In the early days of long distance flight, the problem of carrying enough fuel to reach the destination safely was the biggest concern. Many concepts were explored; adapting the fuel capacity of the aircraft, in-flight refuelling, building larger planes with bigger fuel tanks and assisted flight. This used the idea that an assisted take-off saved fuel for use in flight rather than getting an aircraft off the ground. One of the more eye-catching flight experiments carried out by Imperial Airways, using assisted flight, was the Mayo composite aircraft.

The piggyback arrangement consisted of the seaplane Mercury on top of the Short C Class flying boat Maia. In a careful operation taking up to an hour the Mercury was lifted by crane onto Maia. The seaplane's floats needed to be positioned exactly right in order for the framework to connect the two aircraft together. Whilst the planes were connected the pilots could talk to each other by telephone.

[10119] Maia - Mercury flying boat taxiing on Southampton Water

Maia/Mercury taxiing

This must have been an arresting sight on Southampton Water, a flying boat with a seaplane secured on its roof taking off with all eight engines running! Built by Shorts of Rochester, trials were done on the Medway and one resident recalls the sight.

‘Us kids were taken to play football down on the field by the river… we saw Maia with the Mercury on top running up and down the river. It took her three or four attempts and she had to turn around but eventually she took off.’

Flight preparations on Mercury

Once in the air, the release of the seaplane could be activated electronically by the Mercury. The first Atlantic trial from Southampton was on 21st July 1938: Mercury left Maia in the air over Foynes, Ireland and flew non-stop to Montreal in thirteen hours and twenty-nine, which was a record for an east to west crossing of the North Atlantic. After unloading there, it then flew on to New York in another five hours. By not having to use any fuel for take off, the seaplane could carry 1000lbs (453kg) for over 3,500 miles (5,632km) flying the first commercial flight over the N. Atlantic. The experiment set three new records, the third being the first east to west crossing from Britain to Montreal. But they weren't continued, because another way of extending the range of aircraft looked more promising - inflight refuelling.

The birth of a national airline

Empire air mail

Atlantic hop

Maia/Mercury experiment

In-flight refuelling