Those interested in big aircraft will be glad to hear that the Beardmore Inflexible, which has been at Martlesham Heath for some months awaiting test, has flown, and flown well.Piloted by Sqn Ldr Noakes, it made its first flight on March 5. It got off easily in about 300yd and pulled up in about 250yd. It handles quite well and is very light on all controls.The long delay in testing the machine has not been due to any defects in the aircraft, but solely to the weather. A machine of such size costs a lot of money and it would have been foolish to risk smashing it, either in trying to get it off the waterlogged ground, or by trying to fly it in bad weather before the controls had been properly tested in short flights.Among the spectators at its first flight were Lord Invernairn (formerly Sir William Beardmore) and sundry officers from the Staff College.
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