60-459: Pixton may refer to: Howard Pixton , an early British aviator; Aaron Pixton , an American mathematician at Princeton University; Pixton Park , a country house in the parish of Dulverton, Somerset, England. Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Pixton . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
120-598: A Bristol Boxkite. Sopwith decided at the very last moment to enter the Tabloid in the Schneider Trophy International Seaplane Race, the second of which was to be held at Monaco , where the first had been staged the previous year. The aircraft had its undercarriage exchanged for a central float, and the 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome Monosoupape engine replaced by a new 100 horsepower (75 kW) nine-cylinder version. On 1 April
180-653: A few days Roe gave him his first flight, in one of his Triplanes. He became a pupil and then a friend of Roe, and soon replaced him as test pilot. He quickly became an instructor, demonstrator and pilot for passenger rides in Avro’s series of triplanes and the Type D biplane. The first air meeting Pixton attended was at Blackpool in July, with AV Roe and others along with two Roe III Triplanes . The Triplanes, along with spares, tools and personal belongings, were sent by rail, and Pixton
240-625: A flying school and to equip it with Priers and Boxkites. By March they had travelled on to Döberitz Military Ground , Berlin , with a Prier. Impressing the German military, orders were placed and an agreement made to produce Bristol aircraft under licence. In April 1912 Pixton was asked to test the Bristol-Burney X.2 hydroplane which had been built at Filton with great secrecy. In Milford Haven testing took place over three weeks, but with little success, and Pixton endured many drenchings in
300-582: A great reputation for his skill in flying in high winds that left everyone else grounded Bristol used this in adverts even though he had only been with them for a few weeks. Pixton was entered for “The Great Race” or “ Daily Mail Circuit of Britain air race ’’, an anti-clockwise tour of England and Scotland running from 22 July to 5 August 1911, starting and ending at Brooklands, and with a prize of £10,000, and prizes for several accomplishments en route, such as fastest to Newcastle and first to land at Trafford Park . Huge publicity and newspaper coverage attended
360-511: A job. He received a reply from Humphrey Verdon (H.V.) Roe from ‘Avroplanes’, A.V. Roe, of Brownsfield Mill , Ancoats , Manchester, where aeroplanes were being constructed to be flown by H.V.’s older brother, Alliott Verdon Roe at Brooklands . He was offered a job as a mechanic for A.V. at Brooklands, near Weybridge , Surrey , part of his remuneration being flying lessons. Pixton eagerly accepted. He arrived at Brooklands in June 1910 and after
420-431: A little dissatisfied with his role, saying ”I think I will give up flying and go into something new, a business of my own perhaps. Flying’s for the young. Besides it’s getting too commercial". However Pixton continued with his work for Sopwith, testing and delivering aircraft and competing in air races until, on 4 August 1914, war was declared and soon all non-military-related aviation had to stop, except within 3 miles of
480-456: A lower level. After the compulsory 28 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) laps of the course, taking about 2 hours, and knowing he was comfortably in the lead, he flew an extra two laps so that he would gain the 300 kilometres (190 miles) world seaplane speed record. His average speed had been 86.75 mph (139.61 km/h) and the maximum was 93 mph (150 km/h). No other seaplane had ever exceeded 80 mph (130 km/h), and he nearly doubled
540-471: A machine tool draughtsman, studying engineering in the evenings. He moved to Leek, Staffordshire to work for an engineering company to gain practical experience. Moving on to work for a local garage, he was asked to drive some customers to Germany, calling in at an aeronautical exhibition in Frankfurt on the way. Pixton thus saw his first aeroplane, and several airships, and having always been fascinated by
600-495: A recognised aerodrome. At the end of September 1914, Pixton resigned from Sopwith and joined the Aeronautical Inspection Department (AID), a civilian organisation to supervise all aeronautical construction including the inspection of production facilities and the testing of prototypes and production aircraft. Pixton was appointed as an assistant inspector and test pilot at Farnborough . He found
660-537: A small coaming protected the passenger, with the pilot sitting behind. The empennage was similar to that of the Roe IV, with a low-mounted D-shaped rudder behind a small rectangular fixed fin and a large triangular tailplane bearing D-shaped elevators. The undercarriage had two forward-projecting skids, each mounted with a pair of wheels on a short axle. The Type D was first flown at Brooklands on 1 April 1911, piloted not by Roe but by C.H. Pixton , who reported that it
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#1732766011164720-561: A working aircraft from the two wrecks, deliver it to the University, and sell them the remaining parts as spares, the money from which would pay for his fare home. He accomplished all of this and received enough money to travel second class on the voyage home, which was completed by the end of October. Back at Brooklands, which was now a thriving centre of aviation development and training, Pixton resumed his normal activities, including giving many pleasure flights. He got to know nearly all
780-725: The 1910 Blackpool meeting A.V. Roe had met a member of the Harvard University Aeronautical Society who ordered a Triplane and invited him to attend their first flying meeting in September. Pixton and others were to accompany him on what was to be a one-month trip. After the Atlantic voyage (with Pixton and other lowly colleagues travelling steerage ) they arrived at the Squantum Flying Ground outside Boston on 1 September. Once
840-706: The AID headquarters in London from which base he inspected and reported on aircraft factories. He was discharged from the RAF on 11 June 1919. He had logged about 3,500 hours, flying at least 80 aircraft types until he left the RAF including: In August 1919 Pixton settled in Windermere , in the Lake District , where he rented a seaplane hangar at Cockshott, Bowness from which he flew two Avro 504 L floatplanes for
900-598: The Bristol company, who offered him £250 per year. He left Avro in early June 1911, parting on friendly terms with the Roe brothers, and very grateful for the opportunity they had given him. The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company , Ltd., commonly known as Bristol, was a large, well-financed company run by businessman Sir George White , chairman of the Bristol Tramways Company . It was a great contrast to
960-696: The Coanda, and the Italian government placed an order for a total of around 60 aircraft, some of which were to be built under licence by Caproni . In January 1913 he made another trip to Spain to demonstrate the Bristol Coanda to King Alfonso, whom Pixton flew as a passenger. Again orders were placed for the aircraft. Pixton and the rest of the Larkhill team had to move to Brooklands in October 1913 as
1020-504: The Scout, was a very fast aircraft, and capable of looping, but Pixton had no desire to perform ‘stunts’. Testing Scouts for a military order was a major task. Taking part in races was another matter, and Sopwith entered Pixton in the Easter 1914 Brooklands Handicap race, where the Tabloid was rated as scratch. Thanks to the handicapping system he ended in 3rd place, just 30 seconds in front of
1080-541: The War Office specifications, twenty of them actually arriving for the contest. Pixton started the trials flying a Bristol England biplane , but mid-way through the trials the Englands were withdrawn and he replaced James Valentine as pilot of a new Bristol Coanda monoplane for the remainder of the tests. Pixton and two others came joint 3rd, behind the winner, Cody, but no aircraft was deemed suitable for adoption by
1140-601: The aircraft to the River Thames near Teddington Lock where it made a short flight to Eel Pie Island . The aircraft was immediately dispatched to Monaco, and Sopwith’s team set off to the Hotel Bristol in Monte Carlo . The whole conversion process had taken four days. In Monaco the aircraft was tested the day before the race and an extra fuel tank was added in the cockpit to avoid the need to refuel during
1200-459: The aircraft. Pixton would be at Brooklands testing along with Harry Hawker , until then Sopwith’s only pilot. He would also be their race pilot. He would get a basic pay of £250 a year plus £5 for every aircraft he tested, and a share of prize money. He tested and delivered aircraft including the Batboat , Three-seater Tractor , Sociable and Tabloid biplane. The Tabloid, officially named
1260-547: The aircraft. After Pixton had made a number of other flights, in June the aircraft was sold for £700 to Cdr Oliver Schwann of the Naval Airship Tender Hermione . It was sent by rail to Barrow-in-Furness, where Schwann converted it to a floatplane . The second example built was a modified version, intended to compete in the £10,000 Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Race . As with all subsequent aircraft,
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#17327660111641320-469: The army wanted to take over the airfield for artillery ranges by March 1914. Pixton found working for Bristol to be very agreeable. The company was generous, paying him £350 a year plus a third of prize money, and concerned for the well-being of its pilots. However in November 1913 he had an argument with Coandă about the balance of the new biplane he was going to fly, and refused to fly the aircraft until
1380-416: The current advances in aviation he became determined to learn to fly. In April 1910 he saw Claude Grahame-White and his Farman Box Kite at Lichfield having force-landed with engine trouble during his attempt to fly from London to Manchester to claim the £10,000 Daily Mail prize (equivalent to £1,289,400 in 2023). This stirred Pixton to write to almost everyone connected with aviation asking for
1440-414: The engine tended to overheat and the rate of climb was poor when loaded. Without Roe's approval, extensions were fitted to the lower wings, bringing them back to the original configuration. While making a short trial flight on the morning of the race, Kemp was making a fairly steep dive when the left-hand wing extension failed. The aircraft spun in from 150 ft (46 m): the aircraft was wrecked, but Kemp
1500-436: The event, and crowds at the landing grounds were vast. Thirty pilots were registered, but only twenty-one actually started. On the second racing day, the leg from Hendon to Harrogate , a fuel leak caused Pixton, flying his Boxkite named ‘’Bumble Bee’’, to attempt a forced landing at Spofforth cricket ground , four miles short of Harrogate. He stalled on the approach, narrowly missing the cricket pavilion , but crashed into
1560-412: The event. Pixton made another test flight early on race day, 20 April, and, encouraged by the relatively low speed and poor technique of many of his competitors, started the race. About half-way through, a slight engine problem caused Pixton to climb slightly to give himself more time to glide into wind and land should the problem get worse, but it gave no further trouble and after a few laps he returned to
1620-421: The following year) so Pixton carried on himself, as well as starting a car garage at the hangar and running a taxi and seasonal coach tours. He called the business The Lakes Motor and Seaplane Company, and he ran it for the next eight years. After the death of his wife, he gave up the business and became the ground engineer for Liverpool & District Aero Club at Hooton Park on The Wirrall , Cheshire , over
1680-424: The fuselage was lengthened by 2 ft (0.6 m). The central single radiator was replaced by a pair of panels mounted vertically along either side of the fuselage, and the lower wings were reduced in span, the overhang being braced by a pair of diagonal struts on either side. It was powered by a 60 hp 45 kW E.N.V. Type F. This was flown by R.C. Kemp, who was to fly it in the race. It proved to be fast, but
1740-450: The grass. Luckily his legs, though trapped, were not crushed, but a spar was pushed two inches into his thigh. He pulled it out, later needing two stitches. He also had a cut to his hand and a few bruises. It was his worst ever crash, and the aircraft was destroyed. Pixton carried on at Brooklands flying passengers, demonstrating and instructing, but on 31 August 1911 Bristol moved him to Larkhill as an instructor and test pilot. The training
1800-511: The honeymoon was spent at Brooklands, Larkhill and Hendon aerodromes, and half in Italy, accompanying him on the sales tour. Their son. Jack, was born in October 1913. Maude died in October 1927 at the age of 40. Avro Type D The Avro Type D was an aircraft built in 1911 by the pioneer British aircraft designer A.V. Roe . Roe had previously built and flown several aircraft at Brooklands , most being tractor layout triplanes. The Type D
1860-460: The important people in British aviation at the time, including Grahame-White, Gordon England , Samuel Cody (with whom Pixton became the best of friends), James Vallentine , John Alcock , and Mrs Hilda Hewlett and Gustav Blondeau who together would form a flying school and an aircraft manufacturing business, C. G. Grey (influential founding editor of The Aeroplane ) and many more. There
Pixton - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-474: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pixton&oldid=1016379304 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Howard Pixton Cecil Howard Pixton (14 December 1885 – 7 February 1972)
1980-464: The machine was taken to the River Hamble but when Pixton applied power the float dug in, throwing Pixton into the water, wet but unharmed. They didn’t have a boat, and the aircraft drifted with the tide and could not be brought ashore until the early hours of the next morning. Returning to Kingston, the float was cut in half and refitted as twin floats to improve stability. The next day they took
2040-402: The maiden flight of one of his types. Despite its low power of 35 hp (26 kW) Pixton was delighted with it, and thought it was Roe’s first really successful design. It was dubbed ‘’The Pixie Plane’’, but would later be known as the Type D . Roe was very pleased with Pixton’s report, though he didn’t fly it himself, and Pixton soon took Roe’s wife up as a passenger, sitting in the front of
2100-420: The management relented, the percentage and the prize money were increased and normality returned. The action was widely reported, and the publicity was good for all. After all this, Pixton’s reputation had grown enormously, and he was now very well-known by the public as well as in the industry. Roe was only paying him £104 per year (equivalent to £13,380 in 2023) and couldn’t afford more, so Pixton contacted
2160-403: The military. With the relative success of the Bristol Coanda, Romania was interested in the aircraft, so Pixton went there in October 1912 to demonstrate a tandem-seat version, accompanied by the designer, Henri Coandă , whose father was the war minister. Landing after one demonstration flight, Pixton ran into what he thought was a damp patch on Bucharest ’s Cotroceni Aerodrome. The patch but
2220-527: The newly-formed Avro Transport Company. He operated charter flights including flying Daily News newspapers to the Douglas Bay in the Isle of Man, on which he would also take fare-paying passengers for 10 guineas (£10.50). The first service was on 4 August, continuing until 3 September. He also did pleasure flights and flight training. Avro Transport Company withdrew in October 1919, (it ceased operations
2280-409: The pairs of interplane struts increasing from the centre section outwards. Lateral control was by wing warping . The wing was mounted directly to the lower longeron of the fuselage, at the front of which was the 35 hp (26 kW) Green water-cooled engine, with the radiator mounted flat behind it in the direction of travel under the upper wing, between the fuselage and upper wing. Behind this
2340-632: The problem was remedied. Coanda refused to make any changes, so Pixton resigned and joined the Sopwith Aviation Company . Thomas Octave Murdoch (Tom) Sopwith had started a flying school at Brooklands in 1912 but soon decided that with so many other schools based there, he would concentrate on aircraft design and production. He leased an old skating rink in Kingston-upon-Thames as his factory and design office, and used his buildings at Brooklands for assembling and flying
2400-785: The process. Soon after this Pixton returned to Germany, this time to visit the new Deutsche Bristol Werke company at Halberstadt , which was starting to produce the Boxkites and Prier aircraft under the licence agreed during his first visit. He was to form a flying school, and to teach six German officers, after which he returned to Larkhill. Pixton took part in the Military Aircraft Trials at Larkhill in August 1912. Preparations were extensive and flying school activities were temporarily transferred to Brooklands. Thirty different aircraft types had been prepared to try to meet
2460-579: The small, enthusiast-run outfits that comprised most of his competitors. In 1910 they had set up flying schools at Brooklands and at Larkhill , near Stonehenge in Wiltshire , the latter leased from the War Office along with flying rights over 2,284 acres (924 hectares) of Salisbury Plain . Initially three iron sheds were erected. Pixton started at Bristol’s Brookands school, instructing pupils flying their Boxkite (Farman-type) biplanes. He gained
Pixton - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-411: The speed of the previous year’s winner. One technique that he employed was to dramatically bank during turns, something that none of the others had done. The remaining competitors either did not start, or failed to complete the course except for one Swiss pilot, Burri, in an FBA biplane powered by the same Gnome Monosoupape engine as the Tabloid. He had had to alight to refuel, and averaged 51mph. It
2580-555: The tandem seats. Pixton took part in air races including taking the new biplane on the Brooklands to Brighton race, the first British point-to-point air race, held on 6 May 1911. Pixton started the race late, distracted by a flight for the Manville Prize, then got lost and had to land at what turned out to be Plumpton Racecourse to refuel, and arrived at the finish line well after the other three contestants. Pixton
2640-427: The trips. He started at the 3rd International Paris Aero Salon with the new Bristol Prier monoplane being the only British aircraft on display, with another Bristol Prier giving flying displays at the airfield. The Bristol team then proceeded by train to Cuatro Vientos , Madrid where he flew a Bristol Prier, with another Bristol pilot flying a Boxkite, in front of the king, Alfonso XIII . Bristol arranged to set up
2700-472: The two Triplanes that they had brought with them were erected, A.V. Roe flew one but stalled at 60 feet (18 m) and was injured in the resulting crash. He recovered sufficiently to return to the airfield and fly the other Triplane, crashing yet again but without hurting himself further. This was the machine bought by the Americans. Roe and the rest of the team returned to Britain, leaving Pixton to assemble
2760-486: The winter of 1928-29. The club operated several Avro Avians . He then moved to Devon where he was the ground engineer at Haldon Aerodrome . He retired to the Isle of Man in 1932, but during the Second World War worked again in the AID, retiring again in 1945. Pixton married Maude E Hallam, daughter of the late Chief Constable of Salford , on 19 November 1912 at St Annes-on-Sea , Lancashire . Half of
2820-558: The work interesting and rewarding. On 1 April 1915 he joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) as a flying officer, 2nd lieutenant on probation He was promoted to the rank of temporary captain on 1 August 1915, being confirmed as a captain on 1 September 1917. He turned down requests from AV Roe and Tom Sopwith to return to work for them. In 1917 Farnborough closed as a testing site, being replaced by Aircraft Acceptance Parks (AAP) which had been established around Britain. Pixton
2880-524: The year. He flew there from Larkhill to compete. By the end of 1911 he had won the contest, bringing his prize money for the year to over £900 – more than anyone else flying in Britain. His achievement was celebrated by an advert in Aeroplane by the E.N.V. Motor Syndicate whose engine powered the Boxkites. In 1912 Bristol started an overseas sales drive, and Pixton was the pilot chosen to make some of
2940-476: The ‘’Tripe Hound’’ and ‘’Sewage Farm King’’ along with his regular nicknames which included Pick, Pixie and HP. Despite this, Pixton gained his Royal Aero Club licence (No.50) on 24 January 1911 in the Roe IV Triplane , though his licence is dated 31 December 1910. On 1 April 1911 Pixton made the first flight of A.V. Roe’s first tractor biplane, the first time that A.V. himself hadn’t performed
3000-412: Was a sewage farm at the side of the landing area which the local council refused to remove without a large payment from the Brooklands owners, which they could not afford. Pilots often landed, overran, or crashed into it, leading to a distasteful procedure of extracting aircraft, pilot and sometimes passenger from the area. Pixton had many more incidents of this than the other pilots, and became known as
3060-557: Was a British aeronautical engineer, test pilot and air racing pilot who was most famous for winning the 1914 Schneider Trophy seaplane race. Howard Pixton was the youngest of four boys born to John Pixton, a stockbroker, and his wife Elizabeth, living in West Didsbury , Manchester . They holidayed annually in the Isle of Man , and Howard was educated at Manchester Grammar School . He then worked at engineering companies, becoming
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#17327660111643120-500: Was actually a pond and his aircraft overturned. He and his passenger survived unharmed and the aircraft was undamaged but moist and muddy, but was soon ready to fly again. He spent a month flying in Romania, and an order for ten was placed for the government. Soon he went to Italy with a team of Bristol people and accompanied by his new wife (see Personal life below) where Pixton did a demonstration tour with Bristol aircraft, especially
3180-421: Was also involved in the first pilots’ strike in history. Mrs Hewlett was incensed that the management of Brooklands was only paying 5% of gross takings to the pilots at race meetings. She demanded 25%, and at the next event the pilots refused to fly for longer than the bare minimum needed to qualify for prizes, and kept their planes locked up in hangars for the rest of the day, unavailable for public inspection. Soon
3240-570: Was by chance on the same train. Approaching Preston , sparks from the engine set fire to the tarpaulin covering the aircraft, and Pixton watched as the whole truck and its contents were consumed by the fire. The next day the Avro team rushed to the factory in Manchester and were able to construct a new aircraft from spares within three days, and they took part in the later part of the week-long meeting, Pixton making his first display flight there. At
3300-544: Was easy and pleasant to fly. This assessment was confirmed a few days later when Lt. Wilfred Parke succeeded in flying it the length of Brooklands on his first attempt at flying an aircraft. On 12 May Pixton flew the aircraft to Hendon to give a demonstration of the aircraft before the Parliamentary Aerial Defence Committee. During this occasion C.R. Samson was taken for a flight as a passenger, and A.V. Roe made his first solo flight in
3360-406: Was his first biplane. The Type D was the first biplane design by A.V. Roe . Like his earlier aircraft, the Roe IV Triplane , it was of tractor (aircraft) configuration and had a triangular section ash fuselage, divided in two-halves bolted together behind the cockpit for ease of transportation. The high aspect ratio wings were braced in an irregular three- bay layout, the interval between
3420-405: Was of civilians and army pilots from the nearby army bases on Boxkites. Having made his career and many friends at Brooklands, he was very reluctant to go, but he found that he enjoyed the comparative peace and quiet of the area, and the flying conditions were favourable. He was able to carry on competing for the Manville Prize (£500) for the most hours flying at Brooklands with passengers during
3480-480: Was posted to No 9 AAP which had been formed in August 1917 at Newcastle's Town Moor airfield . Types tested here included the Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 , Bristol F.2 Fighter and Sopwith Cuckoo which were manufactured locally. In May 1918 he went to Dublin , Ireland , as Inspector of Aerodromes and Landing Grounds with the task of finding new flying locations. In October 1918 he was transferred to
3540-473: Was soon discovered that one cylinder of Pixton’s engine had failed due to a broken cam half-way through the flight. Jacques Schneider invited Pixton to the Sporting Club after the event, and, amid the luxury of the hospitality in the land of wine and champagne, when asked what he would like to drink, bemused his host by replying "Thanks, mine's a half of Bass ". After this success, Pixton became
3600-490: Was unhurt. Cdr Schwann covered the rear section of the fuselage, modified the tailplane, moved the radiator to a position lying flat over the wing centre section and a series of experimental floats were lashed to the skids. Taxying trials were carried out in the Cavendish Dock using narrow flat-bottomed floats. On 18 November 1911, flown by Cdr Schwann it became the first seaplane to take off from British sea water. It
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