The Supermarine S.4 was a 1920s British single-engined monoplane built by Supermarine to race in the 1925 Schneider Trophy contest. To reduce drag forces and thereby increase speed, the company's chief designer, R. J. Mitchell, produced a floatplane of revolutionary design. Built of wood, and with an unbraced cantilever wing, it was powered by a Napier Lion engine developed to produce 700 horsepower (520 kW) over a short racing period. Less than a month after its maiden flight on 24 August 1925, it raised the world's seaplane speed record to 226.752 miles per hour (364.922 km/h). On 23 October, during navigation trials prior to the contest, the aircraft was performing well when, for reasons that have not been fully explained, it went out of control and was destroyed when it dived into the sea from 100 feet (30 m), injuring the pilot. Mitchell used the practical experience gained from his work on the S.4 when designing its immediate successor, the Supermarine S.5.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_S.4
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1642:
King Charles I raised the royal standard at Nottingham, marking the beginning of the First English Civil War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_English_Civil_War
1914:
First World War: A squadron of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards attacked a German scout party, the first engagement of British forces on the Western Front. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_shot_memorial
1943:
Ian Stephens, editor of The Statesman, defied British censorship to publish pictures of death and misery (example pictured) on Calcutta's streets, informing the world of the Bengal famine of 1943. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_famine_of_1943
1984:
The constitution of Singapore was amended to apportion seats to defeated opposition candidates in Parliament, which had hitherto entirely comprised members of the People's Action Party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-constituency_Member_of_Parliament
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
in weal and woe: In both prosperity and adversity; in good times and bad. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_weal_and_woe
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Stuff your eyes with wonder . . . live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. --Ray Bradbury https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury