together on their ship’s bridge just behind where they are standing in a line loosely holding onto a single rope attached to the toggle. Dad said that whilst waiting for the pilot to appear one of the boys was having a good laugh at the appearance of Mr. Short, a brother of the aircraft’s builder. Apparently Mr. Short had a rather large head. Unknown to the boy however the ships Commander was standing right behind him and he planted a well polished right boot under the stern of the offending boy and there was no more joking or sky larking after that. At a signal from the captain, the pilot Lt Commander Sampson, climbed up into the cockpit of the biplane and a mechanic swung the propeller to start the engine. All except one restraining rope to the toggle were unlashed as the pilot ran the engine up to full power. Then the pilot dropped his left hand and the boys pulled hard on the remaining rope to release the toggle. Dad said that they did this so well that we ended up in a heap on the bridge under the feet of the senior officers, much to their amusement. The little aircraft accelerated down the ramp and rose into the air before reaching the end of it. The pilot flew on at low level between the waiting ships where he was cheered heartedly by their ships companies as the aircraft flew by. He then went on to land at an airfield near Weymouth. Lt Commander Sampson was immediately promoted and after being congratulated had dinner with his majesty that evening at the palace. He later formed the first RNAS camp at Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey. My dad spent the entire First World War aboard motor torpedo boats operating in the North Sea, but that is another story.”
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
