The Hydro Biplane, Windermere, 1912

Extract

While staying at the “Old England Hotel” Bowness-on-Windermere at the end of May in 1912 one heard and then saw what was loosely called an aeroplane flying over the Lake. It is of some “historic” interest that the car which brought us to Bowness was a 45 h.p. six cylinder Napier San Giorgio model. The Hydro Biplane was garaged in rather untidy looking wooden sheds only some 100 yards from the Hotel and I have a clear recollection of the following facts. The photographs (Figs. 1 and 2) show it to be a single-engined pusher propeller biplane on one central float. It always flew at a height of about 100 yards at around 50-60 m.p.h. A little speedier “ downhill.” Taking off speed was about 50 m.p.h. The pilot (see Fig. 2), I never knew his name, flew two or three times a day in suitable weather garbed like the present day motor cyclist but without crash helmet.