Aviation in Britain Before the First World War Cody aircraft mark VIB Hydroplane on the Basingstoke Canal, Cody at the controls. People on the tow path are pulling on a rope attached to the aircraft. This was both the last and the largest of Cody's aircraft and was intended to take part in the Daily Mail Coastal Circuit of Britain contest. This competition was to begin in August 1913 from Calshot near Southampton following the south and east coast to Inverness down the Caledonian canal to the west coast, across the Irish sea to Dublin, round Land's End to Falmouth and then returning to Southam
Aviation in Britain Before the First World War Cody aircraft mark VIB Hydroplane on the Basingstoke Canal, Cody at the controls. People on the tow path are pulling on a rope attached to the aircraft. This was both the last and the largest of Cody's aircraft and was intended to take part in the Daily Mail Coastal Circuit of Britain contest. This competition was to begin in August 1913 from Calshot near Southampton following the south and east coast to Inverness down the Caledonian canal to the west coast, across the Irish sea to Dublin, round Land's End to Falmouth and then returning to Southampton all to be done within 72 hours. The aircraft was again a biplane with a single frontal elevator and a single triangular rudder with horizontal appendage held on two spars so as to accommodate the large four bladed propeller in a pusher Configuration. There was a large central float one and two smaller ones beneath the wings level with the front elevator spars all of which were made by Harmsworth of the nearby Ash Vale Boathouse. Whilst the floats were fitted to the aircraft for buoyancy testing it never flew with them fitted. Cody made numerous flights in the aircraft fitted with the conventional undercarriage including a demonstration for the army of the aircraft as an ambulance plane. Despite the aircraft's size the 100 hp Green engine meant it was relatively fast and handled well with Cody confident that he could win the race for which there were only three other entries. However on the 7th August 1913 Cody and W H B Evans were killed when the aircraft broke up whilst he was returning to land at Laffan's Plain.
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Photo credit: © piemags/archive/military / Alamy / Afripics
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