On coming to earth M.Bleriot heartily congratulated the brave Englishman.Mr.Hucks admitted a little nervousness before looping the loop; but, as he remarked: "Once I started to go round my nervousness vanished, and then I knew I was coming out on top.It is all a question of keeping control of your nerves, and Pegoud deserved all the credit, for he was the first to risk his life in flying head downwards."Mr.Hucks intended to be the first Englishman to fly upside down in England, but he was forestalled by one of our youngest airmen, Mr.George Lee Temple.On account of his youth--Mr.Temple was only twenty-one at the time when he first flew upside-down--he was known as the "baby airman", but there was probably no more plucky airman in the world.
There were special difficulties which Mr.Temple had to overcome that did not exist in the experiments of M.Pegoud or Mr.Hucks.To start with, his machine--a 50-horse-power Bleriot monoplane--was said by the makers to be unsuitable for the performance.Then he could get no assistance from the big aeroplane firms, who sought to dissuade him from his hazardous undertaking.Experienced aviators wisely shook their heads and told the "baby airman" that he should have more practice before he took such a risk.
But notwithstanding this lack of encouragement he practised hard for afew days by hanging in an inverted position.Meanwhile his mechanics were working night and day in strengthening the wings of the monoplane, and fitting it with a slightly larger elevator.
On 24th November, 1913, he decided to "try his luck" at the London aerodrome.He was harnessed into his seat, and, bidding his friends farewell, with the words "wish me luck", he went aloft.For nearly half an hour he climbed upward, and swooped over the aerodrome in wide circles, while his friends far below were watching every action of his machine.
Suddenly an alarming incident occurred.When about a mile high in the air the machine tipped downwards and rushed towards Earth at terrific speed.Then the tail of the machine came up, and the "baby airman" was hanging head downwards.
But at this point the group of airmen standing in the aerodrome were filled with alarm, for it was quite evident to their experienced eyes that the monoplane was not under proper control.Indeed, it was actually side- slipping, and a terrible disaster appeared imminent.For hundreds of feet the young pilot, still hanging head downwards, was crashing to Earth, but when down to about 1200 feet from the ground the machine gradually came round, and Mr.Temple descended safely to Earth.
The airman afterwards told his friends that for several seconds he could not get the machine to answer the controls, and for a time he was falling at a speed of 100 miles an hour.In ordinary circumstances he thought that a dive of 500 feet after the upside-down stretch should get him the right way up, but it really took him nearly 1500 feet.Fortunately, however, he commenced the dive at a great altitude, and so the distance side-slipped did not much matter.
It is sad to relate that Mr.Temple lost his life in January, 1914, while flying at Hendon in a treacherous wind.The actual cause of the accident was never clearly understood.He had not fully recovered from an attack of influenza, and it was thought that he fainted and fell over the control lever while descending near one of the pylons, when the machine "turned turtle", and the pilot's neck was broken.
