SUCCESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 128, 1 June 1934, Page 5

SUCCESS.

AT THIRD ATTEMPT.

"HOME-MADE" MONOPLANE, SATISFACTORY FLIGHTS. Where the narrow road loses itself vaguely in a tussocked field on the bank of the JVaikato, west from Kaqgiriri, there rests a handsome silver-painted monoplane. To the Everson brothers, Ernest and Arthur, it is the proud achievement of months of labour and years of planning. It is the third 'plane they have built in the last five years, and the first to be successful.

Since the trial flight a few days ago Mr. Ernest Everson, the elder brother, has been one of the happiest and proudest men in the country, for lie designed the monoplane. During the last 15 months he has helped to put his blueprint to the test of construction, and now he has shown his theory to be practicable. For over an hour the monoplane was in the air on her trial, and, according to Mr. Everson, who piloted it, it behaved perfectly.

"I felt a hit happy anout it, as you can imagine," said the designer in describing the successful flight. "There j are still a few little things to do to make J the job complete, but —well, .you know ; how it is when you've been working at isueh a job for 15 months. As soon as we had her safe to go up in. I was keen to try her out. She handles beautifully, takes off easily, lands remarkably smoothly and rides as steadily as if she were standing on the ground." Difficult Runway. After a few minor adjustments to the engines yesterday afternoon the two brothers and their partner, Mr. I. Waugh, started up the port motor. One could see that the elder brother was impatient to take the machine up again, but his prudence prevented him. A moderate breeze was blowing at right angles to the runway.

With only a strip of fairly smooth turf, lying north-west- to south-east, it is necessary for the pilot to wait for

one of those two winds or else a calm, ■for to have the machine crashed after it has so well proved itself would be, as Mr. Everson says, "too bad." Yet this "landing field" is the only piece of ground at all suitable in the whole district.

In a small section of Mr. Waugh's garage at Te Kauwhata the. three men have worked with what tools and equipment they could get on the task of making the thousand and one separate parts, fitting sections together if there was room, and finally a'ssembling it all in the main part of the garage. Here it certainly looked like a first-class light monoplane. But the proof of a 'plane is in the flying, so it was dismantled, transported, and reassembled, this time some few miles along the river bank from Rangiriri, where a small camp had been erected for accommodation for those most concerned. What the Flight Revealed. In addition to the general airworthi- | ness evident from the silver 'plane's test I flight, it was found that several special, features which Mr. Everson had incor- | porated into his design had been j justified. The wing spread is large for the type of machine, being as great as that of a Puss Moth, and with the concave under-wing surface tins feature conduces to safety against stalling, easy landing, shorter take-off, and slower; landing speed. Mr. Kverson said that his speed on landing from, the trial flight was 28 m.p.h. Although any monoplane requires a, long run for taking off, he managed the rise within 250 yards. The concave under-wing, he considers, takes about 20 m.p.h. from the head speed, but this loss is worth I the added safety provided. I

The wings are high-camberod, and made with built-up sections of threeply box spars. The frame is a distinct unit, carrying by itself Urn strain of the motors and of the undercarriage in landing. Fuselage and wings are therefore relieved of undue stresses.

A prominent feature is the use of two 42 horse-power motors in a singleseater machine, which ensures safer cross-country flights. The motors. Bristol Cherubs, have two cylinders, and are used largely in Germany for lifting two-seater 'planes. The power units are slung on rubber through the wing surface on to the frame, so that vibration at low "revs." is not harmful.

Orthodox laminated propellers "were carved out by the men themselves, and have the appearance and efficiency of professional work. The "ship" proves to have a fine gliding angle, and a cross-level has been mounted in. front of the cockpit to help the pilot to get the gliding angle in landing. All the controls are balanced, and Mr. Everson could not "feel anything" on the joy--1 stick when going through manoeuvres. The wings are also wired for night n ying. Range of 1500 Miles. Brackets are let in under the wing between the cockpit and the motors to allow for the installation, when required, of two extra fuel tanks, which will then allow a range of 1500 miles. If one motor cuts out the other will keep the machine up, so a. hand-pump in the cockpit can automatically transfer the fuel from one motor tank through the main tank to the other motor. Sufficient oil can he carried in the tanks behind each motor to cover a 1500-mile flight. j'he dashboard i= fitted with standard instruments. An air-speed indicatoi with positive and negative tubes is built into the nose of the monoplane. Cruising speed will be about 100 m.p.h., and Mr. Everson expects to attain 10,000 ft altitude with ease.

Meanwhile he awaits impatiently fine weather and a north-west or south-east breeze, lie is keen to put his first successful monoplane "through her tricks," the tricks he had in mind when he traced his own design on blue prints nearly two years ago.