52 AH march 2016

ALL PHOTOS: RAF MUSEUM, HENDON

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ear nightfall on December 17,

1929, an Arab horseman trav-

eling over the mountain paths

of the Atlas range in Tunisia

heard an airplane approaching.

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but when the engine abruptly

stopped, he became alarmed and

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Alerted by the horseman, French colonial authorities

promptly dispatched military patrols to the area. Some hours

later, the Air Ministry in London learned the tragic news that

its sole Fairey Long Range Monoplane (LRM) had crashed,

with two fatalities. The LRM had left England at 0800 hours on

December 17, aiming to establish a new long-distance record

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most experienced pilots had died at the controls.

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age, and the bodies of the two airmen were accorded full mili-

tary honors by the French before being returned to England.

Then the Air Ministry had to decide whether, at a time when

endurance records were regularly being established and just as

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anxious about costs.

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Flt. Lts. Charles R. Carr and Leonard E.M. Gillman tried to

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bomber nonstop from Cranwell to India. Unfortunately, due

to oil system problems, they were forced to ditch in the Persian

Gulf, three miles from the Quoin lighthouse in the Straits of

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if a short-lived one. Only a few hours later, Charles Lindbergh,

in his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. LouisKWUXTM\ML!UQTM[WVPQ[

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aircraft were not the answer,

the Air Ministry issued Speci-

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Avia tion Company, a draft

requirement to design and

construct an airplane with

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miles. The chosen design was

a high-wing cantilever mono-

plane, which, apart from its

excellent aerodynamic char-

acteristics, offered ample

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the wing while also providing

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hp Napier Lion 12-cylinder

engine. Maximum weight was

to be about 17,000 pounds,

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heaviest single-engine land-

planes, though arguably the

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split-axle undercarriage was

fixed. A retractable under-

carriage had been considered

but discounted because of its

increased weight and techni-

cal complications.

Accommodation for the

two-man crew within the

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sonably comfortable, includ-

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and a reclining seat for the sec-

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he ever get a chance to relax.

Provision was also made for

the two pilots to change places

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ried, due to weight considera-

tions, and flight instrumen-

tation was rudimentary by

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it did include a climb and

descent gauge and a rate-of-

turn indicator.

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by Sqd. Ldr. Arthur G. Jones-

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Major. Jones-Williams was

the commanding officer of

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CAUGHT SHORT

Arthur Jones-Williams and

Norman Jenkins arrive at

Karachi on April 26, 1929,

having abandoned a long-

dis tance record attempt.

A FAIR START

Jones-Williams (left) and

Jenkins relax in Karachi after

their flight, the first nonstop

from England to India.