TORPEDO BOMBER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1928, Page 9

TORPEDO BOMBER.

Equipped To Alight On Land

Or Water.

SUCCESSFUL TRIALS MADE.

(Received 12 noon.)

LONDON, January 27.

The Air Ministry has completed successful trials of the Handley-Page torpedo bomber which is equipped with the slotted wing safety device. The 'plane has a single engine of 450 horsepower and gives a speed of 140 miles, carrying a torpedo. It can be equipped to alight on land, on water or on the deck of a ship.—(A. and N.Z. and Sydney "Sun.") NO AIR SENSE. BRITAIN LAGGING BEHIND. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 27. "Britain does not possess the air sense," said Sir Sefton Brancker, director of civil aviation, at Manchester. America and Germany in 1927 flew 6,000,000 miles in regular service, while Britain flew 1.500,000. "We are lagging behind because the people do not realise the enormous possibilities of commercial aviation, also that Government r distance was restricted while the industry did not pay its own way. Xeverthelss he urged Manchester to prepare for a boom in commercial aviation.—(A. and N.Z. and Sydney "Sun.") LEAP IN THE AIR. AVIATOR LANDS IN TREE. SYDNEY, January 27. About 60,000 people attended the Domain to watch Lieutenant Haakon O'Viller leap from an aeroplane by means of a parachute. The parachutist landed in a tree but * was not hurt. This is the first time that such a feat has been attempted in Sydney. PARACHUTE FAILS. ITALIAN AIRMAN KILLED. ROME, January 27. Signor Nardini, a brilliant war-tinie ' aviator, was killed yesterday. A defect developed in his machine when he was flying at an altitude of 3000 ft, and he crashed. Xardini leapt off with a parachute when he was at a height of 150 ft, but the parachute failed to open.