M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
MACFIE Empress biplane (Flying at Portholme, Hunts and Brooklands)
This machine was designed by Macfie, the parts were fabricated by W.H. Tothill and the aircraft was assembled at Portholme, between March and May 1910. First flight took place on 12 May 1910, but immediately afterwards, permission to use the ground was withdrawn and Macfie moved to Brooklands in June. First straights took place there on 18 June 1910 with insufficient power for proper flight. The machine was then altered to become more of a Farman type and loaned to J. Radley to take to Wolverhampton, but apparently was not used.
On its return in July, the aircraft reverted to its original form, and damage, including that caused by a fire, was repaired. In the week ending 14 August 1910, the aircraft reappeared at Brooklands with a 35hp Green engine in place, but lacking a suitable propeller, could not achieve flight. In September a 50hp Gnome was fitted and with this engine straight flights were made. However, as control was too sensitive, the tail booms were extended by five feet, in which form the aircraft flew on 4 October 1910 more satisfactorily. Macfie flew in the Neill Cup Contest, but only accumulated 7min 15sec flying time on 6 October 1910, far less than the 2hr 59min 17sec of Gilmour, the winner. Nevertheless the biplane flew well and was used by Macfie to obtain his RAeC pilot's certificate No.49 in January 1911, and it was also flown by others including J. Valentine.
A new engine, the Empress rotary, was fitted and ground tested on 20 November 1910. The aircraft was being flown by O.C. Morison on 22 January 1911, when the engine cut out and he landed in the sewage farm. The aircraft was salvaged and some of the parts used to rebuild it, probably again fitted with the Gnome. Straights were flown on 1 March 1911 and circuits on 8 March 1911.
The basic Macfie biplane was a typical pusher machine of the time, with front and rear elevators and fitted initially with a single rudder, which was replaced by two at some stage. The engine, pilot and passenger were mounted centrally on a platform, on struts between the wings, which carried single acting ailerons on both top and bottom planes, the rear booms were parallel in plan, but tapered to a point in elevation. The front lower booms were extensions of the undercarriage skids, which curved upwards to meet the straight top booms at the front elevator pivots. The skids were extended aft to support the tail and provided the mountings for the four main wheels on separate axles.
Macfie seems to have concentrated on his next aircraft and made little use of his biplane after it was rebuilt. At some time in 1911 he disposed of it to Herbert Spencer who rebuilt it on Farman lines and completed and flew the machine at Brooklands in April 1912.
No data is available other than information on the various power plants and the fact that the tail was extended by five feet at an early stage.
Power:
35hp JAP eight-cylinder air-cooled vee, originally in the monoplane.
35hp Green four-cylinder inline water-cooled from 14 August 1910.
50hp Gnome seven-cylinder air-cooled rotary from 20 September 1910.
50hp Empress seven-cylinder air-cooled rotary from 20 November 1910. Gnome fitted again later
P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)
Macfie Empress Biplane
In spite of his unhappy experiences with his monoplane, during 1909 and the beginning of 1910, Robert F. Macfie determined to continue with his experiments. From 3rd until 28th February, 1910, he travelled the provinces looking for a flying-ground and searched London for a suitable constructor of a new single-seat pusher biplane which he had designed. At the same time he made arrangements for the supply of a 60 h.p. J. A.P. engine for the machine. W. H. Tothill undertook the work of fabricating the parts for the Empress, spending just over three weeks on the job, from 21st March until 15th April. During this time, Macfie managed to obtain the use of a shed at Portholme, Hunts., and the parts of the biplane were sent there on 15th April, 1910, for assembly. Yet another disappointment for Macfie was the non-appearance of the engine on order, and he had to resort to using the 35 h.p. J. A.P. salvaged from the wreck of the old 1909 monoplane. Short flights were made with the Empress on 12th May, but, on the same day. Lord Sandwich withdrew permission to use Portholme owing to trouble with the Promoting Company. Macfie was determined to try the machine once again before moving, and was in the air making straight flights the next morning at 3.20 a.m.
On 11th June, 1910, he left for Brooklands, the biplane arriving on 16th June. It was re-erected straight away, and on 18th June was flying straight and managing quarter turns, but its lack of power precluded really successful flights. James Radley was interested in taking the Empress to Wolverhampton for the meeting being held there, and it was hurriedly altered into a Farman type in time for him to take it there on 27th June, the day on which the event opened. The meeting continued until 2nd July, but by then the Empress had been damaged by the weather, and it arrived back at Brooklands on 6th July.
Further damage was caused by burning, but rebuilding started on 9th July to Macfie's original specification. By then Macfie had gone into partnership with James Valentine, and went to Paris from 1st until 18th September in order to obtain a 50 h.p. Gnome for the machine. It was hoped that the extra power would give the aircraft a chance to show its capabilities. Other modifications included attention to the tail booms, which were made shorter; the undercarriage was much lower, and two large rudders were fitted instead of the former single small one. The performance was greatly improved when, from 18th September until 9th November, 1910, circular flights were being made at Brooklands. The machine was so successful that Valentine was enabled to gain his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 47 with it on 17th January, 1911, while Macfie used it to obtain Certificate No. 49 a week later on 24th January. Oscar Morison, a Bleriot pilot at Brooklands, used the machine for his first experience of biplane flying, but landed it in the infamous sewage farm near the aerodrome. After salvage it was sold to Herbert Spencer, who rebuilt it once more on Farman lines and flew it successfully in the spring of 1912.