Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat light monoplane

Power Plant:

One 30 kw (40 hp) four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Albury monoplane was a light aircraft designed and built in Albury, NSW by Messrs Azor D Robbins and Alex W Porter, two young men aged 21, the aircraft being known for many years as the Robbins and Porter Monoplane. In later years it has become known as the Albury Monoplane. The Robbins and Porter Monoplanes is dealt with separately.

These gentlemen up to that time had worked as motor mechanics in the facility of Dalgetty Garage in Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC and moved to Albury in 1911. As a part time project they spent two years building an aircraft similar in lines to a number of designs of the time, particularly the Bleriot II. Engine used in the aircraft was a four-cylinder horizontally-opposed unit which had been built in Melbourne by Aubrey Lock & Azor Robbins for a Mr Marshall who lived at Ivanhoe in Western NSW. This engine after arriving in Albury was displayed at the local show.

In July and August of 1912 Sydney dentist and aviator W E Hart drove from Sydney, NSW to Melbourne to find a route to fly an aircraft between the two State capital cities and whilst in Albury inspected the aircraft. The aircraft had an open-frame fuselage with a cabane framework for the landing wires to support the shoulder-mounted wing. The propeller was 2.28 m (7 ft 6 in) in diameter and was a wooden two-blade unit designed by the designer/builders. The wing and tail unit were covered with waterproof fabric.

The local newspaper, the ‘Border Morning Mail’, on 29 July 1913 referred to the aircraft making five successful flights at Bungowannah Park on 27 July 1913, this property being some 16 km (10 miles) from Albury. It was reported that, although the aircraft was under complete control in the air, it could not be flown to any height owing to the restricted area of the paddock. Only one accident was sustained, and this caused only a small amount of damage. One flight a few days later was said to be a straight flight of 640 m (2,100 ft) at 4.57 m to 6.09 m (15 to 20 feet) in the presence of members of the public and a representative of the ‘Albury Banner’ in attendance. In March 1914 Harry Hawker, Australian-born test-pilot for Sopwith in the United Kingdom, visited Albury with the Sopwith Tabloid and is reported to have inspected the Albury aircraft.

Eventually the two young builders ran out of funds and the aircraft was sold to the Blacklock Garage in Dean Street, Albury but was destroyed some time later when the garage was burnt down. The engine survived and was placed in storage in the Victorian State Museum and a set of working drawings prepared. It was later moved to the Melbourne Scienceworks Museum at Newport. Mr Robbins later moved to the United States and became a founding partner in the White Truck Company. Mr Porter saw service with the AIF, later the AFC, and eventually became a farmer.

In recent years a replica of the Albury monoplane has been built by the Albury and District Historical Society. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the original aircraft’s first flight, the replica was placed on display and suspended from the ceiling in the Albury Library Museum.