Monospar Croydon

 

Only one General Aircraft ST18 Monospar Croydon was ever built - and G-AECB had a sad history. It flew from Croydon to Australia in 1936. But on the return flight, and while crossing the Timor Sea, a compass error led to the aircraft being lost on the Seringapatam Reef of north-west Australia.

This twin-engined aircraft was design to carry 10 passengers at around 180 mph, with a range of roughly 650 miles (1,045km). It was powered by two 450hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior radial engines - Bristol Aquila AE-3C and Wolseley Libra engines were offered as options. And if speed was more important than payload or range, customers could opt for Bristol Mercury VI, Hispano Suiza 80 or P&W Wasp S3-H1-G engines.

The one-and-only example built was bought by Major C R Anson - although an article in Flight magazine, 9 July 1936, says that General Aircraft was unwilling to part with it. But they relented when Anson, who was buying the aircraft as personal transport, said he wanted to loan the plane to Lord William Francis Sempill for a flight to Australia.

The same article mentioned criticisms that the company had attracted for its choice of American, rather than British, engines. E C Gordon England, of General Aircraft, claimed that no suitable British engines were available. He also said that the aircraft had been designed on the "American formula" - which the magazine described as "low wing, stressed-skin construction, with retractable undercarriage, trailing-edge flaps, variable-pitch airscrews, automatic pilot, and high cruising speed on a small percentage of the total power". The company felt that the US had gained a competitive lead with this formula, and it was time for the UK to catch up. He also felt that there were opportunities for it to do so in South Africa and Australia - hence the company's willingness to release the aircraft for the flight to the Antipodes.

General Aircraft has turned down numerous requests from people wanting to fly it in the London-Johannesburg race. The planned flight to Australia, by Lord Sempill was a personal jaunt. Two extra tanks, carrying a total of 40 gallons, were fitted, giving a six or seven hour flight duration.

Lord Sempill made two attempts, in July and August 1936, but was prevented by engine problems and damage to the aircraft. In September, Lord Sempill's crew - Harold 'Tim' Wood (Major Anson's pilot), L Davies (engineer) and C Gilroy (wireless operator) - plus the aircraft's designer F Crocombe finally made the successful flight, without his lordship, from London to Melbourne.

Their ambition, on the return flight, was to break the current Melbourne-to-London record of 5 days, 15 hours. The first leg, to Darwin on October 6 went slower than planned. The next day, the aircraft set off for Kupang, taking radio bearings from the Royal Australian Air Force base at Darwin. At 7.15am, radio contact was lost. The expected arrival at Kupang, 45 mins later, didn't happen. Nor did the aircraft continue to Rembang, on Java, which was as far as its fuel could have taken it. A patrol launch set off for the presumed position of the last radio contact. The Civil Aviation Board was unsure when it could arrange for a Qantas aircraft to join the search, so the Dutch Government stepped up. Two flying boats arrived at Kupang from Surabaya and began searching on the morning of October 9. Alerts were also radioed to all shipping. That afternoon, the SS Nimoda, a British cargo steamer bound for Durban, reported it had picked up the airmen from a fishing boat near Seringapatam Reef.

The following day, a Saturday, The Argus newspaper lead with the headline: Monospar Crew Found Safe, Marooned on Sandbank, Rescued by Native Craft, Now Aboard British Steamer. The story went on to say:

although all the resources of modern aircraft and wireless were employed in the search for the missing machine and its occupants, it was left to natives in a fishing smack and a wandering tramp steamer to effect a rescue.

The following Monday, The Argus also ran an account of the rescue by Crocombe, the Monospar’s designer:

Misled by wireless bearings from Darwin. Were assured, despite doubt on our part, that the bearings were correct as late as 6.15 am when bad atmospherics made further communication impossible. Course kept after this, but no sign of land. Forced to assume wireless bearings correct, so proceeded further for 30 minutes. Passed over coral reef at 8.00 am. Using reef as base, we reconnoitred in each direction until petrol almost exhausted. Finally proceeded down line of reefs and located native fishing-boat in lagoon. Successfully landed on rock-strewn reef without damage, but in taxi-ing aircraft out of water to higher portion of reef the tail wheel casting was fractured. Ran out wireless aerial and tried to communicate with Koepang and Sourabaya without success, although heard both stations. Managed attract attention of boat. Carried few personal effects, iron rations, and water over one mile to boat, wading through deep rocky pools infested with giant clams and occasional small sharks. Had extreme difficulty making natives understand our plight. Finally persuaded them to take us on board and to head for Koepang. Spent 55 hours on boat on short rations of food and water, and in strong odour of fish and natives. Conditions were cramped. Picked up at 3.30 pm Friday by s.s. Nimoda in weak condition. Personnel magnificent in sharing hardships. Later established aircraft landed on Seringapatam Reef. Picked up by Nimoda 100 miles north-east of reef. Bitterly disappointed untimely end of flight. Machine running perfectly.

The sales brochure

The 40-page sales brochure is a mine of fascinating detail, and provides an insight into the world of 1930s commercial aviation.

The introduction says that the predominant ideas behind the design of the aircraft were "Economy, Comfort, Speed and Safety", so nothing revolutionary there. It goes on to say:

"So far as we were concerned, the project was unfettered by such problems as having to start from the basis of an existing design which had to be remodelled, revised and improved. The designers had a completely free hand to produce the best, untrammelled by such considerations."

It later claims that it matches the speeds of other aircraft in its class (ie, 10 passengers) but with only half the engine power. A pilot might look at that and think: lousy climb speed; deadly single-engine performance; poor short-field performance; low ceiling.

Unabashed, the brochure boasts:

The "CROYDON" is :-

1. Britain's fastest air liner.
2. A vessel of supreme luxury comfort.
3. An aeroplane with an unusally high safety factor.
4. Cheaper to run than any other aeroplane of its type.

 

In addition to general sales blurb and technical specs, the brochure also has performance graphs and detailed analyses of running costs (based on the owner operating three aircraft). This even includes staff costs (manager, secretary, booking clerks etc - including six pilots, 11 engineers and two 'lads'). Pilots would be paid £366 a year and 'second pilots' £208. Insurance for each aircraft was calculated at £1,120

Now here's the bit that will make modern pilots weep - the hourly running costs: petrol - 35 gals/hr at 1s 11d per gallon (that's just under 10p a gallon in modern money), totalling £3 7s 1d an hour.

Reckoning on four 500-mile trips a day using two machines, the manufacturers calculated that an airline's all-in daily costs at just over £115.

And they mean all-in: this figure includes staff, hangarage, maintenance, depreciation, admin and advertising. That works out to a cost per passenger per trip of £2 17s 9d.

Oh, and the price of the aeroplane? Complete, ex-works: £14,000.

Halcyon days.