FLYING FLEAS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21808, 13 June 1936, Page 20

FLYING FLEAS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sin, —I was interested in reading your editorial comment on the flying flea. Your attitude was not at all surprising to me as the psychology of human endeavour and progress has interested me for a long time. It seems your article fits in with our economic and social system of encumbrance. Since the Wright brothers built an aeroplane, science has gone on improving the machines, until to-day we see the modern replica. The Wright brothers, like Mignet, met with the same condemnation in those days, but in spite of the adverse comments the flea is flying, and in it we have the nucleus of a new era of aeronautics. The flea of to-morrow will have shaken off its cruder aspects and out of it will be born the first real aeroplane departing at last from the first design. It seems a very cramped attitude to think for one moment that aviation has reached its peak of perfection—to my mind it has only just started. In a very short period we'shall have machines with huge carrying capacities landing at 30 miles an hour and less, thus eliminating the great risk of stalling over small areas and not bfeing able to land without a crash. As an amateur builder with a keen interest in the inventive side of aerodynamics, I feel that “The Press” should get behind the inventors ana young enthusiasts of to-day and give them every encouragement, not only for public safety in the fruits of their ability, but chiefly from the aspects of our perilous position of being the richest and happiest country in the world with practically no national defence. I could say much in criticism of our air defence and the obsolete machines at our disposal. I feel it a crime to the people of this country to expose our happy women and children to the terrible ravages of an attack. I urge you to encourage every young man to go on experimenting and flying, as these very young men you are discouraging to-day are our defence of to-morrow.—Yours, etc., BARNARD OWEN. June 12, 1936. [lt is possible to agree with most of what our correspondent says and still contend that the flying flea should be subject to control at least as rigid as that imposed on machines of proved air-worthiness.— Ed.. “The Press.”!