M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)

P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)

Cody Circuit of Britain Biplane

   The biplane flown by S. F. Cody during 1911 was basically a modification of his 1910 design and utilized the reliable 60 h.p. Green engine. The most obvious difference in appearance from his 1910 machine was the change to twin rudders, each of which was carried on a pair of bamboo tail booms. Small fixed tailplanes were fixed half-way up on each side of the rudders, which were themselves of lower aspect-ratio than the single surface employed on the previous machine. The rudders were arranged to fold sideways on their booms. The machine was entered in the Daily Mail ?10,000 Circuit of Britain, which started from Brooklands on 11th July, 1911, and extended over a course of 1,010 miles. After several minor hold-ups on the way Cody finished fourth, and his was the only British aircraft to complete the course. The machine came second in the 1911 contest for the Manville prize with a time of 3 hrs. 16 mins., and won the British Michelin Cup No. 2 and ?400 on 11th September, 1911, with a time of 3 hrs. 6.5 mins. after covering the 125 miles cross-country circuit at 40 m.p.h., being the sole competitor to complete the course. On 29th October, 1911, Cody won the British Empire Michelin Cup No. 1 and ?500 by flying for 261.5 miles over a 7-miles closed-circuit course at Laffan's Plain in 5 hrs. 15 mins. at the same time creating a new British record for duration. He later made a flight with two passengers standing on the lower wings and, on 27th January, 1912, covered a distance of 7 miles at Laffan's Plain at a height of 100 ft. with four passengers in addition to himself, a total load of 738 lb. which was made possible by the fitting of a 120 h.p. Austro-Daimler engine. The machine was entered for the races held at Hendon during April, 1912, but Cody was unable to participate owing to severe injuries received while flying as a passenger with his pupil, Lt. Fletcher, who crashed into some trees. At Whitsun, 1912, Cody flew from Farnborough to Hendon for the meeting there, but withdrew from the main 44-miles cross-country race owing to a disagreement over his handicap. Span, 40 ft. Length, 30 ft. Wing area. 450 sq. ft. Weight empty, 1,750 lb. Weight loaded. 2,500 lb. Maximum speed, 58 m.p.h. Ceiling, 5,000 ft. Range, 350 miles.

Jane's All The World Aircraft 1913

CODY. Cody flying school, Farnborough. Cody commenced experiments with kites in very early days on behalf of the British Admiralty. Subsequently built the first British Army dirigible, and an experimental Army aeroplane. In 1909, his direct connection with the Army ceased. A Cody I was built in 1908. A Cody II was completed June 1910. The special features of both were: very strong construction, great size (II had area of 857 sq feet), ailerons. Later types, except that warping is substituted for ailerons, do not differ very materially except in minor details. All wood construction.

   1911. 1913. Model.
   4-seater 4-seater May, 1912.
   biplane. biplane. Monoplane.

Length............feet(m.) 38 (11.60) 38 (11.60) 38 (11.60)
Span..............feet(m.) 43 (13) 43 (13) 43? (13.25)
Area..........sq.feet(m?.) 484 (44.75) 483 (44.97) 260 (19)
Weight, total...lbs.(kgs.) 1900 (862) 1900 (862) 2400 (1088)
Weight,useful...lbs.(kgs.) 1000 (453) 1000 (453) 7O0
Motor................... 60 Green, 120 Aust. 120 Aust.
   later a Daimler Daimler
   100 Green
Speed, max......m.p.h.(km.) 70 (115) 75 (120) 83 (135)
   min......m.p.h.(km.) 47 (75) 47 (75) 58 (95)
Number built to
   end of last year......... 1 1 1

Remarks.--The 1911 is the famous Cody, which, as a 60 h.p., won both Michelin 1911 prizes, and completed the Daily Mail circuit. As a 100 h.p. it won the 1912 Michelin cross-country. By the end of 1912 it is said to have flown a total of 7000 miles. The 1913 is practically a duplicate with a more powerful engine. Special features of the biplanes, maximum camber to lower plane. Both planes equal span. Very strong landing gear. Propeller chain driven: 1-3/4 to 1 gearing. In February, 1913, four biplanes were ordered for the British Army.

Cody lists a mono. for 1913 a trifle longer than the above; also five variations on the biplane of from 35 to 160 h.p., which can be built if required.

Журнал Flight

Flight, November 4, 1911.

BRITISH NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Mr. Cody's Fine Flight for the British Michelin.

   A SPLENDID flight was made by Mr. Cody on Sunday last at Aldershot, with the object of placing the British Michelin Cup once again to his credit. A course of about 7 miles round had been laid down, and starting off from Laffan's Plain at 8 o'clock in the morning he continued on until he had been in the air for just over 5 hours, and by the time he decided to come down he had covered 261 1/2 miles. On Mr. Cody descending from his machine, he was carried shoulder high to his hangar by the crowd which had gathered. On the previous Friday he covered a distance of 160 miles in just on 3 hours. When he started from Laffan's Plain there was a fog over the ground, and it seemed to make little difference to Mr. Cody, who kept flying steadily at a height of 800 feet until a broken wire rendered a descent advisable.


Flight, February 3, 1912.

AIR EDDIES.

   CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. S. F. Cody on his splendid flight on Saturday last, when he carried four passengers on his five-seated biplane. About 7 miles were covered, during which the height was mostly about 100 ft. A photograph of the "crew" appears on p.108.


Flight, March 16, 1912.

AEROPLANE UNDERCARRIAGES.
By G. DE HAVILLAND.

   Cody Biplane.- The undercarriage of this machine is chiefly constructed of wood, and has a central-skid between the main rolling-wheels; on the front end of this skid are fixed two smaller wheels. The rear-skid is a comparatively short distance behind the main-wheels, thus giving the machine a short base of support; but, owing to the high centre of thrust, the rear-skid carries little or no weight after the first few yards. The main-wheels have a track of about 3 feet, and support the machine through two spiral springs, which give a maximum travel of about 10 inches. The propeller is placed comparatively high up, and advantage is taken of the fact of the bottom pane being correspondingly low by keeping the wheel-track narrow, and providing small wheels at the end of the lower main-planes. These are normally clear of the ground, but come into action if the machine is canted over sideways.