Meaburn Hall
MEABURN HALL: Early fixed-wing flying attempt site
Note: More accurately known as MAULDS MEABURN HALL
Operated by: The Reverand Sidney Swann
Location: A large meadow near the Hall, a flat 40 acre field, 1.5nm N of Crosby Ravensworth, about 5nm SW of Appleby-in-Westmorland
Period of operation: April 1910
NOTES: The Reverend Sidney Swann was very determined to be amongst the first significant British flyers. Looked at today his flying attempts seem more orientated to beating records and winning prizes than a single-minded devotion to understanding the basics of aeronautics.
A very practical person, his ability in these respects largely disguised his lack of basic understanding, and he certainly seems to have fooled Samuel F Cody in this respect for example. His only recorded, albeit very short flight, happened here and seems to involve basic elements of flight we still often get wrong even today! Too short a field and lack of performance due to various factors, and probably stalling after take-off to boot by raising the nose too high to try and obtain obstacle clearance, after ‘flying’ for about thirty yards.
SOMETHING TO APPRECIATE
His lack of achievement in flying is of course very easy to criticise today. But we should, I think, be very wary of such judgements. Next to nothing was known about the behaviour of powered aircraft in those days, and he was, (perhaps unwittingly?), one of the very first to appreciate the benefits of having a nose-wheel or tricycle undercarriage type aircraft!
After his first abortive but actual flight, having salvaged many components,(mainly the engine), presumably in a fit of bad temper, he then set fire to his aircraft by pouring petrol over it.
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