Pilotless aeroplane, believed crashed near Seamer / Stokesley.

On Friday 14th August 1936 a pilotless aeroplane that had been constructed over a period of six months in the Middlesbrough area took off from Winley Hill Farm, Great Ayton. It had wing span of eight feet and was powered by a small two-stroke petrol engine with a small fuel tank feeding it. This was the first flight attempted. As it left the ground the wind got under it and it lifted to a considerable height. The fuel supply soon ran out which would have obviously seen the engine cut out but it then acted like a glider in the wind. It was seen to pass over Stokesley cricket field at around 2500 feet but then appears to have lost height and was last seen to descend in the Seamer area. The only newspaper report I have yet located stated that the aeroplane had not been located and a reward was offered for its return, it was thought to have crashed into a field of standing corn which hid it.

While the name of the manufacturer is not stated in the newspaper reports for this incident there were other locally built aeroplanes that were tested in 1936 and these were made by Edgar W Kendrew (of the Nunthorpe area) including a Flying Flea (G-AEAD). He seems the likely candidate as being the builder and owner of the pilotless aeroplane.

Pilot - None.