Slingsby T.9 King Kite BGA.302 at Welburn aerodrome.
The wording of the report on the incident given in Sailplane and Glider magazine is unclear as to the events so this is my take on what may have happened, also the date is not properly stated. This glider was the first Hjordis II or King Kite glider built and by what must have been mid-April 1937 it was ready for its first flight. It was built at Kirkbymoorside and Fred Slingsby had an agreement to use the nearby Welburn aerodrome for flying. On what appears to have been either on 17th or 18th April 1937 the glider was taken to Welburn for the first flight. The designer and subsequent pilot for this test flight had planned to first make a series of short hops before making higher and longer flights. Which method of launch is not stated in the information I have located and the report in the magazine is worded poorly. I had initially thought it was an aero-two launch, but this could be unlikely as the tug aeroplane that was subsequently used was Major Shaw's Avro Cadet G-ABVV but the conversion to add towing capabilities was not yet complete, it was returned to Welburn on 14th May 1937 from Heston where Airwork Ltd did the work. There may also have been a winch launch at Welburn for glider launching, or a towing car may have been used for the glider launches prior to the tug aeroplane being used.
On the first launch of the King Kite the release cable jammed after the glider had got into the air. The initial plan to make the first short and gentle hop did not happen because the by the time the release mechanism was free the glider had already climbed to around sixty feet. I then assume that the pilot attempted to descend and land but by the time the glider lost the height it was fast approaching the hedge at the end of the runway. The glider pilot applied all controls but it appears to have received minor damage, probably through striking the hedge.
The pilot was the Hjordis II's designer, which became known as the Slingsby T.9 King Kite. The passenger wrote the report given in Sailplane and Glider, signing himself as "Corunus".
Pilot - F/Lt Geoffrey Mungo Buxton RAF.
Passenger - "Corunus". Name unknown.