Watson-Northrop II primary glider.
John Percy Watson, a chemist of York, obtained plans of for a Northrop Primary glider from the USA in 1929, the design was almost an exact copy of a German Zogling glider but with a slightly longer wingspan. He built the glider in a workshop at Blossom Street, York and once complete it was transported to the Malton area where it was test flown by him from rising ground near Woodhouse Farm, Westow on 25th May 1930. This apparently was his first ever flight in a glider. Over the weeks and months that followed it was flown from the Woodhouse Farm site and also Spy Hill site, both near Westow a number of times where it sustained damage a number of times. Unfortunately the exact dates and events surrounding any of these mishaps appears to have been lost to history. It may also have been damaged after taking off from a site at nearby Norton after repair from one earlier damage incident at Westow. The glider was eventually modified to include an enclosed cockpit with the design taken from the American Bowlus Albatross glider. This modified glider was then known as the Watson-Northrop II. It again eventually crashed and must have been damaged beyond repair but the date and reasons around this are also not known. Percy Watson later bought a damaged Slingsby glider and repaired this for his use.