Читать книгу H. G. Hawker, airman: his life and work онлайн

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Harry made a world’s record for height with three passengers on Sunday, July 27th, 1913, on the 80 h.p. Gnome-engined Sopwith Tractor biplane. On this occasion the weather was inclined to be hazy, and in a preliminary test flight Harry lost sight of the aerodrome at 1,500 feet, but from the ground he was plainly discernible, and spectators were amused by watching him circling around trying to find his bearings. Although it was rather windy, he carried one or two passengers early in the afternoon, and it was shortly after 5 o’clock, when the wind had dropped somewhat, that he decided to attempt to break the world’s record for altitude with three passengers. His passengers, Messrs. Bellew, Jones, and King, were all of at least average weight.

A few minutes past six the record-making flight began, and after making two or three circuits of Brooklands, Harry was out of sight, forcing his way upwards through clouds at 3,000 feet, At 8,400 feet, having made a world’s record, and being ignorant of his whereabouts, he decided to come down, although the machine could have climbed another 2,000 feet with comparative ease.