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The Probus Club of Seaford
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The speaker at our most recent meeting was one of our own members, Bill McNaught, who gave us the biography of Samuel Franklin Cody, best known as one of the pioneer aviators in the country.
Samuel Cody was born in Texas in 1867, and often capitalised on what was assumed to be a family relationship with Buffalo ‘Wild’ Bill Cody. In fact, there was no relationship: Samuel Franklin’s surname at birth was ‘Cowdery’, and he only later changed it to Cody. He was a skilled horse rider, an accurate marksman, and had even spent time prospecting for gold. He performed in Wild West shows, and later had a show and circus of his own. In 1890 he set sail for Liverpool with his wife, and they set up Wild West shows at Olympia (sometimes on roller skates!). His wife suffered a long period of illness, and returned to America. Samuel continued his show business activities, including writing five plays: not bad for a boy who had never been to school.
Around the beginning of the Twentieth Century, Samuel developed an interest in kites, and evolved the concept of a string of kites whose combined ‘lift’ could raise a man off the ground. This, he felt, had military possibilities in terms of forward observation on the battlefield. He put his ideas to the Government but they showed no interest. However, his persistence eventually paid off: he was offered a job as an instructor at the Balloon Factory in Farnborough. Cody experimented by putting an engine into a kite, and then, following the success of the German Zeppelin airships, the Balloon Factory built a dirigible airship, utilising large teams of women to sew the fabric panels together. Cody flew the airship to London, and tried to land at Buckingham Palace, but settled for Crystal Palace instead! flight, so Cody was sacked and the project was closed! Nevertheless, Cody continued his activities privately. Also, around this time Cody became a British Citizen. Amongst other activities, he won the Michelin Trophy for the longest flight: 190 miles, at the end of which he was frozen! Despite the Government’s earlier dismissal of powered flight, they formed the Royal Flying Corps in 1911.
Cody had the idea of a float plane: one which could operate on both land and water. It was whilst testing such a plane that Cody crashed, and was killed. His funeral was at the Military Cemetery in Aldershot (the only civilian ever to be buried there) and the funeral cortege was watched by a huge crowd, such was his fame and respect for him.
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Cody was given £50 to build an aeroplane, which he did, and managed to fly it 70 yards on Laffan’s Plain at Farnborough. Several of his subsequent flights ended up in crashes, until Cody realised that if you want to turn an aircraft you also have to bank it, otherwise it stalls. Shortly after these early flights, the Government decided there was no future in powered
