AIR CATAPULT.
BRITISH EXPERIMENT. Nine-Ton Bomber Successfully Launched. NO TAKE-OFF RUN NEEDED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, May 21. A remarkable experiment was demonstrated at the Royal aircraft establishment at Farnborough when a huge nine-ton bombing machine was successfully catapulted into the air by new mechanism designed and constructed at the Air Force experimental station. Squadron-Leader Caster and FlightLieutenant Ryfo were in a bomber, a twin-engined Vickers Virginia type, when, with the 1000 h.p. engines running, the pilot gave the signal and the catapult was started, adding 4000 h.p. to their pull. There was an car-splitting roar from the catapult, and the 'plane shot high into the air, having dispensed with the take-off run. The motive power of the catapult it? compressed air. Neither pilot received the slightest shock. The launching device may be shown at the annual Air Force, pageant at Hendon this summer.
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Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1931, Page 7
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147AIR CATAPULT. Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1931, Page 7
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