Fleet Pond
FLEET POND: Early seaplane experiments
Location: S of the M3, roughly 1.5nm NW of LAFFAN'S PLAIN, and NW of FARNBOROUGH
Period of operation: 1913 only?
NOTES: In 2017 I came across this mention in the excellent book, British Aviation - The Pioneer Years, by Harald Penrose first published in 1967.
He tell us that in 1913, "By now the original F.E.2 had totted up considerable hours in various guises, including a few flights as a seaplane - in which form it had been renamed Hydro-Reconnaissance Experimental No.1 or H.R.E.1. Fitted with a central float attached direct to the skids of its land undercarriage, it rose from Fleet Pond on the northern side of Laffan's Plain on a number of occassions."
"These tests led to comparative trials with a tractor seaplane, and a larger version of the B.E.2, known as the H.R.E.2 was built. Tested iniatially as a fin-less landplane with a 70-h.p. Renault, it wa next fitted with a fin, a 100-h.p. Renault, and two-stepped floats in contemporary fashion, with a third small float under the tail - but their marine design was more seriously investigated than usual, for they were shaped through a series of experiments at the William Froude National Tank."
"With its immediate impression of sheer size, the H.R.E.2 was by far the most imposing British biplane which had yet been evolved, and showed unmistakable traces of design hands other than Geoffrey de Havilland's, despite general development from the B.E.. Primarily it was the responsibility of Fred Green, but details were by John Kenworthy, who had designed the derivatives of the B,E.3."
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