The Seddon Mayfly was a tandem biplane of unusual construction. It was designed by Royal Navy Lieutenant John W. Seddon and A. G. HackettThe Seddon AeroplaneFlight 10 September 1910, p.734 and built by Accles & Pollock. When built it was the largest aeroplane in the world, but it failed to fly when tested.
Design and development Design of the Seddon Mayfly began in 1908, with the intention of attempting to win the prize for a flight between Manchester and London given by the Daily Mail. The design was based on a paper model, and Seddon took leave from the Navy to design and build and test the aircraft.Dunstall Park Flight 5 November 1910, p.908] It was built in Oldbury by Accles & Pollock, a company who specialised in the manufacture of steel tubing, and its structure made extensive use of intersecting pairs of steel hoops: over of steel was used in its construction Lewis 1962 p.432 The aircraft had two sets of biplane wings, the front pair of greater span than the aft pair. Control surfaces consisted of a forward-mounted biplane elevators and a pair of diamond-shaped rudders mounted between each set of wings. The aircraft was intended to carry five passengers in addition to the pilot.
It was powered by a pair of N.E.C. water-cooled engines mounted side by side between the two sets of wings. Each drove a single Beedle type tractor propeller. These were made of sheet aluminium, with the semi-circular blades supported at the ends by attachment to a radial tube.Aerial PropellersFlight 15 January 1910
It was tested at the Midland Aero Club grounds at Dunstall Park near WolverhamptonDunstall park Flight 5 November 1910] but damaged an axleDunstall Park Flight 19 November 1910] and failed to leave the ground. It was eventually taken apart by souvenir hunters.
Specifications
References
Bibliography
Lewis, P., British Aircraft 1809-1914. London: Putnam, 1962 Winchester, Jim. The World's Worst Aircraft. United States, NY: Metro Books, 2005.