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Luton Airport

1938 , Luton (Bedfordshire)

Cat no. 6527

A newsreel-style amateur film celebrating the opening of Luton Airport in July 1938.

A celebration of the official opening of the Luton Municipal Aerodrome in July 1938. Various styles of aircraft are shown on the ground, during take-off and performing flypasts, as WWI fighter ace and aircraft designer Captain Edgar Percival signs an autograph for a young boy. Still in its prototype stage, the de Havilland Albatross transport plane is featured both on the ground and in-flight, as parachutists perform daring jumps from other aircraft at a height of just 150 feet. Also featured are Maia and Mercury, stars of the Short Brothers' Mayo composite aircraft experiment, which tested a piggyback system in attempting to solve the problem of fuel levels in long-distance air travel. Concludes with a brief visit to the gardens of a nearby mill.

Featured Events

Official opening of Luton Municipal Aerodrome (Luton Airport), 16 July 1938

Keywords

Airports; Aviation; Opening ceremonies

Background Information

Edgar Percival (1898-1984) was a noted Australian aircraft designer and aviator. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Percival This demonstration of the Short Mayo composite aircraft system was only five days before the team successfully complete a non-stop transatlantic flight in just over 20 hours.

Manifestations

Luton Airport

Copyright restrictions apply.

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