A Century of British Powered Flight

[Garry Russell]

Samuel Cody flew at Farnborough 100 years ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7675179.stm

Garry

[Tako_Kichi]

Samuel Cody has always been a hero of mine and especially for his kites. Quite a character all round and very much a 'showman' but much of his early life is shrouded in mystery as it is sometimes difficult to separate fact from 'show biz'. ;-)

A few years ago I built a 1/4 size Cody 'War Kite' (used to lift Army spotters into the air) to commemorate 90 years since his death and 100 years since he patented the design.




It's 8ft from wing tip to wing tip and pulls like a truck! The full size war kites would be flown in a train of 5-7 kites with a wicker basket suspended from the flying line just below the lowest kite. The poor spotter would stand in the basket and write messages on a piece of paper which he then placed in a container and dropped it over the side of the basket for collection below.

This shot shows a buddy of mine with the kite while giving a presentation to a local school as part of our kite club's 'Kites in the Classroom' project where we went to schools to give talks and flying demonstrations as part of 'National Kite Month' every April.

[decapod]

Those kites had an amazing pull on them.
About 30 years ago now, my dad built one out of calico and dowl from patterns in Peter Powells kites book.
It snapped a 60lb fishing line and flew a couple of miles. With a stronger line it almost pulled my little sister off the ground.

[jab]

Did 558 and a Typhoon do a flypast for this event? :think:

James

[Tako_Kichi]

Those kites had an amazing pull on them.
About 30 years ago now, my dad built one out of calico and dowl from patterns in Peter Powells kites book.
It snapped a 60lb fishing line and flew a couple of miles. With a stronger line it almost pulled my little sister off the ground.

I can easily understand even a small Cody War Kite breaking 60lb line. I flew the one in the photos above on 350lb braided Dacron flying line and it would pull it as tight as a piano string and it would actually 'sing' giving off a high pitched whine as the wind went past it. In winds above 15 MPH it would take at least two men to get it back down again as a single person could not do it on his own. I remember jumping up and grabbing the line one day and then dangled from it and it never even put a bend in the flying line!

[Chris558]

I can't help feeling that not enough was made of yesterdays historic day. In among all the financial gloom, we should have had a day of national celebration.

Did 558 and a Typhoon do a flypast for this event? :think: James

Yes, 558 flew and is now, would you believe, stuck at Farnie due to a brake problem. :roll:

A C-17 also flew by...but WHY??? It's american!!! - should have been a VC-10!! :roll:

But how many people have heard of the man in the following link. We could've been first, you know!...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Pilcher

[SkippyBing]

A C-17 also flew by...but WHY??

Good God man there was a serviceable aircraft don't quibble, round my way they're rare as hen's teeth.
Also Cody was American so maybe it's a tip of the hat to him?