Aeroplane Building and Flying Society

History

The Aeroplane Building and Flying Society was formed in June 1910 in London by J.D. North, later of the Grahame-White and Boulton Paul companies, as Chairman and Horace Abraham Myers, a Civil Engineer (b. March 1884 in London - d. 18 January 1944 in Hampstead, London), as Hon. Sec. (pro tem), until the appointment of Walter Henry Le Maitre (1865 - 1923). Members of the Flying Society built at least two gliders in 1910: North designed a biplane glider with forward tailplane, and a monoplane glider was built by Myers (which may have been attributed to both North and Myers), both being built at the Society's Hammersmith workshop. Later that year, a flying ground was acquired at Kensal Rise Athletic Ground, an early home of Queens Park Rangers football club. The Kensal Rise ground did not possess a hill or slope suitable for gliding; as it was necessary for the Society to get over the difficulty, they evolved an inclined wire cable tramway to answer the purpose. Both machines were moved to Kensal Rise, where they seem to have flown successfully. Both machines were to have been fitted with engines. It is not known if the Myers machine flew as such, but a letter by North [7] implies that his did, along with a letter in Flight [6] which shows the drive transmission.

Company References

1. British Aircraft Before The Great War, Michael H. Goodall and Albert E. Tagg (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2001)
2. The Aero 24 May 1910
3. Flight 8 Oct 1910
4. Flight 17 Dec 1910
5. Flight 4 Feb 1911
6. Flight 17 Feb 1912
7. The Aeroplane 14 Dec 1911 (letters)