Here are a couple of extracts from the recent Handley Page Association Newsletter.

HP39 Gugnunc under test at Cricklewood

This is the HP39 Gugnunc under test at Cricklewood prior to being shipped to Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York to take part in the Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition.

Much of Cricklewood aerodrome is now covered by the Golders Green Estate. The houses in the background are in the part-completed ‘The Vale’ and the house numbers have been identified thanks to members of the Golders Green Estate Residents Association.

Royal Aeronautical Society at Cricklewood in 1919

The Royal Aeronautical Society held its very first garden party at Handley Page’s Cricklewood Aerodrome on 29 June 1919. Flight magazine recorded the event in words and pictures:

There was a large gathering at the garden party given by the Royal Aeronautical Society at the Handley Page aerodrome at Cricklewood on Sunday last, and although the boisterous weather did its best to prevent passenger flights, the HP biplanes were more than equal to their task, and took up a large number of passengers, who thoroughly enjoyed their flights in spite of the ‘bumps’. The visitors were received by the chairman and council in the large running-shed facing the aerodrome, and after an inspection of the Handley Page works, in which were seen a number of the machines of the ‘small’ as well as the large type, tea was served in the running-shed.

Here also were on view a Handley Page twin-engined (Rolls- Royce) passenger biplane, recently finished, built to the order of the Chinese Government; one of the fourengined (Rolls-Royce) HPs, a Norman Thompson flying boat with a Beardmore engine, and, by way of contrast, an old Caudron biplane with a 50 hp Gnome engine.

All these machines were inspected by the visitors, and later in the afternoon there was a very interesting lecture, given by Commander T.Y. Baker, RN, and Major L.N.G. Filon, DSc, FRS, RAF, on ‘Navigation on a Transatlantic Flight’.

In another hangar the visitors enjoyed a technical exhibition prepared by the Technical and Research Departments of the Air Ministry, by permission of Brig Gen H.R.M. Brooke- Popham, DSO. This exhibition included instruments of all descriptions, speaking-tubes for use on board aircraft, wireless telephone and wireless telegraph outfits of different types and ranges, aero-cameras of all descriptions with specimens of some of the excellent photographs taken with them, and samples of British and German aero engines.
The exhibition was highly instructive, and was greatly appreciated by the visitors. The scientific nature of the exhibits in the hangar was relieved, later in the afternoon, by a very successful and well-attended concert given by the D.A.P. (Department of Aircraft Production) Quartette (Miss Agnes Goddard, Miss G.J. Gowrie, Capt E.J. Webb, and Major A.H. Wood).

It had been intended to give demonstrations of parachute descents, but in view of the high wind which was blowing these were cancelled, and, we think wisely so, since in such a gale it is extremely difficult to judge the right position for jumping with the consequence that the parachutist may easily land on some obstacle and sustain an injury.

In spite of these little variations in the programme, the visitors enjoyed themselves immensely, and all, we think, came away with the feeling of having spent a very interesting afternoon. Besides members of the Society, the guests included representatives of the Air Force and Air Ministry, the Chinese Ambassador, Gen. Squires, the American Air Force Chief, Maj-Gen. Ruck, Maj-Gen. Seely, Maj-Gen. Sir H.M. Trenchard, Maj-Gen. Sir F.H. Sykes, Maj-Gen Sir W.S. Brancker, Sir Robert Hadfield, Mr Handley Page, and Mr Holt Thomas.

Tea was taken in the “running-shed” [hangar] with a background of an O/400 {nearer) and a V/1500

Guests braved the weather to watch the flying or partake of a joy-ride. The hangar then overlooked the airfield, but in later years it overlooked rear gardens in The Vale until it was demolished at the turn of the century.