Aerial Wheel Syndicate
The Aerial Wheel Company Ltd
The Aerial Wheel Syndicate Ltd
Contents
History
In 1909 George Sturgess (possibly George Frederick Sturgess b. 1865 in Wigston, Leicestershire - d. 15 March 1951 in Great Yarmouth) designed the Sturgess Flying Wheel, and described the advantages of such an aeroplane fitted with immense wheels in The Aero of 10 August 1909. His idea was in effect a wheel where only the rim revolved, using a pair of twelve-foot diameter hoops each of which would be free to rotate while being held in place by bearings mounted on a cradle of struts. The wing passed through the middle of the wheels. The intention was to produce a wheel that, having a large diameter, would easily roll over the rough grass surfaces that aircraft operated from at the time. He went on to develop his ideas further and formed The Aerial Wheel Company Ltd in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire.
By 1912, Sturgess had moved from Mablethorpe to Leamington Spa and there set up The Aerial Wheel Syndicate Ltd. with Ralph Platts of the Birmingham Aero Club. In July that year they jointly applied for Patent No 17649 to protect a specialized form of wing-warping. Platt was probably largely responsible for the airframe, which differed greatly from Sturgess's model.
The Aerial Wheel Syndicate Ltd entered the Aerial Wheel Monoplane for the 1912 Military Trials at Salisbury Plain, and was one of the most unorthodox of the machines entered for the Trials. Given the entry number 18, it arrived at Larkhill in time for the contest, with Cecil Pashley scheduled to fly it, but did not take part in the tests and remained hidden in its shed and was eventually abandoned unflown.
Company References
- The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps, J.M. Bruce (Putnam, 1982)
- The Aero 10 Aug 1909
Project Data
| Project No | Type No | Name | Alternative Name(s) | Year | Spec (Requirement) | Status | Qty | Description | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monoplane | 1912 | Pro(n) | 1 | 2S, 1E monoplane | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Project References
- British Aircraft Before The Great War, Michael H. Goodall and Albert E. Tagg (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2001)
- British Aircraft 1809-1914, Peter Lewis (Putnam, 1962)
- The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps, J.M. Bruce (Putnam, 1982)
- The Aero 10 Aug 1909
- The Aero 14 Dec 1910
- The Aero Aug 1912
Production Details and Type Description
A tractor monoplane of canard configuration, with swept wings that changed section and angle of incidence considerably between the roots and wingtips: deeply cambered inboard, and changing to a flatter section with upswept tips, producing wash-out to enhance stability. Neither wing nor tailplane had any dihedral, and there was no rudder. Lateral control was by wing-warping, the control wires being taken to the raked wingtips via kingposts. A small nacelle projecting forward from the wing housed the engine, behind which the pilot and passenger sat side by side at the leading edge of the wing. A monoplane elevator was carried on long booms in front of the aircraft. The undercarriage was now reduced to a single Aerial Wheel half above and half below the wing and passing through it just behind the cockpit, with its centre just aft of the propeller. It was supported by struts running back from the lower leading quadrant, and a pair of long skids trailing from the fuselage were fitted to stop it keeling over and damaging the wings. One 50 h.p. N.E.C. powerplant driving a tractor propeller.
One aircraft only : not flown.
Total Aerial Wheel Syndicate Production Production1
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.0.0- Expanded company history. Added Type Description.