The Sparrow was registered as G-EBJP, but it never apparently carried the marking. During the first lap of the race, the Sparrow overtook a Westland biplane and maintained this position until the sixth lap, when it was in turn overtaken by the Bristol Brownie. In the Grosvenor Trophy Race at Lympne on 14 October 1924, it came fourth with a speed of 62.08 mph (99.91 km/h). An engine substituted to replace the original machine initially refused to start and then seized, forcing Biard to make an emergency landing. The three-cylinder radial engine proved to be extremely unreliable, and the Sparrow was eliminated from the light aircraft trial due to engine failure, when a connecting rod failed. The pilot's view from the cockpit was limited by the position of the upper wing. The Air Ministry assessment described the Sparrow as lacking attention to detail - specifically referring to the inadequate design of the landing gear and the excessive number of external controls. The Sparrow then flew back without further trouble. Attempts to restart the engine failed, and the demonstration was called off. The engine failed when the plane was airborne, and the directors raced towards a hole in a hedge that it had crashed through. Mitchell, and other Supermarine directors. The Sparrow was demonstrated before its designer, R.J. According to Biard, "it was as impudent as its name implied". Its behaviour when being tested was erratic. It was refitted with a modified propeller on 27 September. Sparrow I first flew on 11 September 1924, piloted by Henri Biard. Performance Sparrow I Henri Biard, the pilot of the Supermarine Sparrow ( Flight, October 1924) He ensured that the wings were given a high angle of attack, providing the fuselage with an upward kink. Mitchell took the need for the aircraft to handle short take-off and landing runs into his design. The aircraft's hull and struts were painted dark blue. The propellers were made to match the rotation speed of the engine, which, at 3500 rpm, was unusually high. The fuselage was built of fabric-covered plywood. The aircraft was powered by a 35-horsepower (26 kW) Blackburne Thrush piston engine, with dual controls. The two wings had different cross sections. Mitchell, Supermarine's young chief designer, the Sparrow was a wooden two-seat sesquiplane, with wings that were designed to fold. The Sparrow was Supermarine's earliest design for a landplane, following the company's change of identity from Pemberton-Billing Ltd in 1916. The winner's prize was £2,000 (equivalent to £112,169.31 in 2019) for "the best light plane designed and built in Great Britain, suitable for flying clubs and the private owner". The following year, Supermarine entered the Sparrow for the Two-Seater Light Aeroplane Competition, which was held in late September and early October 1924. In 1923, the Royal Aero Club organised the first of a series of annual flying competitions at Lympne, Kent, for single-seat aircraft. Ex-military aircraft were generally unsuitable, having been designed during the war to suit specific purposes, and aircraft companies considered that little profit could be obtained from aircraft made for private use. It was subsequently sold to a flying club and was scrapped in 1933.įollowing the end of World War I, private flying in the UK was progressed slowly. Mitchell went on to use Sparrow II to test new aerofoil designs for the Air Ministry. It was entered for the 1926 competition at Lympne but, having made a forced landing near Beachy Head, was eliminated. Sparrow II was heavier and slower than its predecessor. A substitute engine failed during the race, forcing the pilot to land at short notice, and the plane was eliminated. It was entered for the 1924 Two-Seater Light Aeroplane Competition but suffered engine failure during the competition. The Sparrow behaved erratically during tests. It had foldable wings with different cross sections to allow the aircraft to take-off and land over short distances, Mitchell gave the wings a high angle of attack. It was a wooden two-seat sesquiplane powered by a 35-horsepower (26 kW) Blackburne Thrush. The Sparrow was Supermarine's earliest landplane. After being rebuilt in 1926 as a parasol monoplane, it was re-designated Sparrow II. Mitchell and built at Supermarine's works at Woolston, Southampton. The Supermarine Sparrow (later called the Sparrow I) was a British two-seat light biplane designed by R.J.
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