‘FLIVVER OF THE AIR’

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 201, 11 June 1929, Page 5

‘FLIVVER OF THE AIR’

THE LATEST AEROPLANE.

WEIGHS ONLY 260 POUNDS.

SPEED OF SEVENTY MILES. (United Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, June 10. The New York correspondent of “The Times” states that an aeroplane for about £2OO is the latest mail-order bargain announced by Sears Roebuck Company, a big Chicago department store. It is known as a SuperParasol aeroplane, also the “Flivver” of the air, and is claimed to be foolproof. It can he bought either over the counter and completely assembled, tuned up, with petrol in the tank ready to start, or delivered to mailorder buyers in prepared parts with blue prints and instructions for assembling. It weighs 2601bs empty, and has a wing-spread of 25 feet. The maximum speed is 70 miles _ an hour. Experiments are now being made with a parachute, which, in case of accident, equld be extended over the wings, engine and fuselage, allowing the aeroplane to glide down and settle gently.—“ Times.” *

A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.

PASSENGER HAS TO FLY CRAFT. PARIS, June 10. Lieutenant Ivonnet, an officer who had never piloted an aeroplane in his life, had a terrifying experience at Le Bourget when left alone in a machine from which the pilot had been thrown during tho violence of.a gale. Lieutenant Sellier invited 1 his brother officer, Ivonnet, to take a joyride to Chartres for luncheon. When they were returning Sellier discovered that he could not land at Le Bourget owing to military regulations, so he flew about to pass the time away. Suddenly a storm broke and the aeroplane was thrown about in a horrible fashion until Ivonnet saw Sellier shot out from his seat and disappear. Ivonnet was too excited to think of using the parachute strapped on his back. Instead, he clasped the controls and found he was able to manage. He tried to recall the things he had seen the pilot do, and then headed for Le Bourget. Gradually he got the ’plane to make smaller circles. When it came down it nose-dived for the last few yards, hut lie scrambled out alive. Tho ’plane was ripped to pieces. Sellier landed safely by means of liis parachute.—Australian Press Association.

VAN BLACK CRASHES.

FAR EAST FLIGHT ABANDONED.

(Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) DELHI, June 10

Van Lear Black (the American aviator) crashed when landing at Dum-Dum aerodrome, Calcutta. His giant Fokkter machine was partially wrecked, and his flight in the Far East has been abandoned. The five occupants of the ’plane were not injured.—Australian Press Association.

RACE FOR KING’S CUP.

RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, June 10. There are 56 entries —a record—for the King’s Cup air race, on July 5. The entrants include Manning (an Australian) and Lady Bailey, who will fly hexown Moth. —Australian Press Association, United Service.

AN EMERGENCY LANDING. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) STOCKHOLM, June 10. Captain Ahrenberg, who took off for New York via Greenland, with two companions, in the endeavour to open up a safe northern routs of comparatively short hops, sent a wireless message that lie had made an emergency landing. The prospects of a further flight are uncertain.-—United Service. A Reykjo.vik message states that the steamer Erga, which raced to the rescue of Captain Ahrenberg reports that the ’plane was not damaged. Supplies of fuel are arriving.—Australian Press Association.