METZGAR & LENO monoplane (Bert and Ted Metzgar and Herbert Dan Leno, Old Town, Clapham, London, S W)

   The construction of this machine, which was the design of Bert Metzgar, was started in 1907, but it was not until the summer of 1911 that trials at Shoreham took place. These resulted in short hops of no more than 50ft up to a height of 3ft or so, before the financial strain was too much.
   The aircraft was a pusher monoplane, much like an ASL Valkyrie in layout, and used tube in its construction. There were twin booms and these earned the four wheels on twin axles, and these curved upwards to provide the mounting for the front elevator. The rear booms carried a rudder and tailplane, and lateral control was by single acting, broad chord ailerons.
   The pilot was originally seated behind and below the engine, which drove, at reduced speed, the propeller by chain and shaft, above the pilot. Later the propeller was driven direct by the crankshaft and the engine moved back and the pilot forward. The engine was a four-cylinder water-cooled type, reported by The Aero as having been made by the partners, although elsewhere it was referred to as a 60hp Brasier. It had cast aluminum water jackets with cast iron liners and cylinder heads and may have been a modification of a car engine. The radiator was finally mounted horizontally above the aircraft together with the fuel tank.

   Data
   Span 36ft