New-York tribune., 1919-06-30
Martinsyde Pilot Terms the
Story of ''Captain Watt
Fake; Mysterious Stranger
Not To Be His Navigator
Ready for Test Flight
Handley Page Machine Is
to Try for Speed Rec
ord in Overseas Dash
Special Correspondence

(Copy-sht 1919. New York Tribune Iuc)
ST. JOHNS. N. F.. June 29-"The
story that this fellow. Captain Alex
snder B. Watt. is telling in New York
to the effect that he is to be my navi-
gator when l fly across the Atlantic
is a fake. I don't know the man, and
his story is all imagination"
Captain Frederick P. Raynham, pilot
Of the Martinsyde bipane. which will
attempt the Atlantic hop early next
month in an attempt to lower the
speed record set by Alcock and Brown
three weeks ago, thus repudiated to-
day the story printed in New York
evening newspaper in which Captain
" ats" story was printed as an Inter
view.
In this story Watt was reported as
saying he left England under an as
sumed name to join Raynham as his
navigator, concealing his identity in
order to shroud the details of the new
attempt to be made by the Martinsyde.
He said that Raynham now had a
new machine, equipped with five re-
cent secret inventions which would en-
able him to fly the Atlantic in about
twelve hours.
Raynham laughed at the ridiculous
ness of the story.
Secret Plane Nonsense
H"N SotS VI SeCTeJ pane
equipped with secret inventions is
nonsense. AS for the man who tells
IT. he is an impostor. My navigator
on the coming fight will be Lieuten-
ant Biddlecombe. who has been here
with me these two weeks since his
arrival from England aboard the
steamer Digby on June Is. Biddle-
eomoe obtalned his passage on that
ship in the capacity of navigator for
my plane. His coming was announced
st the time. and | have no intention of
changing avigators or anything of that
sort.
The machine I am grooming for the
flight IS built exactly as was the one
that smashed when l started after
Hawker. That was six weeks ago.
There are few triffing notifications
IN ITS design; made to allow greater
freedom for the occupants, but they in
no way affect the general structure. I
included in my first machine every de-
vice which thought OF real value. and
there haven't been any so-called Sc
cret' inventions in the last few weeks
that have heard of or would risk try
Ing out on gruelling test like the
flight overseas"
Ravnham admitted that he was
puzzled by the Watt story and the pur-
pose of its narrator. Inquiries here
failed to identify Watt, and there is no
evidence that any one of that name
has been in this city.
Certainly there is no secret airplane
in st. Johns. In a small city it would
be feat to hide a flying machine or
prevent news of its existence from
spreading. The rebuilding of his
smashed plane that has occupied Rayn-
hams attention since the mishap has
Il. been going Oh daily under the public
eye in store rented on the main
street for that purpose. All of Rayn-
hams mechanics are engaged there.
It would be next to impossible to
4 smuggle plane into the port, because
ships from England call only fort
nightly and are closely watched.
Raynham's rebuilt machine has been
for the last three days in a tent out on
Quidividi Field. Hundreds have been
to see it there. Preliminary ground
stests have been made on it and a few
defects remedied Everything is ready
now for trial fight. When it starts
across the ocean the Martinsyde will
fly direct for London. without a stop in
: Ireland. Raynham hardly expects to
fy before the new moon, about July IA
The new Martinsyde has been chris
tened Chimera and has its name and
the legend Built by Martinsyde, Ltd,
St. Johns, N. F." painted on either
side of the fuselage.