100 years ago an Edwardian Gentleman prepares to Takes-Off

Photo of Short-Wright Flyer No 4 from Maurice Egertons photo album. Tatton Park/Cheshire East Council Yesterday, Dec 1st, 100 years ago, the hon. Maurice Egerton, 4th and last Baron Egerton of Tatton Park, Knutsford, joined a small band of dedicated men who pioneered aviation in this country. Having received his Short-Wright Flyer No 4 on 26th Nov, 1909 he finally mastered its controls and, on the 6th attempt that day, flew 30 yards at an altitude of between 20 and 30 ft! This event took place on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent at the Royal Aeronautical Clubs new flying ground at Shellbeach. He wrote in his logbook The 6th journey I made up my mind to do a bit better, and apparently rather overdid it, as I found myself shot straight up, and slewing around to leeward. I came down right handed, right tail to the wind, and about my usual 30 yds from the rail-end, and then shut off the engine. I never felt the least bump; but the rear vertical strut of the left skid was smashed, probably in trying to shave off a little mound as it slewed round. The right hand corner of the right wing hit the ground, without doing itself any damage; but the outside warping wire of the top right plane was slackened, owing to its partly splitting the steel tube fastening; and the little triangular lever at the rear end of the warping-rod was buckled, owing to the same strain, and the friction-pad of the rubber swingtree had to be tightened up owing to the rudder becoming too free. We sent back for another skid-strut, so as to get going again but Short sent word to come back and get it replaced in the shed, so we went home, and it came on to rain before we were halfway home, and continued so all the afternoon. Short says I was 30 ft up, as high as the shed, but my men say 20 ft, which is probably correct. They all said mine were the best tries

of anyone yet, but I think that was only said with a view to future trips. This flight was the start of his long involvement with aviation development that included the formation of the Navy Flying School in December, 1910 where Navy pilots started what soon became the Royal Naval Air Service, a forerunner of the RAF. Maurice spent the period up to WWI working with his RAeC colleagues and the Short Brothers on the development of better aeroplanes, experiencing both a workshop accident that removed the tips of some of his fingers and a flying accident during 1910 that left him with a limp for the remainder of his life. Air Commodore E. L. Gerrard (one of the first 4 Navy traineeslicence No 76, May 2nd, 1911) recalling in 1947 his impression of Maurice said "Lord Egerton acted as our test pilot until we were sufficiently advanced to do our own testing... [he] was one of those very quiet people who often have unsuspected qualities." Apart from the 1911 Gnome rotary engine at Tatton little physical evidence of the aircraft types he flew exists anywhere in the country. A copy of his logbook can be seen at the Cheshire Record Office, Duke Street, Chester (ref: DET/3229/84). For further information on the aeroplanes flown by Maurice Egerton email: james.rait@btinternet.com